when to remove the blue vinyl

Hello all,

I just wanted to ask when to take it all off? I read int he manual that you should it take off sooner than later as it gets harder to remove later.
But I want to prevent scratches etc especially as I read how that cause problems with aluminum later.

I see in build logs that people remove the blue vinyl next to the holes etc, but when to to remove it completely?

thanks Peter

Plenty of opinions on this one. I completely remove it when it starts to get in the way...ie, dimpling, riveting. If you are painting your aircraft, a few cosmetic blemishes or even light scratches will mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. I do my best not to deeply scratch it and remove that Alclad but otherwise I dont worry about it. The painter will scuff all surfaces for better adhesion before painting anyhow. To me, its a waste of time to break out a soldering iron to remove small strips of the blue for riveting. Just my 2 cents...

I adhere to that system too, the build manual says to take it all off when you inventory the crate. I am removing it when I start of a piece, in its entirety. Working on a carpeted table, there are no scratches in my work so far.

Vinyl

If the parts are stored in a reasonably dry environment then I wouldn't be concerned about leaving the vinyl on for as long as you like. I asked a similar question when I started and it seems that you can leave it on for years without it becoming hard to peel off. In a damp or humid environment, there is a slight risk that corrosion could start under the vinyl, but few builders would store their kits that way.

I'm generally just removing strips along rivet lines on the skins. Everything on the smaller parts is removed as I need them to work on. I'm only priming along along rivet lines on the internal face of the skins, so the vinyl is useful as mask. The internal vinyl obviously comes off when the skins go on, but I'm leaving the external vinyl in place until I finish the plane ready for final painting and/or test flying.

Removing strips from the skins using a soldering iron takes a bit of time, but I'm in no great hurry, and apart from the extra protecion it provides, I like the patchwork quilt effect. One advantage of removing strips first is that the panels that are left are easier to pull off than a single big sheet would be.

I bought a tail kit that was mostly assembled. It had been in storage in the CA high desert for 5+ years. Plastic peeled off just fine. No corrosion or anything but shiney alumimun under the plastice. I use a piece of white PVC pipe to roll it off with minimal effort, then cut the blue stuff off by scoring it down the length of the pipe with a utility knife.

Taking it off is one of the less pleasant tasks. Taking it off twice is even worse. Takes a long time to do that soldering iron trick. I started doing those soldering iron - blue panels with the tail section. After that - no more! Every square inch you paint gets thoroughly scuffed up with scotchbrite anyway. After building each piece I stored it in a safe place. I had a couple of pieces that were a bit scratched in shipping even through the blue vinyl. In the paint shop, we scuffed them and the sprayer sprayed 2 coats of primer over that area. You can't tell it now. See this post for more:
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=67760

thanks for all the info guys!!!

I guess I have to figure out of I want to paint the outside or not.... so many choices. One I have been struggling with today is the question to prime or not......

pietermk said:

I guess I have to figure out of I want to paint the outside or not.... so many choices. One I have been struggling with today is the question to prime or not......

Click to expand...

Based on a brief poll I did last year, apart from those items that Van's requires you to prime, it seems about 50% of builders don't do any interior priming of the alclad, 25% prime everything, and the other 25% prime contact surfaces and whatever else they think is reasonable.
Have fun!

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=59500&highlight=priming

thanks RGMWA I think I will paint the whole plane and primer the inside pieces

Peter

I am not priming. My non primed Ercoupe will celebrate its 65th birthday on April 1 and has not corroded yet. Don't figure I will live another 65 years anyway, so would rather carry the weight in fuel or something else. Besides, it is easier this way, and I am all for easy.
If I were not so lazy I would not paint the outside either, but I have no desire for polishing aluminum.

I could go with brushed or polished aluminum but I am not satisfied with an untreated cowl.

As a desert rat, I am not going to prime things except as required by Vans.

It depends.....

pietermk said:

.....I just wanted to ask when to take it all off? .... Peter

Click to expand...

RV7Ron said:

Plenty of opinions on this one.......

Click to expand...

Exactly when to remove the blue protective vinyl can be a judgement call. Some builders accept Van's advice at face value and remove the vinyl almost immediately. Of course, Van's must address a worldwide audience encompassing a wide variety of climatic conditions. That said, immediately removing the vinyl is perfectly fine if you plan to paint. IF however, you eventually seek a polished look, I believe keeping that protective vinyl intact will not only protect the delicate alclad from casual scratches but can save bags of hand labor later when polishing the skins. You must assess your own local conditions. For instance, I would not have left the vinyl in place if I lived anywhere near salt water or other corrosive environment.

Mine was likely the very first RV to ever to fly with its protective vinyl almost completely intact. I did not remove that vinyl until the airframe had accumulated over four flight hours. Not counting the empennage kit built in three weeks and then stored away for a few years, the standard kit was built in 24 months. It is worth note that some of those parts were clad in vinyl for 5-6 years. In addition, I did not cut out traditional strips to expose the rivet rows. I chose to remove a small circle of vinyl from around each individual rivet as clearly shown in the middle photo where the vinyl pulled away in one big sheet. Some people openly opined that doing it that way was a breeding ground for corrosion. Nope, just didn't happen and unlike some builder reports, that vinyl pulled off very easily using only my hands and without aid of a broomstick or other device.

Like Ron said, there are plenty of opinions on this topic. Like so many decisions you will face as a builder, listen to what others have to say but in the end, use your own judgement.

DonFromTX said:

I am not priming. My non primed Ercoupe will celebrate its 65th birthday on April 1 and has not corroded yet. Don't figure I will live another 65 years anyway, so would rather carry the weight in fuel or something else. Besides, it is easier this way, and I am all for easy.
If I were not so lazy I would not paint the outside either, but I have no desire for polishing aluminum.

Click to expand...

LOL. I like your attitude.


Marshall Alexander

Blue plastic

I leave the outside plastic on, just clear the rivet lines. I prime only the areas that meet and are riveted together.
Remove all interior plastic when I start to work the part. Plastic is easily removable w/heat from a hair dryer or heat gun.
So far, so good.

When, if , I am ready to paint, the rest of the plastic will be removed.

Second time around

When I built my first RV, I did the stripe thing, removing 1" wide on all the rows of rivets. I even made a double-tipped soldering gun to do it in one pass. With the RV-12 we are building now, everything came off at one time, prior to deburring. If corrosion or scratches were a real worry, even the ribs would come with that nice blue tint. It is a really good idea to write the part number on each part as the plastic is removed. Some are almost alike and can cause problems. YMMV.

Bob