Thread: Mylar Project
View Single Post
  #16  
Old March 11th 21, 03:59 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Jay Campbell
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 19
Default Mylar Project

On Thursday, March 11, 2021 at 10:46:53 AM UTC-5, John Sinclair wrote:
On Thursday, March 11, 2021 at 6:29:36 AM UTC-8, wrote:
I've done the steps that Bob K mentions below a little differently....

Once the tape is in place and the mylar is perfectly positioned on top of the tape (protective plastic still in place on the tape) I don't flip up the mylar. I leave a 3-6" long strip of the protective film sticking out from under the right or left end of the mylar and I pull the protective film out from under the mylar while carefully holding the mylar in position. Easy enough to practice this on a short segment first, but it avoids anything moving or going "off" when you try to flip a long section of mylar back down onto the, now exposed, adhesive. Just carefully pull a few inches of the protective film out from under the mylar at a time while holding everything stable.
* With the mylar tagged in place, flip the mylar forward over the tags, using the tags as hinges. Then tag the mylar down in this position with a few more tags of tape.
* Peel the protective strip from the adhesion tape.
--Bob K.

To sand or not to sand..........that is the question?
Rather than restating my Mylar procedure, let me tell you how and why I developed it?
I installed wide Mylar on a ASW-20 and 2 weeks later the ship was sitting back in my shop. Owner said he thought he’d take her up to redline...............ship yawed quite a bit to the right, then straightened out as all Mylar on the right wing disappeared! Owner also showed me the lower Mylar on the left wing was hanging by the safety tape! We decided the left wing Mylar had pealed off caused by flaps not locked in neutral then left in a hot trailer!

No reports of shedding Mylar since we started sanding Both surfaces with 220 grit............some 40 years ago!

You decide?
JJ

I've modified my technique a bit since writing the article in the link. But not much. All suggestions in this chain have merit, especially as to sanding the underside of the Mylar and using clean cloth for everything. Lastly, W&W is selling a plastic "razor blade" that I have found very useful in removing stubborn stickum. So, the article is old, but then, so am I. https://www.ssa.org/Archive/ViewIssu...=2011&month=11