Fiberglass/gelcoat repair question

[Kilo Charlie]

In Arizona we land on runways with lots of rocks. Rocks probably help to
create some of our awesome conditions but they really do a spanking on the
gelcoat.

My LS-8 has a fiberglass tail fairing....compound curves and part of the
tail overall. The rocks are thrown into it from the front and kicked up
from the tailwheel into the back section both causing substantial damage
(chunks out of both front and back) to the fairing.

So....every couple of years I turn the fuselage over and do some minor,
non-structural repairs to the fairing. The past couple of years have been
especially harsh and so I took down the gelcoat to the glass well beyond the
damaged section, glassed in a new and slighty beefier fairing at both the
front and back sections. Having used gelcoat to finish the job the last
time I spent way more time sanding down the gelcoat than the rest of the
repairs.

So my question is.....is there a simpler way to do this? Prestec or some
other paint maybe? Does the fact that it takes me so long to finish the
gelcoat mean that I am doing it all wrong?

Thanks for the help in advance!

Casey Lenox
KC
Phoenix

[John Sinclair]

Casey, After you get it all bright and shinny again,
then put on 2 layers of wide medical tape (you know
where to get that, free) Then change the tape when
it gets all messed up. The main wheel is throwing gravel
at your aft fuselage, also. SH solved this by using
a fender.
Cheers,
JJ

At 04:30 07 April 2005, Kilo Charlie wrote:
>In Arizona we land on runways with lots of rocks.
>Rocks probably help to
>create some of our awesome conditions but they really
>do a spanking on the
>gelcoat.
>
>My LS-8 has a fiberglass tail fairing....compound curves
>and part of the
>tail overall. The rocks are thrown into it from the
>front and kicked up
>from the tailwheel into the back section both causing
>substantial damage
>(chunks out of both front and back) to the fairing.
>
>So....every couple of years I turn the fuselage over
>and do some minor,
>non-structural repairs to the fairing. The past couple
>of years have been
>especially harsh and so I took down the gelcoat to
>the glass well beyond the
>damaged section, glassed in a new and slighty beefier
>fairing at both the
>front and back sections. Having used gelcoat to finish
>the job the last
>time I spent way more time sanding down the gelcoat
>than the rest of the
>repairs.
>
>So my question is.....is there a simpler way to do
>this? Prestec or some
>other paint maybe? Does the fact that it takes me
>so long to finish the
>gelcoat mean that I am doing it all wrong?
>
>Thanks for the help in advance!
>
>Casey Lenox
>KC
>Phoenix
>
>
>

[Robert Ehrlich]

Kilo Charlie wrote:
> ...
> So my question is.....is there a simpler way to do this? Prestec or some
> other paint maybe? Does the fact that it takes me so long to finish the
> gelcoat mean that I am doing it all wrong?
>

I don't know a simpler way. The time it takes is highly dependant on
your training. In my club there is a permanent employee who is
responsible for the management of flights during the flying season
and takes care of the maintenance of the fleet during winter. He
became an expert in refinishing after doing it for a lot of
club gliders (7 during the 12 last years if I am not wrong)
and shares this know-how with private owners who want to do the
same thing for their gliders. But during the time for a beginner
to refinish just the tail control surfaces and tailplane, he
is almost done with a complete glider.

[plasticguy]

You might consider SCOTCHCAL 40 MIL TAPE used for automotive
headlight and aircraft radome protection.

Scott.

[Ken Kochanski (KK)]

I used an air-powered wet sander for fuse refinishing following gelcoat
application ... it helps. Filling and cleaning up the damage to
properly paint (regardless of the paint type) is always the most
important and time consuming part of the job. I don't know how you get
around this ... other then protecting the fuse with tape as suggested
to prevent the dings in the first place.

http://sailplane-racing.org/Articles/ASW20/asw20_fuse.htm

KK

[Kilo Charlie]

Thanks for all the suggestions and help!

I have used mylar tape in multiple layers on the tail fairing for the past
few years and the rocks eat right through it in short time. Some other
pilots here in Arizona have used the 20 mil tape that is made for powered
aircraft and place a strip on the belley and tail and have had better
protection so I think that I'll try that. Not sure about the
aerodynamics/drag factor though. I had thought of trying aluminum flashing
but the compound curve issue makes that difficult on the fairing.

Since this area really doesn't show well it is good practice for bigger
projects. Maybe someday I'll tackle refinishing like KK did....then again
that would mean kicking the wife out of her garage for an extended
period....hmmm.

KC

[Frank]

Might want to try some urethane in that area.
Gelcoat is hard, whereas urethane is like "rubber"...
Spray some urethane on some paper, let it dry... then you can fold,
spindle and roll it without cracking.

