SonexBuilders.net

gcm52 wrote:How much does vinyl wrap cost? I was thinking about that as an option for my Onex...

We would wrap a Onex for around $3000 (labor and materials, no body work). The vinyl is 3M 1080 premium and comes in tons of colors.
We can also get printed vinyl if you want to go that way, but it will increase materials costs by 50%.
We have wrapped two sonexs, and will be wrapping a third sonex and an RV6 soon. The calculated weight gain for a Sonex is 8 lbs.
Of course that would require you bring the Onex to us at KFLY. We are also willing to travel for expenses. Note: we will also do owner assist. Help you wrap key parts, then let you finish on your own.

Local car wrappers can also do it, have no idea what they would charge.

vigilant104 wrote:

Tmdarkansas wrote:I am really thinking about vinyl wrap. I read somewhere that it was lighter than paint.

Are they still saying it lasts about 5 years? That would be a dealbreaker for me, esp at the prices it typically costs.

5 Years is based on 24/7 element exposure.
Since most aircraft see the sun a few hours a month, you really can't use that as a guide. So who knows how long it will last. Probably longer than you like the scheme.

I am curious, does the vinyl shrink around the rivet heads nice and tight?
Thanks
Jim
snx760/jab2200

http://sonexbuilders.net/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=1911
http://sonexbuilders.net/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=1057
I think it does wrap tight around the rivets based on these threads. My quesion is if it leaves a difficult to remove residue should one decide to take it off, and whether the process of removal would be difficult or easy.

mike20sm wrote:My quesion is if it leaves a difficult to remove residue should one decide to take it off, and whether the process of removal would be difficult or easy.

I removed some vinyl markings from a large model airplane last week. The markings peeled off reasonably easy using a hot air gun (hair dryer would work). There was no residue left on the plane.

Jim B wrote:I am curious, does the vinyl shrink around the rivet heads nice and tight?
Thanks
Jim
snx760/jab2200

It does. But if the surface is improperly prepped, they will "tent" above the rivet. Not a big problem but it isn't optimal.
We need a very clean and primed surface for the vinyl to tenaciously adhere to the substrate. When we hit the area with heat, the vinyl sucks down the to the rivet and stays there.

On my plane, which we used as a demonstrator for what we can and can't do, areas we didn't pay great attention to prep, the vinyl did tent. Otherwise it sucked down to paint standards.

Now we are talking wrap vinyl and not the vinyl you get from sign companies. Sign vinyl is not designed to form around complex shapes. It can't stretch like wrap vinyl and will lose its adhesion if you force it beyond its limits.

There are some really nice videos on YouTube showing how to apply the wraps. I was amazed at how it conformed to rivets, curves, recesses, etc.

http://youtu.be/xH4uJeI9YhI




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mike20sm wrote:http://sonexbuilders.net/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=1911
http://sonexbuilders.net/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=1057
I think it does wrap tight around the rivets based on these threads. My quesion is if it leaves a difficult to remove residue should one decide to take it off, and whether the process of removal would be difficult or easy.

How the surface was prepped and how long it baked will dictate how difficult it is to remove. A well prepped and primed surface will resist you and it will come off in small strips. A baked vinyl will break in little chunks as you pull it. Razors and heat are the way to get it off. The residue glue will come off with Isopropyl Alcohol leaving you the surface you started with.
If wrapping over a previously painted surface, the vinyl glue is so strong, it will pull up the paint from the aluminum as you remove it which tells me the glue is stronger than the bond the paint achieves.

I was thinking about this route too.

Any reports greatly appreciated....weight, cost, trickiness to apply, longevity...

If I were to paint my Sonex again, I would NOT have an auto body shop do it. The reason? On a car, you just keep pouring on paint until it looks good; no one is counting the pounds. I got a gorgeous paint job on mine, but I could not get it through the painters head how important it was to keep it light. I am carrying an extra 40 pounds because he messed up the color matching and then repainted to fix his screw up. Do it yourself, or have someone who can mix, match, and shoot once and do it right.