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Thread: wet sanding poly spray

  1. #1

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    Default wet sanding poly spray

    I am at the stage of spraying the poly spray , searched this forum, watched many videos and read the Stits Poly Fiber manual ( many times ) . My concerns that I learned were that as few as 2 swipes across a hard surface , tubing, top of a rib, or stitch with 400 grit wet sanding can cut right through the fabric and then it MUST be repaired. Today I cautiously started out on the elevator, I just broke through into the poly brush, stopped, and said there must be a better way to scuff this surface for the 3rd spray coat of Poly spray to be laid down as the manual suggests. I called Waldow at " consolidated " and talked to him . He said that using red scotch brite lightly on all the surfaces will give the next applied Silver or paint its needed tooth bonding surface. I cannot express how nice this method is. A few strokes several times over the surface is easy to see, multiple strokes over the same area, either on tubing , stitches, ribs, or tapes I NEVER had a reddish ( poly brush ) color show up, with a resulting nice even scuff of the surface area. I want to pass this along to anyone ready to paint their project, especially after months and months of work and only then to have the misfortune that I have witnessed others having with unwanted repair (s) wet sanding this poly spray. This red Scotch brite is the ticket, right from Mr. Waldow himself ! Carry on with confidence, Billy

  2. #2
    taff's Avatar
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    Dec 2020
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    Jacksonville Fl
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    Default Re: wet sanding poly spray

    It's kind of normal to sand through on sharp edges like the pinked edges of your tape.
    If you didn't then your tape edges will not look nice.
    You probably can feel the sharp edge before you sand.

    You could use Scotch Brite on the lacing areas, but carefully. Even that could wear the PolySpray off.
    If your doing more surfaces, spray wetter or apply an extra coat of PolySpray.
    Anyway the two coats of PolySpray you will later spray will provide the protection. First one on the exposed areas and then one flowing coat all over.
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    Completed my Classic 4, May 2003. It had std wings. speedster tail.
    912 UL Rotax. Sold to a person in Spain.

    Completed a Skybolt December 2018

  3. #3
    taff's Avatar
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    Default Re: wet sanding poly spray

    A couple more photos.
    If you can, get those part number products from 3M the paper is flexible and holds to the pad, makes life easier on your hands.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Completed my Classic 4, May 2003. It had std wings. speedster tail.
    912 UL Rotax. Sold to a person in Spain.

    Completed a Skybolt December 2018

  4. #4
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    KDKB (Dekalb, Illinois)
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    Default Re: wet sanding poly spray

    Toss your wet paper into a bucket of water before you start sanding and let it soften, then you'll have
    a lot less problems.

    Jeff

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Dec 2009
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    Lawrenceville, GA
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    Default Re: wet sanding poly spray

    Hey Eric,

    What paint did you use on your KF4 ?

    Did you add something to keep it flexible?

    Thanks,

    Mark Napier


    Quote Originally Posted by taff View Post
    A couple more photos.
    If you can, get those part number products from 3M the paper is flexible and holds to the pad, makes life easier on your hands.
    Building a KF IV Classic

  6. #6
    taff's Avatar
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    Default Re: wet sanding poly spray

    Hi Mark,
    What a surprise. Are you still at Spring Valley Airpark? What are you building, another Kitfox?

    The system was PolyFiber up to PolySpray.
    I sanded that, provided another coat of PolySpray (non sanding) and went with urethanes.
    Product names were:
    1/ Sikkens Autocryl Filler, Wet on Wet. For a sealer and adhesion coat.
    2/ Sikkens Autocryl, this was the color.
    3/ Sikkens Autoclear III, this was the clear coat.

    All three products were elasticized with Sikkens Elast-O-Actif. I added 50 parts of this to the product. A bit more than was recommended for car bumpers etc.
    Note: products 1, 2 and 3 are no longer available because newer products have arrived. I would use these newer products today.

    I used urethane products because the Kitfox parts could fit into the down draught booth that was available while I was working.

    With the Skybolt, Only the sheet metal and fiberglass parts were taken to the booth and sprayed with Urethane.
    All the fabric covered parts were coated with PolyFiber PolyTone. Because I was spraying in the hangar. The parts were too big to move to the training center and some wouldn't fit in the booth.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Completed my Classic 4, May 2003. It had std wings. speedster tail.
    912 UL Rotax. Sold to a person in Spain.

    Completed a Skybolt December 2018

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Lawrenceville, GA
    Posts
    180

    Default Re: wet sanding poly spray

    Hey Eric,

    Yes, still have a hanger there. Still would like to build a home on the property and move. Might be a retirement project. Traffic hasn't improved so the commute to work would be very long. Job/career is more stable now so interested in building the Kitfox again. Kids are both in college now so money not so much.

    Picked up a KF4 Classic fuse 3rd hand. It was made around 2000, got a complete paper trail so can build it E-AB with the letter from Kitfox Aircraft. Added Grove main gear on it but not much else done. Just acquired a 912uls so should perform really well. I have a set of short speedster wings which as I recall you thought would be better for just tooling around here if not sand-bar hopping.

    Doing the speedster tail. I bought the same Rans trim system you used as well. Seemed like such a good solution.


    I just remember how wonderful your paint looked on that Kitfox. It really stood out.

    Cheers mate,

    Mark
    Building a KF IV Classic

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