Folks,

Started my Facet the other day, a week off, a contented wife, access to a huge workshop. All parts and components, glues and epoxies, wing instructions read and understood (Kerry made sure they are not rocket science!!!), all ready to go.[8D]

Patiently, I do take my time, lined the phenolic tube box, ensured all was true, glued the wing tubes in. Perfect, sanded the outside, perfect. Mixed the epoxy resin, brushed the skin, brushed the surface of the foam wing, laid in the carbon reinforcing ribbon, applied the skin, did the same for the other surfaces, all lined in waxed paper, heavy wood placed on top All perfect.

Overnight, heating failed in workshop, temp dropped to 3 deg above freezing air became really moist. Discovered epoxy resin used although un opened and effectively new, about 24 months old.[]

Result, epoxy failed to cure, except for one or two places meaning that as I tried to remove the skins, some foam was torn out of the wing, rendering it in my view useless.

How annoying is that?

I was really miffed, my wife thought me manically depressed, so once I got home, I left the other bits I had been working on in the conservatory and took the dogs for a long walk to calm down!!!

Unusually for this time of year, had the sun out all afternoon and yep both fuz sides are warped now!!![:@]

I love this hobby but it doesn't seem to like me.

Onto those guys at Great Northern to get some more blanks or to see if I can get them cut in the UK.

Bah humbug!!!

Anyone else have as many sessions like this??

Gazzer

Gazzer

Should not be a problem getting cores cut in the UK if you still have , or can make root and tip templates, and can supply a drawing of the wing in plan.

S**t happens!!

John

You should be able to resheet with poly glue, the foaming action may fill in the areas that pulled out??? If you provide a picture, I can tell you for sure. I've filled in some gaping gaps with that stuff and all works fine. You can punch a 3 inch square hole in a foam wing and just sheet over it with nothing structural in the hole and still have a very strong wing! I have many cases of proving this is true!

I feel your pain my friend... Been there, done that! To the point that I refuse to build anything but composite aircraft any more []

My patience with balsa, foam and glass building is gone.... [:'(]....

I used to love to build these type of aircraft but after building full composite airframes for the past few years, I find I no longer enjoy building the "Old School" ways
The good news is the Facet is a great aircraft that you will throughly enjoy once you get-er done
Todd

Did the epoxy cure once it warmed up? I have done many foam cores with epoxy but poly is the way to go.

That sucks....

Maybe you shouldn't have been using that cheap Chinese Epoxy

I usually find in a case like that, that the best thing to do may be to just walk away from it for a while. When you come back to it in a less depressed state of mind, you often see it only as a "problem" rather than as the "total disaster" that it looks like at first, and sometimes you then find ways of dealing with it.

Can the warped sides be de-warped ? e.g. maybe by moistening them with a water & ammonia mix, then clamp them to a flat surface for several days to dry ? Or maybe the fuz formers and top & base can provide enough support to counter the sides' attempt to bend in ways you don't want ?

Don't let it get to you ... it seems like we need to have low moments like that, in order to make the good moments feel even better by contrast !

Gordon

Gazzer

Dont worry ...not the end of the world...Did my first set of foam cores a couple of weeks back, i was really twitchy about the whole process [:-]..Z-Poxy 30 min stuff... Two FLAT, HEAVY boards to put under and over the cores are a must ...and a couple of really heavy weights to put on top of the whole lot....turned out Fantastic...

Grab some new cores off Kerry..Make some Skins up...pop up here... We'll have a Saturday up in the loft /workshop.... I was going to make a spare set of wings up for the AV8R..we'll do that too..!

I'm building a Reaper at the moment, Almost the entire top of the fuselage consists of two large hatches.

The hatches are a balsa framework with a plastic top glued on. I managed to get the balsa frames almost perfect and then glued on the plastic tops. It looked fantastic. Then I noticed a bit was not stuck down very well. I hadn't roughed the plastic and it had not adhered properly. A little tug and it all unstuck.

Unfortunately due to the glue filleting I had used it will be easier to start again from scratch. I was really annoyed.

The only thing to do was order the new parts. They are all here now and I will have go number two sometime in the next few days.

I feel your pain[]

Hi Gazzer.

Oh yes, I have done that..
And since I live almost on the North pole, and have no hobbyrom for big projects, I have made some precautions to secure sucsessful glueing. Only place for my models are in the garage...[]
I have simply made a box of 2" foam, no bottom, big enough for the most, wich covers the model or item to be glued.
A inlet hole for a hairdryer secures the heat, and a similar outlet hole takes care of the ventilation.
I always use the lowest effect on the dryer.
Might be a idea for others who have conserns about the conditions, or just want to be safe.

Gudmund

Wow Gudmond, I thought I had it bad not having at least a 4 car garage for my shop/plane storage and you have to build in a reverse ice chest!

You are all too kind!!

Spoke with Ed at Great Northern and ordered up a complete set of wing blanks, but get this, getting the HP upgraded ones, so the babe will look like version 2. Also got the new plans so can do the tail anhedral and stuff.

A bit of steam, and some work tomorrow morning plus the paperback collection will have me sorted on the fuz sides, so now not so manic.

This is what is great about this forum, whilst some debates will get raised in profile, other pleas for help and the like get support and advice.,

Sean, I will try and chase Andreas Dehn tomorrow, my fax machine has been failing to answer and I only noticed today!!!

All the best guys,

Gazzer

I have seen guys use electric bankets to good effect in making sure that the epoxy on a wing lay up cures well. If it is likely to be cool or cold this would help.

Do you think is possible that your dog had sabotage your heater system to get a walk with you?[&:][X(][][&o]

Anyway...sorry.-

Miguel

Miguel,

No the dogs thought I was going to kick their arse!!!

However, all calm now!!!

Thanks for concern!

Gazzer

I guess it was meant to be!