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I was reading on the VAF forums about how the best way to fill pinholes is. One person (I think it was Darwin Berry) recommended using 5 minute epoxy mixed with flox for the larger pinholes because it sets and cures quickly. I found these large 2 oz containers (4 oz total) at Home Depot for $15. It seemed to be the best deal for the quantity.  So I mixed some up with some flox and tried it out. It definitely starts to harden quickly. I don't think I even had 5 minutes of working time with it.  I don't know why I took this pic, but sure why not. There is some chunk I need to fill there in the middle.  Yeah more chunks to fill. Long story short is the 5 minute epoxy is the BOMB. In an hour it was hard and sandable. Instead of waiting 24 hours for the West Systems to cure, this was ready in less than an hour. Plus, since its a simple 50/50 mixing ratio, I can mix way smaller batches than I could with the West Systems, so in effect, I am saving money and good epoxy.  While waiting for the filler to dry, I installed the only blast tube I am using on my emag. The Plane Power alternator doesn't need one (post on VAF forums confirmed this) and most magnetos don't have them. The Emag installation manual said to use one, so I did. I used the 3/4" corrugated tubing and used hi-temp RTV to bond it to the baffles.  Here is my routing. I used some adel clamps attached to the oil pressure sensor line.  More pics.  And even more. You can see I tapered the end of the tube to be even with the emag.  After a couple of iterations of filler, I removed all of the electrical tape to reveal a pretty good looking fairing!  It is pretty perfect!  The only main booger was right here.  I wanted to get the rear window finished up. I hadn't countersunk the holes or finished off the edges yet.  I countersunk all of the holes and enlarged them to a 5/32" hole without cracking the canopy. Although it is frigid outside, the basement is very very warm thanks to the oil furnace. I also finished the aft edge up to 400 grit sandpaper. The front edge might still need to be trimmed, so I left that rough for now.  Just for kicks I installed it on the airframe. Fits pretty good! I need to install the canopy again and check for alignment. I hope to do this tomorrow. I need to move the canopy out in the garage anyways to finish the fairing with primer and attack all the other pinholes. 
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Last Modified: August 13, 2023 |