Kilo Charlie wrote:
> In Arizona we land on runways with lots of rocks. Rocks probably help to
> create some of our awesome conditions but they really do a spanking on the
> gelcoat.
>
> My LS-8 has a fiberglass tail fairing....compound curves and part of the
> tail overall. The rocks are thrown into it from the front and kicked up
> from the tailwheel into the back section both causing substantial damage
> (chunks out of both front and back) to the fairing.
>
> So....every couple of years I turn the fuselage over and do some minor,
> non-structural repairs to the fairing. The past couple of years have been
> especially harsh and so I took down the gelcoat to the glass well beyond the
> damaged section, glassed in a new and slighty beefier fairing at both the
> front and back sections. Having used gelcoat to finish the job the last
> time I spent way more time sanding down the gelcoat than the rest of the
> repairs.
>
> So my question is.....is there a simpler way to do this? Prestec or some
> other paint maybe? Does the fact that it takes me so long to finish the
> gelcoat mean that I am doing it all wrong?
>
> Thanks for the help in advance!
>
> Casey Lenox
> KC
> Phoenix
>
>

[Frank]

Might want to try some urethane in that area.
Gelcoat is hard, whereas urethane is like "rubber"...
Spray some urethane on some paper, let it dry... then you can fold,
spindle and roll it without cracking.

Kilo Charlie wrote:
> In Arizona we land on runways with lots of rocks. Rocks probably help to
> create some of our awesome conditions but they really do a spanking on the
> gelcoat.
>
> My LS-8 has a fiberglass tail fairing....compound curves and part of the
> tail overall. The rocks are thrown into it from the front and kicked up
> from the tailwheel into the back section both causing substantial damage
> (chunks out of both front and back) to the fairing.
>
> So....every couple of years I turn the fuselage over and do some minor,
> non-structural repairs to the fairing. The past couple of years have been
> especially harsh and so I took down the gelcoat to the glass well beyond the
> damaged section, glassed in a new and slighty beefier fairing at both the
> front and back sections. Having used gelcoat to finish the job the last
> time I spent way more time sanding down the gelcoat than the rest of the
> repairs.
>
> So my question is.....is there a simpler way to do this? Prestec or some
> other paint maybe? Does the fact that it takes me so long to finish the
> gelcoat mean that I am doing it all wrong?
>
> Thanks for the help in advance!
>
> Casey Lenox
> KC
> Phoenix
>
>

[Frank]

Might want to try some urethane in that area.
Gelcoat is hard, whereas urethane is like "rubber"...
Spray some urethane on some paper, let it dry... then you can fold,
spindle and roll it without cracking.

Kilo Charlie wrote:
> In Arizona we land on runways with lots of rocks. Rocks probably help to
> create some of our awesome conditions but they really do a spanking on the
> gelcoat.
>
> My LS-8 has a fiberglass tail fairing....compound curves and part of the
> tail overall. The rocks are thrown into it from the front and kicked up
> from the tailwheel into the back section both causing substantial damage
> (chunks out of both front and back) to the fairing.
>
> So....every couple of years I turn the fuselage over and do some minor,
> non-structural repairs to the fairing. The past couple of years have been
> especially harsh and so I took down the gelcoat to the glass well beyond the
> damaged section, glassed in a new and slighty beefier fairing at both the
> front and back sections. Having used gelcoat to finish the job the last
> time I spent way more time sanding down the gelcoat than the rest of the
> repairs.
>
> So my question is.....is there a simpler way to do this? Prestec or some
> other paint maybe? Does the fact that it takes me so long to finish the
> gelcoat mean that I am doing it all wrong?
>
> Thanks for the help in advance!
>
> Casey Lenox
> KC
> Phoenix
>
>

[Jim Vincent]

To protect those areas, try using Marine Goop thinned to maple syrup
consistency with Toluene or Xylene. Use 4-5 coats, waiting 1 hour between
coats, then let fully cure for a week. Dries clear and shiny and does a
great job of protecting rash prone areas.


"Frank" > wrote in message
...
> Might want to try some urethane in that area.
> Gelcoat is hard, whereas urethane is like "rubber"...
> Spray some urethane on some paper, let it dry... then you can fold,
> spindle and roll it without cracking.
>
> Kilo Charlie wrote:
>> In Arizona we land on runways with lots of rocks. Rocks probably help to
>> create some of our awesome conditions but they really do a spanking on
>> the gelcoat.
>>
>> My LS-8 has a fiberglass tail fairing....compound curves and part of the
>> tail overall. The rocks are thrown into it from the front and kicked up
>> from the tailwheel into the back section both causing substantial damage
>> (chunks out of both front and back) to the fairing.
>>
>> So....every couple of years I turn the fuselage over and do some minor,
>> non-structural repairs to the fairing. The past couple of years have
>> been especially harsh and so I took down the gelcoat to the glass well
>> beyond the damaged section, glassed in a new and slighty beefier fairing
>> at both the front and back sections. Having used gelcoat to finish the
>> job the last time I spent way more time sanding down the gelcoat than the
>> rest of the repairs.
>>
>> So my question is.....is there a simpler way to do this? Prestec or some
>> other paint maybe? Does the fact that it takes me so long to finish the
>> gelcoat mean that I am doing it all wrong?
>>
>> Thanks for the help in advance!
>>
>> Casey Lenox
>> KC
>> Phoenix