Let's make a Fiberglass Faring. (Ep63)

[@frankthomas855]

Well done and that was a nice looking fairing. I compare working with fiberglass to working with wood. Just a little more sanding is all you ever need!

[@davidrobins4025]

Nice job. You are making progress with every piece you make.

[@Joe_Not_A_Fed]

I have been following your build with interest. Fiberglass work can be such a pain...but the possibilities are almost endless. I have a couple of comments. (Before I get to those, fear not...it looks great). If you lay up your glass one layer at a time over your mold, you can get it to go deeper into corners, instead of forming over the mold with one multi layer cloth. Also, you can make pieces with tighter tolerances, if you make your final product from a negative mold. For example, the fairing you made would have made a suitable negative mold for your final piece. Then the final fairing would have taken the shape of the foam/bondo positive mold, which did blend smoothly into your strake. This technique also lends itself to achieving smoother finishes. Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing.

[@KitplaneEnthusiast]

I agree with everything you said!

[@robertlafnear4865]

I think if Mark Patey was doing this he would start with a 3lb block of 6061 and using a half million dollar CNC mill , Solid Works and several hours machine time he might make a part that would have a fit so tight you might not see the point where they butt together ...... and it would cost more that the whole plane ( LOL... guess I watch too many PATEY Videos )............ ..........Thinkin' about that a bit more YOUR part is PERFECT and WILL LOOK Fine ! Always good to see something out of your Hanger .

[@KitplaneEnthusiast]

LOL that's so true-but I'm jealous!!

[@robertlafnear4865]

I'm really not jealous ..... But.. I am a wee bit envious.......... a very wee bit (lol).

[@ShortStrokePiston]

I might leave mine open and use it for an alternate air source 🤪. Nice video!

[@KitplaneEnthusiast]

Believe it or not I've thought about that. I could hook up a tube to it and use it for fresh air in the cabin. But I figured it wasn't worth the work.

[@SpyGeorgilis]

Finally! I was getting worried, this build has gone entirely too long for no fiberglass to make an appearance!

[@KitplaneEnthusiast]

LOL

[@n206ja]

Thanks for the detailed video! I always learn something new every time I watch someone fabricate a fiberglass part and I did this time, too - have not used peel ply before but definitely will try that next time I make something.

[@KitplaneEnthusiast]

The peel ply really give the finished part a smoother finish and cuts down on the amount of filling and sanding that needs to be done for that perfect finish.

[@davidmullet1030]

Ha a fast horse and a dark night now one will know.Looks great.

[@DISOPtv]

Little piece like that would be perfect for 3d printing! Great video showing the process! I have repaired fiberglass before, but never made a part. Starting a CH750 build right now!

[@allenguthrie9128]

Just wanted to let you know that I just recently found your videos. I already have watched the whole super duty build so far and much more. Your videos are great, keep it up.

[@KitplaneEnthusiast]

Thank you!

[@AnonyMous-jf4lc]

Little finishing pieces are what make the difference on a build. One thing I have learned with glass is that less is always more when it comes to resin.

[@klrmoto]

Looks great! Great video. You could of made a splash off of your first cured layup. That would of given you a tool to then layup a two ply fairing then give them to your friends.

[@MichaelLGriffin]

Awesome! I use expired bank, gift and hotel key cards etc to spread resin and have found the cards make it easier to spread the resin and I get a more even & smooth spread than using a brush; just my personal experience working on my KR2.

[@KitplaneEnthusiast]

I'll have to try that next time. I seemed to have a difficult time spreading the resin this time around. I don't recall having a difficult time the I made fairings for the Cruzer so I figure I need to ask my neighbor (fiberglass pro) what I was doing wrong!

[@flienlow6281]

My question has always been why doesn't Zenith offer these with the kit? Fantastic as always Mark.

[@Laserdoc905]

Looks great!! Need to make some for my Cruzer fuel senders so this video helps for sure

[@KitplaneEnthusiast]

Here's how I made them for my Cruzer: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2nOXoF8lq99bsk

[@somalia1142]

Thanks welcome to Somalia

[@craigsanders6925]

Four would have worked if you had laid them down individually. If you want to do multiple plies at once put them between two sheets of plastic and use a roller and a plastic blade to squeeze out the excess resin. Your resin looked really thick as well.

