Covering

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=100 BGCOLOR="#CCCCFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="05b00640egdysm.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000066" FACE="Arial" ><B>Steve Kiblinger, .. Builder of a Milholland Better Half 2 cylinder VW and Legal Eagle Ultralight Airplane</B></FONT><B> </B><B> </B><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Arial" ><B>   |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Steve Kiblinger, .. 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We are using the Stits Covering process as amended by Leonard... We have learned:</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>> Leonard's cover on his LEU is done</B><B><U> without tapes</U></B><B> and 4 coats of paint... Leonard uses the term [cross coat] which Stits describes as a coat of paint applied north and south and allowed to dry - then another coat of paint applied east and west... Leonard puts on a cross coat of Stits PolyBrush and a cross coat of PolySpray (Silver)... Leonard says to only put the glue (Stits PolyTack) on a foot or so at a time, THAT'S IMPORTANT, and so is his emphasis on making the glue come up thru the cloth from the bottom for a good bond with proper cover overlaps... In Leonard's introductory video you see him pat a glue line down with a brush - THAT SHOULD BE A DRY BRUSH - and keep one handy when your gluing cloth down, your latex gloves will stick to the cloth occasionally where the dry brush won't... Leonard doesn't have a pair of pinking scissors on a cord around his neck... You may want to pink cloth edges for a better finished appearance - an unpinked edge will even show thru a tape!... Stits calls for 6 coats of silver and they also suggest checking silver coverage with a flashlight... You may want to use the flashlight test process to be sure your cross coat was effective...</B></div> <div> <B> </B></div> <div> <B>> Get the Stits Covering Manual and read several times early in the project... There is a lot to absorb...</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>> Start collecting the tools and materials early - follow the Stits check list as you'll use everything they call for...</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>> Keep the Stits manual handy as you go because it's easy to miss steps in the process...</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>> You will need a fabric cutting table (area) of some sort that is clean...</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>> Be sure all you tools are compatible with MEK (the Stits solvent) - test by soaking to see...</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>> We cut the handles down on all our brushes and keep them in wide mouth sealing jars with the working material - not much brush cleaning...</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>> Heat shrink above 250 degrees F. may distort the structure... If you put the fabric on with the 1 inch slack over the ribs and no big wrinkles - they are easy to keep out as you cement - 250 degrees will shrink nice and tight with no wrinkles... We used 350 degrees on the rudder and you can see distortion in every tube and 300 degrees on the fin with the same results in a milder form... 275 degrees on the elevators created measurable distortion... 250 degrees on the stabilizer came out OK... </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>> Do you know the process of putting tapes on straight without air bubbles, wrinkle free?... There is a whole lot to this question and a mentor may be the answer for a first timer... We've learned some of it on the empennage via the school of hard knocks - ugh... This is the sequence that worked for us [put down a cross coat of PolyBrush and let each coat dry over night - apply PolyBrush where the tapes will go and let dry over night - put down a wet coat of PolyBrush 1 foot at a time and smooth tape into it - peel back slightly to start the next foot of PolyBrush and let dry over night...</B><B><U> DO NOT PUT </U></B><I><B><U>ANY</U></B></I><B> PolyBrush on top of the tape yet or eventually there will be air bubbles!... Place gussets first, then chord wise tapes and finally span wise tapes... Now put another coat of PolyBrush on top of the tapes and let dry over night... Examine for bumps, air bubbles, and loose pinked edges and iron out with 225 degree iron ... Apply another coat of PolyBrush on the tapes... Check the former air bubbles and iron again if necessary and touch up with PolyBrush]...</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>> The silver final coat (Stits PolySpray) does not brush worth a darn - plan to spray this material... One cross coat may not be enough - on top surfaces especially - do the light tests...</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>> Wear gloves! Keep air moving thru the work area! Consider a full face respirator when you spray!</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>> Final thought - keep reading the Stits manual...</B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1ee80e00.jpg" border=0 width="640" height="480" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1f580e00.jpg" border=0 width="640" height="480" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </td> </tr></table></body>