How to practice premolded construction bonding

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Hey all,
I'm looking at starting to build a premolded composite quickbuild kit
within the next few months. I'm looking to get as much practice
glassing before I get started. I've already been to the EAA sportair
composite construction shop and it was awesome. Some people recommended
to get an RC kit and practice the fibreglassing techniques on that, but
when I went to the local hobby shop, the dude told me nobody uses
fibreglassing on RC planes. Anyway, any of you guys have any advice on
what's the best way to get practice working with moldless construction
before actually starting the plane?

Omri

[Stealth Pilot]

On 26 Feb 2005 15:48:41 -0800, wrote:

>Hey all,
> I'm looking at starting to build a premolded composite quickbuild kit
>within the next few months. I'm looking to get as much practice
>glassing before I get started. I've already been to the EAA sportair
>composite construction shop and it was awesome. Some people recommended
>to get an RC kit and practice the fibreglassing techniques on that, but
>when I went to the local hobby shop, the dude told me nobody uses
>fibreglassing on RC planes. Anyway, any of you guys have any advice on
>what's the best way to get practice working with moldless construction
>before actually starting the plane?
>
>Omri

1. try making yourself a battery box

get two blocks of white polystyrene.
hotwire one to a block just bigger than your battery and about an inch
lower than it's top edge.
layup at 45 degrees to each side enough plys to make a decent layup.
you want to layup in one hit the base and 4 sides as one integral
part. (basically an open top fibreglass box)
let it cure.
pour a cup of petrol into the white bead foam and watch it dissolve.
wash out all the reside from the bead foam.

hotwire cut cut the other block to a size that makes a neat fitting
lid. fibreglass this in a similar manner to the base.
clean out the polystyrene and you have a battery box.

.....or maybe the world's first indestructible lunch box. :-)

or
2. a flying tool box.

assemble together the minimum kit of tools that you would take long
distance flying.
(mine fits in a little shaving bag 2" x 3" x 4") and make yourself an
indestructible little tool box to carry in the bottom of the aircraft
luggage.

remember the aphorism "not white, not wet" and you should be well on
the way to good glassing. if it turns out crappy then take it to the
next chapter meet and ask for some guidance.
btw it may help to have a look around at good battery box setups to
get some ideas. the 'inch below the top' is so that you can grab a
dead one and pull it out to replace it.
Stealth Pilot

[Roger]

On 26 Feb 2005 15:48:41 -0800, wrote:

>Hey all,
> I'm looking at starting to build a premolded composite quickbuild kit
>within the next few months. I'm looking to get as much practice
>glassing before I get started. I've already been to the EAA sportair
>composite construction shop and it was awesome. Some people recommended
>to get an RC kit and practice the fibreglassing techniques on that, but
>when I went to the local hobby shop, the dude told me nobody uses
>fibreglassing on RC planes. Anyway, any of you guys have any advice on
>what's the best way to get practice working with moldless construction
>before actually starting the plane?

There isn't a whole lot to it. If you've already gone through the
work shop you've essentially done it all. Well, most of it. The main
differences would come from using epoxy or Vinyl Ester Resin. The
main difference being the viscosity and cloth density. Work out the
air bubbles, stipple where necessary with out inducing air bubbles,
squeegee out excess resin, and/or use peel ply.

I purchase Dacron, or rayon and use it for peel ply at a fraction on
the cost. Much depends on the coarseness of the weave and the
strength of the fibers, but it does a great job of leaving a finished
looking surface that is ready for the next lay-up.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com
>
>Omri

[Stealth Pilot]

On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 09:03:27 -0000, "karel"
> wrote:

>

>
>not wanting to peck on vocabulary
>but just for the sake of clearness:
>-) by "white bead foam" do you mean
>expanded polystyrene, the isolating
>stuff used to pack fridges, TV sets &C?

yes that is the stuff. you will sometimes find usable volumes in the
bigger pieces that you can cut into useful bits. buying a block from a
manufacturer can yield bigger sections and in the stuff I obtain in
Australia the expander gas seems less obnoxious in the block foam than
in the shipping padding.

>-) which derivative do you mean by "petrol"?
>car fuel?
unleaded car fuel.
that is probably the cheapest. Acetone, MEK are more expensive and
will work as well.

lamp petrol?
no that is usually a kerosene which may work but I havent tried it.
>
>Thanks for the inspiration, I'll give it a try!
>All the more as I need a battery box
>for my brand new van!
>
>Could you point out a website
>explaining glassing so as not to destroy the mould?

I dont know any offhand.
basically if you destroy the mould you lay up outside the mould piece.
if you want a permanent mould you layup inside the mould.
mould releases are usually some sort of wax.
alfoil will work as well as a release.

for mouldless construction Mike Arnold's tapes are quite good.
his is the AR5 record setting aircraft website.
Stealth Pilot
it is important to keep grease and water out of the resin.
>
>KA
>

[kumaros]

Roger wrote:
> On 26 Feb 2005 15:48:41 -0800, wrote:
>
>
>>Hey all,
>> I'm looking at starting to build a premolded composite quickbuild kit
>>within the next few months. I'm looking to get as much practice
>>glassing before I get started. I've already been to the EAA sportair
>>composite construction shop and it was awesome. Some people recommended
>>to get an RC kit and practice the fibreglassing techniques on that, but
>>when I went to the local hobby shop, the dude told me nobody uses
>>fibreglassing on RC planes. Anyway, any of you guys have any advice on
>>what's the best way to get practice working with moldless construction
>>before actually starting the plane?
>
>
You can download a guide to working with
composites here:
http://www.dac-ranger.nl/images/pdf/introduction_composites.pdf
This guide in PDF form is especially
suited to your purposes, since it
addresses composite techniques as
related to the RangeR, a premolded
composite quickbuild kit.
Or you can go the Aerocad2 site and
download the complete plans (including
tons of building with composites info)
to build the AeroCanard:
http://www.aerocad2.com/
then click on the downolad button for a
list chapters to download.
Kumaros
It's all Greek to me