Kitfox 4 rebuild

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Posted

Sounds like moisture in your blasting pot.  Dryer not working well?

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Posted

Definatly had moisture in the pot first thing in the morning.  It wouldn't work at all.  Had to suck the sand out with a shop vac, and spread it out on the tarp and let it dry.  I don't have a dryer, wasn't aware of them.  What are they?  Thanks,  Jim

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Posted

The best dryer I have found is a air to air intecooler (any radiator that can handle the flow and pressure )between the compressor and the pot.The air has to get cool enough to drop he moisture before it gets to the pot,also put the pot in the airflow of the cooling outlet of your compressor if possible,keeping it warm will minimise internal condensation.Any pot that has a full pressure drop on shutdown is prone to moisture buildup,unfortunately the alternatives are hard to justify in a non commercial situation.When you do a media recovery add around 25-30% new material,this will give a more predictable flow and blast profile.

apologies for the late reply but I trust this information may make any future blasting  a little easier

cheers 

Dusty

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Posted

For a shop installation, some use refrigerated air dryers.  A cheapo is available from HF https://www.harborfreight.com/compressed-air-dryer-40211.html  Still, $400 and only worth it if you do a lot of blasting and painting.  Garage Journal has a number of compressor/ dryer threads with some decent homebrew solutions.

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Posted

Thanks for the info guys.  JImChuk

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Posted

Thanks for the info guys.  JImChuk

Jim,  Wait until wife is gone - get big turkey roasting pan and any other large pots to put sand in - put it on the stove and cook.  ;<)  EDMO

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Posted

Wife don't drive because of health issues.  Think of something else Ed. Wow, did this cold knock me for a loop.  Didn't do anything on the plane today.  JImChuk

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Posted (edited)

Wife don't drive because of health issues.  Think of something else Ed. Wow, did this cold knock me for a loop.  Didn't do anything on the plane today.  JImChuk

Bar-b-que grill or pit?  I got my port put in yesterday in right chest - Got a flu shot in left arm today - so I am sore on both sides!  Start Chemo on 18th.  I get Chemo 3 days in a row, and then an 18 day break before doing it again - So there may be days I don't feel like being on here - just have to wait and see.  EDMO

Edited by EDMO

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Posted

Take it slow and steady Ed . . . 

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Posted

Well I forced myself out side today, still felt lousy from my cold.  Figured out what was wrong on the sandblaster, it has an air valve that supplies air under the hopper while air also comes out with the sand from the hopper.  The valve was mostly closed.  Don't know how I didn't see that....   Blasted some more, at least enough to  get a real sore back.   Getting close to painting though and wanted to get some opinions on that.  I was planning to use this PPG Omni 172 epoxy I got from a friend.  Was wondering if I should use an acid etching primer first or what?  Any ideas from some that have done this before?  I can't remember what I did on my Avid.  Of for that matter was it the right thing to do then.  JImChuk

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Posted

Jim, sorry for the hijack...

@ Ed - ask your MO for some Emla anesthetic cream. Made a world of difference for my wife, I would slather it on her port then tape Saran Wrap over it just before we headed to the infusion center. 

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Posted

Jim, it's always a good idea to start with etching primer if going directly to bare metal. 

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Posted

Thanks again for the suggestions guys.  Worked a bit more on it today, the head cold is letting up and my back wasn't hurting as much either so I was able to make myself somewhat useful.  Hopefully I'll paint tomorrow sometime.  I still have a few missed areas, but I'll get them with a wire wheel on the 4" grinder.  Added a couple more tubes for the fuselage widening, they act as a bit of a brace, and also give me a place to end the side fabric.  It will come down the back side of the door and follow the brace at the bottom, back of the door to the longeron.  Then a scrap piece of fabric can go under the door.  2 yards of fabric saved just like that, and the brace is good to hold the tubes around the door in place.  Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.  JImChuk

