I need to make a repair to the forward portion of my nose wheel pant (explanation below, if interested). I’ve done a little bit of fiberglass work, but essentially just simple stuff—repairing cracks, etc… Now I have a hole, roughly 1.5 x 2”, right at the front. Fortunately, I was able to borrow an analogous wheel pant from a friend who is in the middle of his C.I. and have made molds from that, both on the inside and outside to help re-establish the shape.
Two questions:
1) Thoughts as to whether it’s best to glass the inside or outside first? My instinct is to secure the “inside” mold into my damaged wheel pant and lay down the first layer or two of glass-impregnated bi-directional cloth on the outside. After curing and removal of the mold, I’d follow that with additional layers inside and out. The advantage would seem to be ensuring that there is enough additional depth needed over the hole to get a reasonable thickness of glass w/o altering the external shape. The disadvantage would seem to be a little more challenge to achieving that external shape through sanding.
2) I don’t have any release film to cover the mold(s), and would like to get on this quickly with minimal fuss. What are reasonable alternatives, e.g. does fiberglass stick to plastic kitchen (cling) wrap? I’m not that worried about small wrinkles/imperfections as I should only need the mold for the first layer.
If you’re wondering how I came to need this advice, the damage happened as I was putting the airplane away yesterday. As the mains went over the steel tracks that guide the sliding hangar doors, the nosewheel jumped the “shoe” that I’d fabricated for the Airtug and the wheel pant impacted the vertical steel plate that would typically serve as the stop for a non-panted tire. I’ve been using this modified Airtug for 3-4 years w/o problems, but recently moved to a different hangar and the tracks are quite a bit higher in this one. I can only make the shoe slightly higher w/o it touching the bottom of the wheel pants, but my plan is to tweak that. I’m also going to use some thin plywood or similar to make the approach to the tracks more gradual.
Two questions:
1) Thoughts as to whether it’s best to glass the inside or outside first? My instinct is to secure the “inside” mold into my damaged wheel pant and lay down the first layer or two of glass-impregnated bi-directional cloth on the outside. After curing and removal of the mold, I’d follow that with additional layers inside and out. The advantage would seem to be ensuring that there is enough additional depth needed over the hole to get a reasonable thickness of glass w/o altering the external shape. The disadvantage would seem to be a little more challenge to achieving that external shape through sanding.
2) I don’t have any release film to cover the mold(s), and would like to get on this quickly with minimal fuss. What are reasonable alternatives, e.g. does fiberglass stick to plastic kitchen (cling) wrap? I’m not that worried about small wrinkles/imperfections as I should only need the mold for the first layer.
If you’re wondering how I came to need this advice, the damage happened as I was putting the airplane away yesterday. As the mains went over the steel tracks that guide the sliding hangar doors, the nosewheel jumped the “shoe” that I’d fabricated for the Airtug and the wheel pant impacted the vertical steel plate that would typically serve as the stop for a non-panted tire. I’ve been using this modified Airtug for 3-4 years w/o problems, but recently moved to a different hangar and the tracks are quite a bit higher in this one. I can only make the shoe slightly higher w/o it touching the bottom of the wheel pants, but my plan is to tweak that. I’m also going to use some thin plywood or similar to make the approach to the tracks more gradual.