Glareshield - paint or cover?

[tmobbs]

I'm just about to apply the leather glareshield covering material provided in my Sonex upholstery kit, prior to installing the windshield.

The Leather seems to be wide enough to go right to the edge of the glareshield and then up the inside the side panels a little. But I guess that the leather should not be between the inside of the aluminium side panel and the outside of the transparent windshield itself. So I am asking those of you that have used that leather glareshield covering material where you terminated it.

Did you trim it at the intersection of the glareshield and the side panel, so the windscreen rested on it when installed?
Or did you trim the leather to where you thought the inside of the windscreen would come?
Or did you leave the leather untrimmed and let it come up the inside of the windscreen, loosely covering the nuts and bolts with which the windscreen is installed?
Or is there some other solution?

Tim Mobbs
Sonex #1555 Aerovee #0672
Bungay, Suffolk, England

[jjbardell]

I bought a matte black vinyl from amazon and covered it. I am really happy with it. GPS receivers are Velcroed to it. It just dusts off w a feather duster or Windex. It also allowed me to cover the two sliver moons up on the firewall that glare bad on the windscreen at night.

[SP1]

What’s a good black for the glare shield /fuel tank aluminum cover? Tried krylon black satin because I had a can lying around, wanted to see if someone else got better results with a different type. I’ve been told some flat blacks are really sensitive to application variations

[Bryan Cotton]

I'm pretty sure mine is rustoleum flat black. Nothing fancy.

[pappas]

I had my Glare shield powder-coated along with the canopy frame. (B Model). I was shown 2 blacks, a flat/satin and a slightly textured powder-coat finish. I was surprised to find that the textured flat/satin did a much better job of eliminating glare and reflections. Apparently, the texture causes the light to bounce off at many different angles and that I have no glare from it.

I think it works on light rays in a similar fashion to how an F-117 deflects radar signals.

[Area 51%]

I originally put down a piece of grey Rural King carpet runner with double-sided tape. Couldn't see squat out of the windscreen. The wife had a piece of black clothing fabric lying around that was just large enough to cover the first half (starting at the firewall) of the carpet. Reflection problem solved, except now I can see every flaw and ripple in the Lexan. The good news is I can still keep handy items velcroed to the carpet to keep them from sliding around.

[Skippydiesel]

You can do both (its allowed). I took my inspiration from the automotive world - painted my glair shield matt/flat black (like a dash board). Then made my own "dash" mat, using a low flammability light weight carpet like synthetic (non directional weave) material secured in place by its close fit/shape and a couple of self adhesive Velcro "hook' strips (only needed on painted surface as carpet acts like "loop" side) - works a treat no glare, no obvious dust and protects the surface below from sun damage, can be easily replaced when ever needed.