Vinyl Wrap Challanges

Several months ago, my son and I decided to trim out my polished RV9A with red wrap on the usual fiberglass parts and leading edges of the flying surfaces. Both of us have worked with vinyl a lot in the past, mostly in the graphics world and lately some large vehicle advertising projects that my son has taken on. We work really well together and know when each other are getting close to the "edge". We know where the buttons are and never push them.
Well, I have to say our work has progressed quite well so far as we have taken on the low hanging fruit (easy stuff) as we get to know 3M 1080 characteristics. Then came two pieces that have tested us to the end. The lower half of my IO360 cowling with the big induction snout and the spinner. The spinner has come ridiculously close to being done 4 times but the vinyl gives out in the last few stretches. We are trying to do it one piece of carbon fiber wrap, not wanting a seam. I am thinking this is impossible to achieve. Has anyone any experience with this?
The lower half of the cowling simply can't be done with one piece of vinyl. It has too many curves to manage. We want to minimize the number of seams but whats acceptable and whats excessive? I figure 4 pieces of vinyl would easily do it, son figures two. Again, anyone else have an experience to share?
I know the pro's who post to the forum can tell me the answer but I'm sure that given the homebuilder mentality to do as much as they can on a build, they are not the only ones out trying their hands at this process.
Regards
Cam Andres
C-FTLL RV9A, engine running, waiting for Transport Canada and MD-RA final
Paid for 2014

Cam, I don't have any answers for you but have been wondering the same thing as I plan to do some vinyl too. Anyone have answers/advice?

Bevan

Vinyl Wrap Challenges

Hey Bevan,
The answer is out there (as Fox Mulder used to say). I'm sure the Non Disclosure Agreements might be muffing some folks from chiming in. The art of wrap is not rocket science, it's all technique and you can burn up a lot of wrap at 10 bucks a running foot learning it. I compare it to learning the art of polishing aluminum, you keep trying different approaches to doing the same basic task until you find the one that gives you the best result. With Aluminum we have Perfect Polish (and other web sites like it) where the information is freely available and in exchange you buy their products for a decent price. Its just a matter of time till the vinyl wrap knowledge base becomes public domain. I'll share my experiences once I have a finished project. In the meantime:
Lesson #1 - Wrap hates 100LL (or at least the glue backing does). A rivet weeper on my left tank completely unstuck a large section of wrap. I'd be real careful when adding fuel to the tanks. That looks like a potential trouble area. When I re-wrap that wing leading edge I will stay at least an inch away from the filler hole.

Cam Andres
C-FTLL RV9A with IO360
Engine running, waiting for final MD-RA Inspection

I'm wrapping a 10 right now, my first wrap. I tried the spinner first as a sit down project. Arrgh. Its got such a curve to it. Cowl top went fine, but I've been staring at the lower scoop for a couple days. Aren't the carbon print vinyls a bit thicker?

Yes the Carbon Fiber is a lot thicker. It looks beautiful when you get it going for you. We were with in 1/2" of the finish edge on the last single sheet attempt. Another person on the forum told me that his spinner was done with two seams. In that case, the vinyl was applied by pros.
Cam

possible, but recommended?

Hey guys, I am no wrap expert. In fact, after 30 years in the business, and having been to some 3M training sessions, really have no love for it.
here's what I've seen, heard, learned FWIW.
some guys heat & pre-stretch the film. Then after typical application, say, to a car mirror, heating causes it to shrink back, improving the cling and eliminating some of the tendency to bunch & wrinkle. ( on youtube of course).
I saw one of 3M Canada's instructors doing a helmet; he placed the film over the top of a garbage can, heated it with a heat gun ( probably very hot) and pushed the helmet into it. I suspect stretching much beyond the recommended 10 - 20%.
frankly I don't see how even a successful wrap over a spinner could possibly last, long-term, due to the extreme deformation of the film, but I applaud those who try; I ain't got the patience for that.

My plane does not have a speck of vinyl on it, except for the tail #.
Bought some flat black for the top of the cowl 3 years ago, never installed it.

Thanks Cam and Perry,

I believe this forum has the ability to massage the tips and techniques out of the minds of the masters. Heck, wrapping cannot be harder than constructing a vehicle that can carry you several miles high, over several hundreds of miles quicker than any professionally built car and most general aviation aircraft.

There are lots of unanswered questions (in my mind) but there are lots of potential advantages to wrap not the least of which is limiting oneself to the harsh chemicals of painting. Sure you could hire a profeesional painter and let him take all the chemical risk, but I'm the type of builder who wants to do as much as he can himself, for the experience of it all.

