Zenith Aircraft Builders and Flyers
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Corrosion protection
I am about to start work on a 750 STOL. Do I really need to do primer between the riveted parts, or should I leave it out? I don't see it done in the videos online.
I live in central South Carolina. If I sell it down the line, and the new owner is concerned, he or she could treat it with Corrosion-X or similar, right?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Carl Orton on
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It's mostly personal preference. 6061-T6 is by nature corrosion RESISTANT (not corrosion proof). You have to make a call on how long you want to keep the plane and where you will store it.
I'm in DFW; I'm not going to apply any protection. I'm not building a 30-year airframe. If it lasts me 15-20 years, that's fine by me. Yes, Corrosion-X could be applied in the future if needed. I don't know the climate in central SC, but if you have any salt air near you, I'd make sure ALL surfaces were treated. Your mileage may vary. I'm just relating MY personal situation.
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Permalink Reply by Ken Ryan on
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I would not even consider building without using corrosion protection on contacting surfaces. Building this airplane is a lot of work. In the grand scheme, applying corrosion protection to contacting surfaces is "small potatoes." Cortec is great because it is easy to apply, dries quickly, does not produce toxic odors and cleans up with water.
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Permalink Reply by Tyler Lee on
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Ken, where can I buy it? Can you provide a link? There is a confusing number of corrosion-prevention products available.
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You'll probably have to buy it direct from Zenith. It is readily available elsewhere, but usually not in small quantities. I used Cortec and really liked it. Another user-friendly primer for aluminum that I have had good luck with is XIM UMA.
Always, preparation is important. You need to scuff the aluminum with Scotch Brite and then clean it thoroughly (denatured alcohol works good). Use a paper towel with the alcohol and go over it a couple of times, until the paper towel remains clean.
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Forgot to mention, regarding the XIM UMA I have had good luck only with the brush on, I tried a spray can and it did a lot of "spitting" -- but the brush on is good as long as surface is properly prepared.
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Permalink Reply by Dan Hill on
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I personally think primer is necessary. On my 701 I am using self etching duplo from the local parts store, it's convenient and I can buy it as I need it so it is always fresh and if a can does go bad it is a minimal loss. Cheap insurance for the investment in time spent building. Dan.
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Permalink Reply by Perry Delano on
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In building my 701 I took great pains with most of the parts right up to the fuselage to wipe with, paint thinner, scuff with scotch brite wash with water and dry then roll on zinc chromate everywhere inside. When our RAA group started building a 750, someone from Zenith (i will not drop names to allow for deniability) visited our shop for the weekend to get us started. That person said that they just use well thinned out ZC and just paint it on, the thinner does all the cleaning and etching required. Bottom line is, deburring cleaning and priming is thankless work. I have reduced the number of preparation steps I do with no apparent lack of adhesion, maybe even better, and getting the plane together goes faster. One tip from a fellow RAA member was to let parts dry thoroughly after wiping with varsol or paint thinner. Even after a part looks like it is dry there is still a residue. I have found the latter advice to be very true.
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Permalink Reply by Oliver Reik on
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We apply SEM self etching primer with a roller to one side of mating surfaces. The main goal is to keep mating surfaces electrically insulated, as flowing currents ad the main cause for corrosion between sheets of metal.
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Permalink Reply by Joe Hopwood on
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I had always heard that the corrosion caused the current flow. Two identical medals with same potential should not have any current flow. When one corrodes the potential is different and current flow occurs. Of course with them properly coated there is no corrosion and therefore no current flow. Could be the chicken or egg discussion. :-)
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https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/duplicolor_selfetchi...
Does this look sufficient?
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It's going to depend on how well you can get it to stick to aluminum. Aluminum is notoriously hard to get paint to stick. Careful preparation is essential. I've tried more than one product that said on the label that it was good for aluminum and turned out not to be.
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That is exactly what i use, but I source it from my local auto parts store. I use lacquer thinner to wipe off any sharpie marks, hand scuff with scotchbrite and if it is a dirty piece of material I will wash again with thinner then spray with the primer. If I don't get excellent adhesion it is because I didn't do my part when I prepped the surface.
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