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Posted

Well, I fired up the spray gun and shot some paint.  Should be safe from rust now!  And Larry (Av8r3400) if I ever start talking about sandblasting and painting another fuselage, drive up here and kick me in the rear.  I'll buy your fuel.  I should have hauled the fuselage and parts down to the place you used for sandblasting and powder coating on your Mangy Fox.  I would have spent less time driving than I did in sandblasting and painting.  I still have the controls, struts, and tailfeathers to do.  Anyway, I can always say "I did it my way".  (add music, and I think I could have a song :-)   One concern about the powder coating route, when I was almost done with my Avid Flyer fuselage, I found a rusted through tube near the back on one longeron.  Had to splice in a foot of tube to fix it.   Never noticed it till the tube was clean.  If I had it done somewhere's else, and they found a tube that was bad, that would complicate things for sure especially if the parts were 300 miles away.  Or maybe they didn't notice it and just powder coated it.  Didn't have any bad tubes on the Kitfox though, so it wouldn't have been an issue, at least not on the fuselage.   Maybe Larry, if you read this, you can send me the name, and number of that place you used.  JImChuk

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Posted

Thanks for the link Larry.  Just looking at their website, and noticed on the powder coating page, they say their oven is 28" wide, 70" tall, and they can paint parts up to 24' long.  How did they fit the fox in there?   They are 330 miles from me.  JImChuk

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Posted

They have done stock car chassis for guys I know.  They must have a bigger oven. 

Steve Kopp was my contact there. 

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Posted

Well this thread has been dormant for a long time, about time I updated it.  Finally started to put some clothes on this baby.  At this point, maybe we would just say underpants..... :lmao:Hopefully I can do the sides and top tomorrow afternoon/evening.  The wings have been done for almost 2 years, so the plan is to get the rest of this ready to spray and paint it out.  Then as long as I have the spray booth set up, I'll spray out the Kitfox 3 I picked up a week ago.  It's a plan anyway, we'll see how much life gets in the way of that.  Weather starts to cool around here in late September, so that's a bit of a deadline for my painting.  JImChuk

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Posted

Either I'm getting slower, or I'm expecting to much from myself.  Hoped to get the rest of the fabric on yesterday, but ended up working all day today to finish the fuselage fabric.  Still have the tailfeathers to do, but progress is being made!   Babys got new clothes..... even though some of it needs to be ironed to take the wrinkles out.   Course then the real  tedious part starts, the finish tapes.  JImChuk

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Posted

Well another progress report.  It's pretty in pink!  Brushed on the poly brush, and started to put finish tapes on.  Also got a box with something to hang on the nose.  It is used, and has a bit of an ignition problem, but I think I can work through that.  Price was right.... Pics were taken today.  Maybe by the middle of the week, I'll be spraying it.  JImChuk

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Posted

Moving right along there. Is this gonna be a keeper or a seller? Hey whats with the notch in the Vertical is that some type of gap seal?

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Posted

The hinges for the Kitfox 4 and later rudder are heim joint bearings.  That spaces the rudder about 1 1/2" back of the verticle stabilizer.  I used high density foam to fill that gap.  You have to leave room for the bearings though, and the bolt that goes through them.  That's what the notch is for.  I think I will be keeping this one for a while.  Maybe I will sell the Avid MK IV with the Jabiru once I start flying this one.  JImChuk

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Posted

A bit more progress.  Not working 8 hr days or anything, but it seems to take me a long time these days.  At any rate, tapes are all on the fuselage.  Moved it back to the other hangar, and started the tailfeathers this evening.  Get them finished and then I will set up the spray booth.  JImChuk

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Posted

Super progress Jim! I predict once you go 4-stroke you will not go back. The KF4 w/ 912 will feel a bit heavier on the controls, but in almost all aspects will be h-u-g-e improvement over your Javid.

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Posted

Now That's Progress!  Looks Great!  Your Hired.... How much to come to PA?  HaHa  Keep up the Great work and posts.....Great pics to review when I start some covering in next few months hopefully!  :BC: Randy 

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