REFLECTOR: Filler for wingtips

Brian Michalk michalk at awpi.com
Wed Jun 30 10:18:15 CDT 2004


That's pretty cool.
What about mixing up some epoxy, whip it up pretty good so that it's got a
lot of air voids.  After it reaches a certain cure so as not to run (creep)
pull a vacuum on it, expanding it to the size of the container.

If the tension forces do not break the epoxy bonds, this could be pretty
cool.

Didn't someone make an epoxy that could be cured by passing electricity
through the epoxy?  I've also heard of UV curing epoxies.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org]On
> Behalf Of Alex Balic
> Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 2004 9:34 AM
> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
> Subject: RE: REFLECTOR: Filler for wingtips
>
>
> Yes, you can't use the can foam because it is not stable, and stays too
> flexible- even the pour foam is somewhat more flexible than the blue foam-
> best to make a plug with the blue as close as possible to shape
> and wedge in
> with a big gob of micro. If you want to play Mr. Wizard, I made some pure
> epoxy foam that cured very rigidly- did it by accident the first time but
> was able to recreate one time for a fillet that I made- mix up some
> structural, add about 10% acetone by volume, then get it really hot with a
> heat gun while you are mixing- the epoxy will exotherm, and vaporize the
> acetone (probably could use alcohol too I would guess) when it
> finally cools
> off it will be a really stiff, light weight and stable foam- go ahead and
> experiment with it a couple of times- it's fun.....
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org]On
> Behalf Of richard at riley.net
> Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 2004 8:39 PM
> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Filler for wingtips
>
>
> At 07:21 PM 6/29/04, you wrote:
> >What is everyone using to fill canard tips, winglet tips, and lower
> winglets
> >these days?  I went by my local West Marine this morning to pick up a
> little
> >kit of polyurethane pour foam, and the only size they had cost 85 bucks!
> >After re-inserting my eyes in their sockets, I noticed that this
> kit would
> >produce 2 cubic feet of foam, which is a lot more than I will need.  At
> that
> >price, I could just whomp up a dry batch of
> Alphaepoxy/microballoon and use
> >that!
> >
> >How about the pressurized cans of foam sealant at Home Depot?  The
> resilient
> >latex type probably isn't what we're looking for, but they may still have
> >the "semi-rigid polyurethane" type.  Any other good ideas?
>
> The one part foam will never completely cure.  If you get a good
> hot day on
> the ramp, it will swell underneath your expensive paint job and end up
> looking like a goiter.  Some of the 2 part foams will do the same thing.
>
> I always used blue foam, gued to the tip with epoxy/micro slurry.  Rough
> cut on a band saw first, wipe with slurry, put in place, hold it
> there with
> drywall screws till it cures.  Remove screws, sand to shape, cover with 2
> plies of glass.  Fill with micro, sand, prime, paint.
>
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