Panting Stringers

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Includes: Highlander, Escapade, Summit and SuperSTOL.
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Tralika
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Posts: 385
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 12:49 pm
Location: Wasilla Alaska

Panting Stringers

Post by Tralika »

I'm going to cover my airframe soon. What's the consensus on priming the stringers? There will be no glue on the bottom or top stringers but the fabric will be glued to the top stringer.
John Nealon
Wasilla, Alaska
Highlander Extreme #191
mykitlog.com/jnealon
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FlyerChief
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Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2009 9:53 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Panting Stringers

Post by FlyerChief »

Hi John,
If you are using Stewarts Ekobond to do your gluing, there will eventually be glue on all the stringers... even if you don't put it there intentionally. When you apply the reinforcing tapes along the stringers, the Ekobond soaks through and glues the fabric to the stringer. As for priming or painting the stringers, I assume it depends on whether it will be used in a salt water environment.
Dan
When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it. ~Henry Ford
The Flying Hare
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Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Mar 08, 2015 9:40 pm

Re: Panting Stringers

Post by The Flying Hare »

I just finished the stringers on my bird, and I too was curious about painting or coating them. I ended up acid etching and Alodining them. It was easy doing the left right and bottom stringers as they were not yet attached, but the upper one was already glued in, so I rolled the Fuselage outside, and rotated it over to about 120 degrees from normal, so the chemicals would not get on the powder coated tubes.
Use a purple scotch brite pad with the Acid to clean the aluminum, rinse with plenty of water (inside too) and then a small sponge to apply the Alodine. Keep the hose running and the ground wet under the work area to avoid staining your driveway. The Alodine leaves a nice treated gold finish and adds no weight.
I used the PPG version of Alodine, DX533 Cleaner (Acid) deluded 1:3 and the DX503 Conditioner (Gold stuff) straight up. A quart of each was about $40 bucks total, in stock at the local auto paint supplier, so there was no Haz-mat shipping or wait. There will be other uses for the stuff later on too, it makes a great aluminum treatment prior to epoxy primer and top coat so its not a total waste.



Chris-
Conroe TX
Super Stol 340
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Tralika
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Posts: 385
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 12:49 pm
Location: Wasilla Alaska

Re: Panting Stringers

Post by Tralika »

Thanks for the replies
John Nealon
Wasilla, Alaska
Highlander Extreme #191
mykitlog.com/jnealon
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