[@charlescampbellii8193]

Chilly LoL Mmmm Tucson you won't need that heat lamp or that thing on your head

[@KitplaneEnthusiast]

Amen! The day I retire is the day I'm moving out of here!

[@JoeTrojan88]

Love the attention to detail in ALL your work!! Is this how you made the wraparound fairing on your Cruzer stabilizer?

[@KitplaneEnthusiast]

Yes it's exactly the same method. I have quite a few pics of the process on my Cruzer builder's log here: www.zenithowner.com/marks_log.htm

[@patway4683]

Hi Mark. I am starting a 701 build and I am using a self etching primer. I am priming the entire inside. My question is for the outside should I spray line of rivet holes on the skin and then rivet, or rivet first and go over it, or leave it until time to paint? Thanks

[@jaideld1]

If you use a credit card to spread it the resin out it make life alot easier

[@jaideld1]

you could use that one as a plug to make the new one then it will be smallet and fit better

[@philipritson8821]

What resin are you using? Polyester, Epoxy or Vinylester. Thanks

[@KitplaneEnthusiast]

EZ Poxy

[@DIYPackraft]

What weight is the glass you use for your fairings (ounces per square yard or grams per square meter)? Thanks!

[@daverobinsonTnT]

Very nice 👏 One question though. How will you prevent water from ingress under the fairing installation, via the interface between the new nose piece and the rest of the VSTAB’s horizontal faring ?

[@daverobinsonTnT]

By-the-way, thanks for sharing your very interesting and informative content 👍

[@KitplaneEnthusiast]

I'm not too worried about it. There's million places where water can enter the Zenith designs. But, I suppose I could put a tiny bead of silicone under the fairing to seal it off.

[@daverobinsonTnT]

@@KitplaneEnthusiast, if you have access to a small amount of aircraft grade sealant typically used to seal the interface between fairings and structure, I’d recommend using that instead; much more durable. But at the end of the day, 🤔 … its a small piece and you inspect your aircraft often and maintain them in extraordinarily immaculate condition, so big problems are very unlikely to occur under your watch 👍

[@LTVoyager]

I was thinking you were building a mold to then use to make the fairing and have the fairing be tucked up under the aluminum. It seems as though that would not only look better, but would be less drag.

[@LoneWolfPrecisionLLC]

Next time when you use a brush don't use it like a brush but push the bristles down into the cloth, basically dabbing it. Also you should do 1 layer at a time instead of multiple layers. Anyway good job!

[@wallywally8282]

I would have used a solid block of balsa wood, carve and sand to shape.

[@scottmiller4711]

Does fiberglass stick to bare aluminum?

[@DrT_MD]

It will if the surface is prepped. I’ve had errant drops of resin fall outside the area prepped with tape, and they pop right off with gentle pressure after they’re fully cured.

[@rocroc]

Anyone who watches those TV ads featuring spray foam can get the impression it is easy to use. Not so, it is a pain in the neck. Hard to cut, difficult to shape and a pain to sand cleanly off a surface.

[@KitplaneEnthusiast]

I second that!!

[@danielbasovitch5087]

Mark, can't you just sand down thru the 4th layer and make it but up perfectly to the fin??

[@LoneWolfPrecisionLLC]

The layers are incredibly thin. We are talking thousandths. You risk sanding it too thin or sanding through it

[@seemoore9117]

You should have used what you laid up as a mold for the real piece. Coat the inside with car wax and lay it up in 2 layers. Then pop it loose. Then the finished piece is the size of your bondo mold.

[@jeromejanci8318]

i would have carved a pc of Delrin and glued it in with epoxy

[@seemoore9117]

Also, a small piece like this, save yourself the trouble and just pick up a few pounds of modeling clay at Hobby Lobby.

[@KitplaneEnthusiast]

I used clay when I made the fairings for the wheel pants on my RANS S-6S. It is a lot easier to use especially for these small parts. The problem is that it is a certain type of clay that needs to be used, and I can't find it anywhere. Do you have a good source for it?

[@jerrylittle7797]

You could use it as a female mold to lay up a new part.

[@theresacaron4238]

Enjoyed the video, surprised that Zenith does not supply those types of fairings with the kit. You really need to work on less annoying musical selections.