Sheepdog's Highlander Build-Yep New Posts :)

[Redeye]

The biggest problem in any metal protection is all in the prep work if the metal is not preped properly it will not lasts!!!!
I've had all kinds or equipment painted, powder coated and what ever else. The only thing that last are the things that have
had prep work done with more importance than the finish. Start with a mud foundation your house will fall to the ground!!
Make sure your metal is kleen no scale no oil residue , sandblast or what ever else to make it bare metal. Powder coating is best
by far if metal is preped top notch. Painting tubing and all the other parts will take more time and material than it's worth.
You won't be sorry get it powder coated for the $$750 it will save you weeeeeeks of BS,, and more time to drink BEER. Simple as that..
Just my 222222 cents.....

REDEYE..

[rogerburge]

Has anyone thought of or researched Galvanizing? I know that in the past its been dismissed because of weight and or because the process uses heat which has caused deformation in some structures. But in these modern times is it not possible to control the processes enough to only apply the weight you require at a heat that will not cause problems? Very interested to hear the thoughts of others, and by all means shoot me down in flames?

Rog

[ScottieB]

I agree with Jak and Redeye. I don't know anything about the galvanizing, but I do have experience with the powder coat vs. paint decision. Powder coating is better than someone is leading you to believe, it's WAY more durable than paint as far as wear resistance (in my experience) and it really is a very intensive job trying get every little piece covered with paint. I tried it on something as simple as a go-kart frame and even on something that small it was surprisingly difficult to get it as good as a professional powder coat job. I'll tell you what, I'd be willing to bet that if you were building two of these, and painted the first one yourself, you'd be glad to pay for the powder coat on the second one!

[rmullins]

Powder coating is definitely the way to go IMHO. If I was to do it again though, I would clean my own frame before it was done. No one is going to look out for the quality of the job as well as you would for your own plane.

[SheepdogRD]

. . . I've had all kinds or equipment painted, powder coated and what ever else. The only thing that last are the things that have
had prep work done with more importance than the finish. . . Make sure your metal is kleen no scale no oil residue , sandblast or what ever else to make it bare metal. Powder coating is best by far if metal is preped top notch.

Powder coating is definitely the way to go IMHO. If I was to do it again though, I would clean my own frame before it was done. No one is going to look out for the quality of the job as well as you would for your own plane.

Even with my limited experience in painting and finishing processes, I know surface prep is crucial. I guess I figured the powder coaters would pay attention to that, since they do it as professionals. I'll see what it takes to do my own prep before they handle the powder coating. I'm close enough to the factory that I can likely work on whatever schedule they need and not delay any work.

Thanks to all of you for the good guidance.

Dick

[SheepdogRD]

Harry says our Highlander will be Just serial number 228, and we’ve received the FAA letter confirming our N-number registration: N1290Z. That’s how much my granddaughter weighed at birth -- 129 oz -- and, just to make it better, Josh’s nickname is Oz.

Now all we need is the kit. That’ll be a few more weeks . . .

Dick

[SheepdogRD]

Josh and I picked up Highlander kit #228 and brought it home today. By suppertime, we had everything unloaded and into the work area. I've started sorting and inventorying, and I'll get the miscellaneous fasteners into a portable cabinet where they'll be easy to identify and get to. I have a little more work to do on the rotisseries, and then I'll be able to get the fuselage mounted on them.

Monday, I'll make the 1-hour drive down to Aircraft Spruce East to get some tools we still need. When I get back, I expect to get started making a bunch of pieces-parts into an airplane.

Here we go . . .

[KevinC]

Oh I remember that day like it was just yesterday! You are in for a real good time!

k

[stede52]

Kevin, and you were so much younger and better looking then

Steve D

[rmullins]

I'm sure you guys are pumped. I was when I got home and started unwrapping. Remember to enjoy yourself. It can get a little frustrating at times but after mine was finished I kinda missed working on it.

[xpflyr]

[quote="ScottieB" it's WAY more durable than paint as far as wear resistance"
You bet it is. You find that out when you have to clean it off the areas where you have to glue!
What a pain.
Don.

[scubarider2]

I remember when I brought my kit home. You could not wipe that particular grin off my face
Yep, enjoy the process, take your time, ask questions and remember that man was not meant to fly....in a day
Dennis

[SheepdogRD]

Oh I remember that day like it was just yesterday! You are in for a real good time!

I think we must be missing lots of parts, Kevin. All that stuff lined up against your wall didn't come in our kit.

And that's probably a good thing, since we already have a whole bunch of parts and equipment and tools in our workshop that have nothing to do with a Highlander. It all belongs there, so I'm trying to figure out how best to safely store these pieces as I inventory them. There are lots of parts that don't stack well. Looks like I'll need to make wall hangers for pieces like control surfaces and struts.

Thanks for the "take your time and enjoy it" advice. I looked at all the "stuff" to do before I could build, and started to get frustrated. I had seriously underestimated the amount of work involved in inventorying and protecting stored parts until we need them. I had to remind me to enjoy the process, not just the product.

I'm hoping that I can actually begin building by the end of the week.

[SheepdogRD]

After all that concern over whether we ought to get the powder coating or paint the parts ourselves, we bowed to forum advice and went for the powder coat, in black. I'm glad we did; the fuselage is simply beautiful. The lift struts look great in black, too. We're still waiting for some parts, including the seats and the landing gear -- which will also be black -- and I'll pick them up next time I go to the factory. The rest of the parts, like the tailfeathers and the small parts, are white; that's fine, because they'll never be seen. It turns out that it's a pain for the factory to set aside every little piece of a kit for coating in a different color. It costs a lot, and it delays kit delivery. I didn't see any need for causing the pain, and I didn't want the delay, so only the major parts are black.

The picture shows the fuselage on its rotisserie, with the wings behind it on their own rotisseries.

Too late in the process, I realized I could have said "no powder coat" on the rudder pedal system, and sent it out to be chromed. Maybe on the next one . . .

I had the factory leave the doors off our kit completely, though the gas cylinders are still included. I plan to use square aluminum tube to build our doors, much like Keevin Smith did on his red and black beauty. Man, if this turns out looking anywhere near as good as his does, I'll be a happy guy.

Once the kit got here, it took me almost a week to get things organized. Looking back at that, I'd wish I had asked that the box from Aircraft Spruce -- all the fasteners, clevises, turnbuckles, etc. -- be drop shipped directly to me, in advance of the kit. If those parts had been sent early, I could have had them inventoried and up on the pegboard before the kit even got here (I'd have needed an emailed copy of the Kit Pack Bill of Materials, too). As it is, I've been building without taking the time to mount the pegboard and get the parts on it. I guess, before things get messy, I'd better take time out and do the organizing.

Thanks again to those who said, "Take time to enjoy all of it." I'm having such a good time that it seems almost unreal.

[stede52]

Dick
I must say, those rotisseries are a work of art, I imagine your Highlander will be the same

Steve D