Carbon Fiber and Polycrylic - Godzilla-How's it co

For anyone, but particularly for Godzilla.

Awhile beck, you were doing some experiments finishing with Polycrylic and carbon fiber. I tried to find the thread, but couldn't.

So, how'd it come out for you?

>For anyone, but particularly for Godzilla.
>
>Awhile beck, you were doing some experiments finishing with
>Polycrylic and carbon fiber. I tried to find the thread, but
>couldn't.
>
>So, how'd it come out for you?
>
>

Randy Powell

Well, it works. It appears to be stronger and fill the grain better than silkspan. It is also more difficult to use than silkspan.

Long story short I see no great advantage. I am not through yet though.

LAST EDITED ON Nov-23-03 AT 11:44 AM (CST)
 
Wing in carbon and PC.

Stab and elevators same.

LAST EDITED ON Nov-25-03 AT 04:29 AM (CST)
 
I'm interested to know if Aerogloss dope will work well as a finish over CF/PC base.

I've been using Dope to attach the Carbon Fiber and sanding sealer to fill it with some success.

The PolyCrylic would give a harder surface and more bonding of the carbon fibers, I suspect.

The question is can I do that to the fuselage and wing covering and then lay down a couple of coats of clear dope on the wing, cover it with PolySpan and dope and then finish off the plane with Aerogloss.

(Yeah, I know, Brodak's is better dope than anybody else's. I've got a bunch of Aerogloss in hand and have had great luck. But I don't want to mix it.)

Any thoughts, experience, anyone?

Cy

I am refurbishing a SV 11 and have the first two coats of polycrylic on it. I plan to cover the airframe with the PC and silkspan except for the nose section where I am using CF veil.
Looks like it is going to be a durable finish. Probably use two part auto paint for the colors and clear.
Bill <><

justhappened to have done a few short tests of butyrate color over polycrylic. Applied silkspan with p/c, three coats of p/c and it was filled nicely. Other end of test sheet, three coats of p/c only which also filled nicely. Sprayed several coats of butyrate yellow on and it looked great. Masked a few small shapes with Frisket paper and shot black butyrate. When I lifted the Frisket paper, the butyrate peeled off all the way down to the p/c. My advice: Do a through test program before venturing into any unknown finishing methods. If you stick to what has been discussed previously on this forum you should be OK.

>justhappened to have done a few short tests of butyrate
>color over polycrylic. Applied silkspan with p/c, three
>coats of p/c and it was filled nicely. Other end of test
>sheet, three coats of p/c only which also filled nicely.
>Sprayed several coats of butyrate yellow on and it looked
>great. Masked a few small shapes with Frisket paper and shot
>black butyrate. When I lifted the Frisket paper, the
>butyrate peeled off all the way down to the p/c. My advice:
>Do a through test program before venturing into any unknown
>finishing methods. If you stick to what has been discussed
>previously on this forum you should be OK.
>
>Don

I would suggest a coat of lacquer primer before using butyrate. Dope does not stick very well to anything except itself.

Yeah, I have a spray can that Bill gave me a few days ago. I just did the test because I was doping my T-6-G at the time and had everything handy. Shot the primer on the tank today. May try the p/c with it soon as I have two more dope jobs waiting for color. For some reason, I find the p/c I have take about 5-6 hours to dry. Is this normal? Also noted the P/C seemed "wet" after ther dope pulled off of it.

I need to play with it some more til I get more comfortable with it.

So:

Let the PolyCrylic cure for a while, gass off, whatever.

Then sand it to rough it up and prepare the surface.

Some kind of Laquer Primer. Let that cure. Sand.

Then go to dope?

Sound about right?

Cy

>
>So:
>
>Let the PolyCrylic cure for a while, gass off, whatever.
>
>Then sand it to rough it up and prepare the surface.
>
>Some kind of Laquer Primer. Let that cure. Sand.
>
>Then go to dope?
>
>Sound about right?
>
>Cy

Yes. You might try a test piece, but I am pretty sure the primer will save you.

Plastikote primer would be fine also (if you do not have a spray gun). KMart used to sell gray primer made by Sherwin Williams, a little thin, but good stuff.

I find the p/c I have
>take about 5-6 hours to dry. Is this normal?

Stages of PC in cure:

1. Wet. (1/2 hour).
2. Tack free-good time to set parts on flat surfaces to dry flat or jig parts drying (1 hour)
3. Soft sandable-good for cutting away rough spots and general leveling. Will clog the paper some and will not "slick out" very well. (3 hours)
4. Hard sandable- general sanding to finish- I do the real sanding here (24 hours)
5. Very hard sandable- final sanding for "slick" or "shiny" for candling imperfections (2-3 days minimum).

Use 180 grit for everything except #5. Use 320 and 400 for #5.

I would not paint over for at least 1-2 days if you want to be totally sure.

Has anyone tried the new(new to me) Fiber Glass vale? Just holding it, it feels the same as the Carbon vale.Looks like it might work better than the Carbon only because the Carbon absorbs whatever you put on it and the glass probably will not. Just curious??

>Has anyone tried the new(new to me) Fiber Glass vale? Just
>holding it, it feels the same as the Carbon vale.Looks like
>it might work better than the Carbon only because the Carbon
>absorbs whatever you put on it and the glass probably will
>not. Just curious??

I talked to the guy at Aerospace Composites. He talked me out of the fiberglass veil. He said the carbon is better.

Mr. Smasher,
Did he say why he did not recommend?