REFINISHING

All,
I have been looking into having my glider refinished. Casual
conversations with other pilots revealed that most think a "normal"
refinishing job would cost about $10k. After speaking with Gaines in
Georgia, I believe that is wildly optimistic. Gaines charges $60 per
hour, and he says the wings alone take 300+ hours if they are done
correctly; 500+ hours to do the entire glider! That's more than my
purchase price!
Does anyone know where I might get my glider refinished (properly) in
the US? I'm beginning to think that shipping it overseas may still be
a cheaper option despite the poor exchange rates now.

I think that the best refinish jobs coming out of the states right now are
by M&H Soaring in Elmira. Problem is that they are usually booked for the
year by the end of the soaring season so you might not be able to get it
done by spring. I just had my ASW-24 fuselage done and it looks perfect!!

Harold "HE"

"Ventus B" wrote in message
om...
All,
I have been looking into having my glider refinished. Casual
conversations with other pilots revealed that most think a "normal"
refinishing job would cost about $10k. After speaking with Gaines in
Georgia, I believe that is wildly optimistic. Gaines charges $60 per
hour, and he says the wings alone take 300+ hours if they are done
correctly; 500+ hours to do the entire glider! That's more than my
purchase price!
Does anyone know where I might get my glider refinished (properly) in
the US? I'm beginning to think that shipping it overseas may still be
a cheaper option despite the poor exchange rates now.

In New Zealand the workshop at our field does refinish work at
$660-$700US per metre of wingspan (for the whole glider)and to ship
a container here and back costs approx $6500-$7000US so it
costs more for one glider but if you join together and send multiple
gliders it gets cheaper fast.They have been in business for 20 yrs and
are the NZ SH agent
If you want more info contact me
gary

"Ventus B" wrote in message
om...
All,
I have been looking into having my glider refinished. Casual
conversations with other pilots revealed that most think a "normal"
refinishing job would cost about $10k. After speaking with Gaines in
Georgia, I believe that is wildly optimistic. Gaines charges $60 per
hour, and he says the wings alone take 300+ hours if they are done
correctly; 500+ hours to do the entire glider! That's more than my
purchase price!
Does anyone know where I might get my glider refinished (properly) in
the US? I'm beginning to think that shipping it overseas may still be
a cheaper option despite the poor exchange rates now.

There is also a place in Brisbane Australia

Come out and have a fly on Sunday we had 11 knot thermals streets stuff
thermaling 1.02 in the air 54 mins 100K

In the last 7 days I have 21 hours

In Poland you can get a good refinish at a reasonable price.
Check out http://www.avionic.pl for details. (They did an excellent
job with our 55). But you have the problem of shipping the glider
across the Atlantic, which is probably of the order of 1-2k$ one way.

Nils


Ventus B wrote:
All,
I have been looking into having my glider refinished. Casual
conversations with other pilots revealed that most think a "normal"
refinishing job would cost about $10k. After speaking with Gaines in
Georgia, I believe that is wildly optimistic. Gaines charges $60 per
hour, and he says the wings alone take 300+ hours if they are done
correctly; 500+ hours to do the entire glider! That's more than my
purchase price!
Does anyone know where I might get my glider refinished (properly) in
the US? I'm beginning to think that shipping it overseas may still be
a cheaper option despite the poor exchange rates now.

I am a refinishing my ventus B wings. I have 150 hours into the project at
this time. I have removed the gel coat, Surfaced with Epoxy and Glass
Beads, surfaced with vinyl ester primer, and am ready to apply acrylic
urethane. I still have to surface the control surfaces and flaps and finish
paint them. I estimate the total time will be approximatley 200 to 250
hours.

