3D Viper-ST 100-120cc scratch build......it continues!

[Terryscustom]

So back to the canopy for a little bit. After the glass job dries overnight it can be trimmed around the edges with a razor blade. I'm trying something I've been pondering for filling glass weave......drywall compound. I had great luck with this instead of body filler on my cowl plug and I wanted to see what it did for this purpose. The ready made stuff is perfect, about like toothpaste consistency and is heavy but nearly all water weight. Plus it takes almost nothing to fill the weave. I've done this with body filler before and it's a mess and hard to sand even if you use glazing filler. I've done it by hammering on filler primer and that gets heavy.

So I spread a very thin layer over the glass and put in front of a fan to dry. About 20 minutes later I sanded it. I repeated that step again in case any pinholes were missed. Sanded and shot one quick spot of rattle can primer. I figured that would be a great test because rattle can primer shrinks terribly.

After about 40 minutes I scuffed the primer and I can't really show in a picture but you can't see the weave. With 2-3 coats of rattle can filler primer and some sanding it would be perfect. I will be using 2K primer because it does not shrink and fills better. I'll post the materials I use as normal.

 

[tylerzx9r]

Thanks for the response! Now it makes more sense to me. I am slightly concerned about the long term results for your canopy using dry wall compound as a filler. because there is no hardening chemical or process, I fear it may shrink over time also. Even if you use a 2 part primer over the top...... Maybe Jetpainter could chime in about his thoughts also? I just know that without hardeners in the automotive industry, it is still considered a moveable item. (this just means it is not a solid, and solvents can make it react in odd ways, shrinkage, swelling, peeling, ect.) All products you put directly over that surface with solvent in it, has to cure by solvent coming out, but the solvent first travels into the product then turning to head out of the surface. Hope you get that explination.....

 

[Terryscustom]

Hope you get that explination.....

Completely, one thing I should have pointed out though is with the .54 oz cloth it is so fine you almost can't handle it without rubber gloves on (sticks to your fingers) and what was filled with it is micro weave (no build-up at all). I wish I could get a super detailed close up, but many of the holes are basically pin-head sized. If you were filling weave on something like 6-10oz fabric it absolutely would not work. My guess is when the first layer of primer is sprayed some of it will soak into these millions of micro sized filler spots and bond them to the primer.

Edit: We'll swap some info on this if you come up, if there is a nice easy to sand glazing filler I'd really like to try it. The stuff I have used sands great, but if you put about the right amount of hardner in it you only have a few minutes to use it......just a little less and it does not set up correctly. If I had a 5-10 minutes pot life to spread it thin like this filler a 2K filler would be awesome!!

 

[tylerzx9r]

Got Ya! Nice work! Keep it up!

 

[Jetpainter]

If I had a 5-10 minutes pot life to spread it thin like this filler a 2K filler would be awesome!!

Terry, the Spies Spray Poly might work for that depending on how you apply it. It could be brushed or sprayed and has about a thirty minute pot life. I need to make some test panels and see what works and what's light and what's not. I think I have some SIG .56 cloth at home and I know I have Finishing resin, so maybe I'll make up some panels tonight and find out. One thing I always did in the past, was give the parts a second coat of resin with a squeegee or credit card and try to take as much back off as possible. you use very little that way, and have a lot less pinholes to deal with.

 

[crashflow]

Drywall compound is water based and most of it is no shrink. Should have no affect on solvent based topcoats. Make sure it dries out good before covering it. I don't think you will any issues with it. Walls in your house can be topcoated with a variety of paints with no problems.

 

[BalsaDust]

Drywall compound is water based and most of it is no shrink. Should have no affect on solvent based topcoats. Make sure it dries out good before covering it. I don't think you will any issues with it. Walls in your house can be topcoated with a variety of paints with no problems.

If going this route on a plane I would recommend this stuff as regular drywall compound is pretty heavy.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_171174-68-1...pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=joint+compound&facetInfo=

 

[Terryscustom]

I wish I could have gotten a better picture to describe that last part with the joint compound. In all the weave of the fabric once sanded smooth I would guess there is less than a teaspoon worth of joint compound left on the canopy and all the weave is filled and ready to prime. Did not even add enough weight to register on my scale.

 

[BalsaDust]

Does the LAW have a nice macro lense for her camera? I bought one for my wife last year and she loves it. Gets good up close and detailed photos though I'm not sure it can get close enough to show a really fine weave in the cloth.

 

[Jetpainter]

Terry, I started on some test panels tonight. I didn't have any .56 cloth so I used something a slightly heavier. Since I'll be testing the different methods and fillers the heavier cloth shouldn't hurt. I did spray half of them with hairspray so see if it effects things.