By the way, so what if there are a few seams here and there? Paint is never perfect either. As long as the seems do not come apart or add drag or something detrimental to the perfornance or safety of the aircraft.

If a particularly difficult part like the spinner doesn't stand up well over time, not a big deal. Re-wrap it at some point. Again, paint will not be "like new" for ever either. Repainting including prep and color matching will be a much bigger and expensive job that re-doing the vinyl.

Good point on the compatibility of 100LL and the wrap's adhesive. Will look into that.

Bevan

My biggest concern at the moment, is the possibility of vinyl to encourage surface corrosion when placed directly on the alclad surface (no primer or surface prep other than cleaning). This may or not be a reality. I just don't know. I wonder if the adhesive tends to act as protection against corrosion or an instigator, or neither. I would like to hear from 3M on the issue. Otherwise, only time will tell. My RV7 will be hangared but we get a lot of rain here so humidity is higher than many areas.

Bevan

I've sent an email to 3M regarding anti corrosion properties of the adhesive when applied directly to the surface of non painted steel/aluminum etc. Will report back if I hear anything.

Bevan

Bevan said:

My biggest concern at the moment, is the possibility of vinyl to encourage surface corrosion when placed directly on the alclad surface (no primer or surface prep other than cleaning). This may or not be a reality. I just don't know. I wonder if the adhesive tends to act as protection against corrosion or an instigator, or neither. I would like to hear from 3M on the issue. Otherwise, only time will tell. My RV7 will be hangared but we get a lot of rain here so humidity is higher than many areas.

Bevan

Click to expand...

The metal surface of my aircraft was completely polished before I started applying wrap. The 3M 1080 vinyl has tiny air relief slits on its surface. This could work to your advantage or not. As you said, only time will tell. I am thinking that I should make some test coupons up with polished and non polished 2024 strips covered with wrap and hang them around the hanger, inside and out. Every year, pull one apart and see how the metal looks. This is starting to sound like a thread on "to primer or not".
Cam

flyboy1963 said:

Hey guys, I am no wrap expert. In fact, after 30 years in the business, and having been to some 3M training sessions, really have no love for it.

My plane does not have a speck of vinyl on it, except for the tail #.
Bought some flat black for the top of the cowl 3 years ago, never installed it.

Click to expand...

We have had sessions in the hanger with the wrap that echo your love of the product. Ask son..want to include this in your business? He questions my mental state...... I agree.
Cam

more info from the deranged mind of.......

Folks contemplating this might want to get some offcuts from a local vinyl shop, and play with it....a LOT. Start with a hair dryer on high, that's enough heat for most things. Use a heat gun sparingly and carefully.
get all the tech sheets you can find online, watch the videos, ( caveat: most omit important details!) and have extra hands when doing the actual work.

one example; for creases, recesses, body lines, breaks, even lines of rivets, it might be beneficial to use 3M primer 94 with their products. Basically its a glycol based snot that you apply to problem areas, which softens the films adhesive and enhances the bond.
Final steps. Post heat all curved areas. Seams and laps; You can either seal with a liquid pen, or ( my preference) tape over all lap seams with clear film, you are sealing the main failure areas this way, and it's pretty much invisible.

Not sure of the total stretch available with the wrapping film but if I was looking to cover a prop spinner with no seams I would start with this:

Cut the top out of a plastic 55 gallon drum.
Place a small electric room heater in the drum and cut a hole in the lower portion allowing access to the heater controls.
Design a clamping method to secure the wrap film to the drum top.
Place a plastic bag in the prop spinner and fill with "Great Stuff" spray foam, before the foam sets up, insert a wooden dowel so it can be used as a handle.
Clamp the film and heat till it sags. When the film reaches the proper temp, slowly apply pressure and force the spinner nose first down into the film.

Again I have not tried this but I believe it has potential.

3m 1080 spec says it can stretch up to 30% with heat. I don't believe it's supposed to shrink much but seems to (at least a little bit) in my experience so far. I would think once stretched, it would shrink back close to original if heated. I definitely see potential here.

The "air" channels are in the adhesive itself and very small. I assume these air channels "empty" as you heat and squeegee the whole surface. Sort of like laying tiles with the grout (adhesive) applied with a corrugated tool making lines of air channels. I wonder if the air channels "completely" disappear leaving absolutely no air (moisture) in pockets. Probably not, but not sure if that's significant from a corrosion perspective.

It would be nice to hear that the adhesive has anti corrosion properties. I have not heard back from 3M yet.

I believe this whole wrap thing is only beneficial if we can save doing any and all external primer and paint.

Bevan