Richard

"Ventus B" wrote in message
om...
All,
I have been looking into having my glider refinished. Casual
conversations with other pilots revealed that most think a "normal"
refinishing job would cost about $10k. After speaking with Gaines in
Georgia, I believe that is wildly optimistic. Gaines charges $60 per
hour, and he says the wings alone take 300+ hours if they are done
correctly; 500+ hours to do the entire glider! That's more than my
purchase price!
Does anyone know where I might get my glider refinished (properly) in
the US? I'm beginning to think that shipping it overseas may still be
a cheaper option despite the poor exchange rates now.

Refinishing may or may not include re-profiling. Be sure to ask what is
included in the fees.
No one's mentioned George Applebay, Applebay Aviation, in Moriarty, NM. He
did the wings and tail on my 303 and they're beautiful. I don't know what
he charged exactly as the work was done a couple years before my partner and
I bought the ship.

Brent

"Ventus B" wrote in message
om...
All,
I have been looking into having my glider refinished. Casual
conversations with other pilots revealed that most think a "normal"
refinishing job would cost about $10k. After speaking with Gaines in
Georgia, I believe that is wildly optimistic. Gaines charges $60 per
hour, and he says the wings alone take 300+ hours if they are done
correctly; 500+ hours to do the entire glider! That's more than my
purchase price!
Does anyone know where I might get my glider refinished (properly) in
the US? I'm beginning to think that shipping it overseas may still be
a cheaper option despite the poor exchange rates now.

Tom Knauff sent out email about doing a bulk shipment of gliders to
Europe for refinishing. The cost (including shipping) is way better
than what you'll ever see here in the US. I asked the guys at
Gehrlein's how much they'd charge to refinish my Std Cirrus: $25K,
which is just ever so slighty above the purchase price

You should contact him if you are interested (and can be without your
glider for that period of time).

-bob

I 'm from Queensland in Australia and just had the fuse down on our Nimbus 2
C locally.

There are a few here in Australia with two at least locals who do great
work.

I know one did George Lees Nimbus 4 dm which he was very pleased with.

Call if you want details and again exchange rates make a difference.

Robert Percy


"Bob Mowry" wrote in message
m...
Tom Knauff sent out email about doing a bulk shipment of gliders to
Europe for refinishing. The cost (including shipping) is way better
than what you'll ever see here in the US. I asked the guys at
Gehrlein's how much they'd charge to refinish my Std Cirrus: $25K,
which is just ever so slighty above the purchase price

You should contact him if you are interested (and can be without your
glider for that period of time).

-bob

WoW!

First off, Paul Gaines finishes are second to none. These little
negative comments seem to be 'dis'-in our boy here in Atlanta. But of
course, whoever did your ship *would* be the best in the world, right?

Paul Gaines does great work. Be sure to check out his highly customized
ASW-20 on the floor of the convention here in Atlanta in February! You
can see if you like the results.

Anyone that has refinished a sailplane..... or for that matter, smoothed or
profiled one to perfection and then final sanded to 1200 and polished the
entire thing can tell you of the work involved. Doing it 'right' is the
big caveat. I've seen refinish jobs that fell apart in a couple of
years. Waste of time!

Doin' it right = Spending the time + Knowledge.
Time + Knowledge = $$$$$


John Bojack "J4"
LS-6c/18w







"Harold Ennulat" wrote in message
link.net...
I think that the best refinish jobs coming out of the states right now are
by M&H Soaring in Elmira. Problem is that they are usually booked for the
year by the end of the soaring season so you might not be able to get it
done by spring. I just had my ASW-24 fuselage done and it looks perfect!!

Harold "HE"

"Ventus B" wrote in message
om...
All,
I have been looking into having my glider refinished. Casual
conversations with other pilots revealed that most think a "normal"
refinishing job would cost about $10k. After speaking with Gaines in
Georgia, I believe that is wildly optimistic. Gaines charges $60 per
hour, and he says the wings alone take 300+ hours if they are done
correctly; 500+ hours to do the entire glider! That's more than my
purchase price!
Does anyone know where I might get my glider refinished (properly) in
the US? I'm beginning to think that shipping it overseas may still be
a cheaper option despite the poor exchange rates now.