Waiex Build Status and Completion Photos

[MichaelFarley56]

Hello All,

I hope everyone is hard at work on their projects. I've been working on mine and have been trying my hand at painting after reading a lot of stories and tips on the mothership Yahoo groups. Since I only want to paint a little bit of my plane I thought I would see how the old Rustoleum rattle can paint methods would work...





I know the pics aren't the best, but my wife and I love the Cobalt blue Metallic and surprisingly enough, I think the combo of NAPA 7220, then a few coats of paint, then a few coats of clear really turned out well. Its not quite the same as an expensive paint job, but from anywhere more than a foot its pretty cool! I'm going to let the paint dry for a good long while then hope some good automotive polish will finish the job. Next I'll try the cowling, then once it's warm the wing tips and tail tips (everything else is getting polished).

Have a great day everyone! :D

[N111YX]

That looks great, especially since it came from a can!

I screw up spray painting every time...

[MichaelFarley56]

That looks great, especially since it came from a can!

I screw up spray painting every time...

I'm about as far from an expert as they come, but here's what I discovered after test painting a few pieces of scrap aluminum...
-make sure everything is really clean before starting
-lots of lights help
-start with a really light coat of paint first
-wait 10-15 minutes
-apply a second, heavier coat
-wait 10-15 minutes
-apply a third heavy coat
-wait at least 48 hours before sanding, cleaning, and spraying on a clear coat

Also...
-a few thin coats is better than one thick coat
-keep the can at least 12" from the surface
-keep the can moving at all times.

It's not bad really, although with a dark paint I can probably get away with a lot of errors and still get an "ok" job.

And Kip...how are the ribs coming? I also meant to ask if you're getting a pre welded fuselage, or if you're giving that a shot as well.

[N111YX]

Michael, I have been busy with the Pitts ribs. I can knock out about two per day if work does not get in the way.

I don't plan on welding my own fuselage but I wish that I could because of the cost. I'll never claim to be the ultimate-purist homebuilder that can do it all and I admire those who can work wonders with raw material. I just like to have something to work on while not flying... :lol:

[MichaelFarley56]

Those look great Kip. It looks like you've made a great start on the next project. Are all the ribs the same on both wings? I've heard both wings are built on a large flat table...sounds like fun! How about the spars...pre built or are you doing them too?

[N111YX]

Mike, the wing kit includes spars already cut and shaped. The ribs are all the same shape except for 10 which are missing the aft third portion for the ailerons. Some ribs (compression) are built up a bit more than the others. I'm learning a lot... :)

Those look great Kip. It looks like you've made a great start on the next project. Are all the ribs the same on both wings? I've heard both wings are built on a large flat table...sounds like fun! How about the spars...pre built or are you doing them too?

[Andy Walker]

It must be quite a learning curve going from metal to wood!

Mike, the wing kit includes spars already cut and shaped. The ribs are all the same shape except for 10 which are missing the aft third portion for the ailerons. Some ribs (compression) are built up a bit more than the others. I'm learning a lot... :)

Those look great Kip. It looks like you've made a great start on the next project. Are all the ribs the same on both wings? I've heard both wings are built on a large flat table...sounds like fun! How about the spars...pre built or are you doing them too?

[MichaelFarley56]

Hey guys,

Hopefully I'll have a first flight report soon, but in the meantime I wanted to post a few new pics. I've been messing with painting some pieces and now have the cowling and wheel pants finished. Actually, I need to polish the pieces but I'm going to let them dry for a few weeks before I start...



I also have the instrument panel pretty much labeled. I want to make a nice official engraved plate with the tail number, but it's good for now...



Probably the biggest news is a new certificate that's now on the side of the fuselage...



So once I get a little more time in this I'll be good to go!

[N111YX]

Looks great!

The Champ looks like a fine example, too...

[Sonex1517]

sweeeeet! Looks great!