Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jorge Fernandez on September 22, 2019 at 10:41am

Was the plane primed before applying the vinyl? I'm only six miles from the ocean in humid Florida and would be worried about corrosion.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Davis on September 22, 2019 at 11:14am

Not primed. The engine cowl probably should have been primed though since the vinyl doesn't want to stick on the gelcoat.

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Permalink Reply by charlie rosenzweig on September 25, 2019 at 11:15pm

I would be interested in knowing more about the prep work.  Did you treat the metal before applying the vinyl?   Also how do they do different colors.  Is one color layed over the top of the other, or are they butt joints between colors?  And as silly as this sounds...what causes the vinyl to stick to the surface?

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Permalink Reply by Gary Welch on September 26, 2019 at 12:30am

No treatment necessary other than a good cleaning.

Take a look at 3m 1080 vinyl. It seems to be the product of choice for many aircraft. It comes in a huge array of colors. This is what I used on mine and it was very easy to work with.

You use both over-lapping joints and butt joints, depending on the situation. They have "knife tape" with double and triple cutting ability that also makes this easy. 

The 3m 1080 is not like any other "'vinyl" you may have used. It stretches (and can be shrunk back to its exact original size with heat), you can lay it down and pick it right up and re-position it and it doesn't get air bubbles. It's about as idiot proof as you can get (and I'm a pretty big idiot!).

The only real challenge with it is compound curves. That takes some practice, but its easy to try, and if it doesn't look right just pull it up and try it again. 

Because it allows air to pass thru you don't have to worry about corrosion occurring underneath it. 

It takes a bit of planning and practice to lay it out, and down, but I found it very easy to use. And no need to buy any expensive tools. Just a heat gun, some knife tape, some good exacto blades, some squeegees and you're good to go.  

When you want it to finally "stick" you go over it with a heat gun. Even then, you can warm it up and take it off without any problem or significant residue. 

Also, if you happen to repair a ding, it's easy to do a decent patch that no one will notice (but you).

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Permalink Reply by charlie rosenzweig on September 26, 2019 at 1:53pm

That is fascinating.   I painted my RV6a at home (PPG base coat/clear coat) and it went fairly well, but the dings and chip repairs never look as good as the original.  I am not a perfectionist, but those visible repairs in my paint do bother me a bit.  I would think painting a plane plain white and doing vinyl "accent" graphics may just be the ideal combination. 

Thanks. 

Charlie 

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Permalink Reply by Glenn Davis on August 23, 2020 at 9:05am

Jim,

I'm in the final planning stage before wrapping my plane. How is yours holding up? Any advice before I get started?

Thanks

Glenn Davis

5362P

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Permalink Reply by Gary Welch on August 23, 2020 at 10:47am

3 years and 370 hours and mine still looks like new.  Mine plane has always been hangared.

My original wrap job on the spinner and wing tips was not good.  I recently went back and redid them. Also added vinyl to the landing gear and steps. While not necessarily a professional job,  even a close look will not reveal to many flaws,  unless you happen to be a wrap specialist.

One real benefit is the ability to go back and repair or replace any problem areas as I did.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Davis on August 23, 2020 at 10:19am

Hey Glenn :-) If your cowl is still plain gelcoat then suggest you spray it with primer or gloss coat of something. My installer wasn't too optimistic thatvthe vinyl would stick well with the plain cowl. He used some adhesive promoter and it's still stuck on. Ice and smooth. Everything else is holding up well too - still happy with it. Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Glenn Davis on August 23, 2020 at 9:41pm

Thanks Jim & Gary !!!

Glenn Davis

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Permalink Reply by Glenn Davis on September 7, 2020 at 6:48pm

Hi Jim & Gary,

Have you guys had any problems with fuel spills around the caps damaging the vinyl?

Thanks !

Glenn Davis

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Permalink Reply by Gary Welch on September 7, 2020 at 7:39pm

I don't have any vinyl near my fuel fill. They use the 3m 1080 vinyl on expensive car wraps, so i'm pretty sure this isn't a problem for that material. Don't know about other vinyl products.  

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Permalink Reply by Jim Davis on September 8, 2020 at 9:27am

I do have a problem at one cap. I don't think its because of the fuel though. I had rhe tank caps unscrewed when the vinyl was applied and I think when I screwed the one back on i twisted the vinyl under it and broke the seal betweeb the vinyl and aluminum. Im going take the cap off this week and see how to fix it. Probably just stretch and heat it again.

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