Putting a new dress on an old maid....

[foxfever]

I bought a project from a guy, that bought it from a guy, that bought it from the fellow that wrecked it. I finally get some evenings to myself and have started the process of re-covering my Kitfox II. She had been starved of fuel and landed in the desesert kind of hard. It broke a bungee which led to a ground loop in the brush I heard.
I brought the fusealage into work(I do airplane maintenance at a small FBO) and me and the I/A replaced 1 tube and scarfed another.
Now I have it home and on the rotissiery(SP?) and will start covering her this week.
I'll try to keep a rolling log with pictures here, so if anyone is interested in watching an old hag get new dress on, they can.....
The first photo shows it loaded and on her way home from southern Az. to East Central SD. It was about 1600mi one way!
Aaron
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[cap01]

got yourself a pretty good project . the gas tank arrangement is interesting . not that it would make much difference but i think id rather have the gas in the wings instead of in my lap .

[DanB]

Aaron, it will be great to follow you on your project. Thanks for the B-4 pictures. Have fun with it.

[foxfever]

Here's this evenings progress. I was only planning on covering the bottom, but it went so well I just got on the pilot's side as well.
I got in the shop around 5pm, and worked until 10:30PM.
My very sweet wife brought my supper out to me and ate in the shop with me, so that barely got in the way.
I always forget how much fun it is to cover!
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[sdemeyer]

Aaron, looking good! Its a big job, but enjoyable.

[foxfever]

Thanks for the encourgement Scott! It is a project for sure!!!
The really fun thing about covering though is that every day you are able to see progress before you shut off the lights.

I got another evening in the shop tonight. 5pm-10pm with a break to put kids to bed and now I'm ready for trim tapes!

My 9yr old son Bo wanted to help me and I couldn't resist getting him in a picture and on the forum!

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[foxfever]

Well, a little more progress tonight. After using the Stewarts System on the Taylorcraft last winter, I forgot just how strong the Poly Fiber chemical smells are.


5:30pm-10pm tonight and the 1st coat of poly-brush is on. Also got a bit of the trim tape on. I'll have another night just finishing the tapes and gussets I bet.

I likely won't have time again until Monday evening. I have a busy weekend ahead.

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[Andrew G]

Thank you for posting Fox... despite all the KF builds out there... very very little blogging re construction, so I for one very much appreciate you taking the time to post your progress... Andrew

[foxfever]

Well, my weekend did not go as planned.
But on the plus side, I was able to throw another 10hrs at the kitfox today because of it!

All that time was spent on trim tapes and gussets. I forgot how tedious that is trying to make sure there are no gaps between the tape and all the protrusion! I only have the tailpost up the back of the vertical stab left. I just didn't feel like taking it off the swivel tonight.
So just one 4' piece of tape, and it is trimmed out!

I will be away again now until tuesday night:(
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[sdemeyer]

Wow Aaron, your moving right along! Looking great! You mentioned using Stewarts Systems on a prior project and I am curiious why you switched to Polyfiber on the KF. Was there something you did not like about Stewarts?

[Av8r3400]

Great question, Scott. I was going to ask the same thing...

[foxfever]

The biggest reason I went back to Poly-fiber on this one is that I'm pressed for time on it. I know the system well and don't have to spend time studying it.
It had been a couple of years since my last recover with Poly-fiber, and I really forgot how powerful the chemicals are.
The very first covering job I did was on a Kolb Firefly. Kolb recommended the poly-fiber, so thats what I got. I had no one to teach me how to cover, so I read the manual and figured it out just as many others have done. I was very happy with the results, and it was not difficult.
First love so to speak!
When using the Stewarts system last winter on the T-craft, there was a bit of a learning curve that slowed me down. I wasn't able to just breeze though it step by step as the instruction was on 6 DVD's(very, very good by the way), just time consuming. I couldn't flip the page back to re-read and absorb it.
Now looking back to last winter, I have decided to go back to the Stewarts System on the next project. That should be later this winter, so I will know for sure which one I prefer.
I now think that on the second or third covering job with the Stewarts, it would go just as fast if not faster than poly-fiber.
And like the Millers, Stewarts service is great! Phone calls don't seem to bother them, even if they get 3 in one day!

[foxfever]

Okay, after today, I'm definately leaning towards Stewarts as my system of choice.
As recommended by the poly-fiber manual, I went over every square inch of this fuse heat smoothing the imperfections before my spray coats of poly-brush. I got what I thought was all the pinked ears down, as this was the last good chance to take care of them.

Then I sprayed my first coat of poly-spray, and some more corners peeled up. Normal, according to the manual, so I carefully ironed them down again. I also noticed pinholes on one tape were I didn't not get enough poly-brush when I applied it. I addressed it and sprayed my second coat. The same pinholes came back, or likely they never went away. I try to address that one again. More ears up around the in various places, and it's getting harder to get them down without smudging the poly-brush. Remember, I did go over every tape, one side at a time before spraying. Again, the manual says this happens, so no big deal.

After it has time to set up good, I apply my first coat of poly-spray(silver). Now I am not happy with my heat smoothing job of before. It seams as half of the pinked edges are fraying and all these little threads are reaching straight up! So, I look in the manual and it says "Truth Time! That first coat of Poly-Spray will reveal all your sins." There is more instruction on addressing it in this section of the manual, along with after the second cross coat.

I have at best a couple of hours making it all good before my next cross coat. I have never had this problem before, but just last week I was telling a friend about my covering project and he said "The part I hate about using poly-fiber is getting all those tapes to lay down...." Wow, I'm living that now.

On the Stewarts, it was much easier. The sealer, eko-fill(like poly-brush), and u-v block(like poly spray) are one in the same. As you seal the fabric, you get your UV protection. Also, the tapes get the pinks ironed down after getting the eko fill applied and it layed down smooth and tight. And, no strong smells!
I don't know why I'm fighting it on this one, but it's in the manual every step so I must not be the first one. It does mention several times that "....perhaps the solvents in subsequent coats lifted them."

No solvents in the Stewarts to do that!

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[sdemeyer]

Aaron, since you mentioned it, I will put in a word for Stewarts Systems. I recovered part of my KF using PolyFiber system and I am currently covering a Piper Pacer with Stewarts Systems. I will say hands down, without a slightest doubt Stewarts Systems is waaaaaaay easier to use. I will never use PolyFiber again. You iron the tapes edges once and the edges stay down. No bubbles, no pinholes, no nasty chemicals, no nasty smells. In fact I am able to keep my wood stove going, making it toasty warm in the hangar without needing to worry about blowing myself up.

First time using Stewarts and I am very happy with the result. I think it is a little less expensive too!