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when can i prime

burgundyja

Well Known Member
can i prime the hole wing before i do the first wing atachment to the fus.
same with the tail feathers
 
the out side? i would not prime it until i was ready to paint it. i would also leave the plastic on it as long as possible. sure you can, and will sand out all ther scratches but now that thats what im doing its a little less work if you leave the plastic on til later. however back to your question, no sense in priming and scratching the primer or contaminating it with grease, oils from your hands and overspray and such. its added weight if you have to sand and prime it again later.YMMV
 
Blue Plastic

The blue plastic has been on my components for over 4 1/2 years. I just removed most of it and the alcad surface underneath looks as new and shiny as the day I unpacked it.
 
Present experience not withstanding, I recall reading in the manual not to leave the blue plastic on too long as it may trap moisture and corrode the aluminum. YMMV.
 
Corrosion

I can confirm the corrosion fear, I'm a victim.

But it partly depends on how and where you store it. I'm in the southeast, lots of heat and humidity. Plus, I work in the garage and must keep the door open to keep it cool, if it sprinkles or rains while I'm working, the spray comes in a good bit. In my case, there was some edge separation on some pieces and moisture got in one way or another.

How would removal of the plastic help? It would've allow the Al to dry instead of fester.

Also, the plastic stays together better and removes easier if removed sooner rather than later.

You have to worry about scratches and corrosive substances if the plastic is removed (like sweat, blood, any other salty stuff) and if you leave the plastic on, you have to worry about corrosion under the plastic and potentially a difficult time removing it later. Pick your poison.
 
Blue plastic

My stuff was in my house basement; I guess that is why I didn't have any corrosion problems.
 
prime?

i have the quick build so most of the blue is already removed. some of the small pieces that i have removed it there is very small sign of corison. you have to prime the outside anyway right? what about doing the whole white base coat then asemlby. if i need to when i paint on the flames i can touch up any scratches.
 
if your doing base and clear the base must be topcoated within a time window. usually 24 hrs. it really isnt worth the trouble. as for corosion. yes it will if the edges are allowed to get wet and water is more or less trapped. i live in S.C. and the humidity ir regularly 80% + no corrosion on mine but then mine never gets wet. epoxie primers preferrably need to be top coated within 7 days. you could finish each component then paint it but you will need to be extra carefull during storage.
 
I helped a guy build his rudder that he bought from another builder... the kit was about 2-3 years old IIRC.... anyways, the blue plastic was still on it, and a MAJOR PITA to remove. :(

I just remove all of mine before dimpling... no soldering irons, etc. Besides, you're just going to prime the plane and paint it... what does it matter if it's still "shinny"?
 
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