Lazair.com

ok i just got a new lazair. the old covering has been taken off and now that is left is the glue. I was just wondering what can i use to get the glue off.

I just finished cleaning one wing of mine, i have been down the acetone and mek trip before and don't like it one bit. when i came back to Sydney i got a job with a company that deals with steam cleaning devices for kitchens ect. when i started cleaning the latest wing i started peeling off the tape and meking the glue. i looked at my company van that is done up in gumbusters logo that uses steam to remove chewing gum. so it turns out that i had a safe healthier alternate to the mek thing. the machine i used can run at 8 bar 170 d C, overkill for the job at hand a small 2 bar will be good enough. a water or chem injection into the steam is handy but not essential. play the steam on the tape end and when it is warm it should start to peel away once you have a few inches peeled back play the steam were it is lifting off and it will come straight off with a bit of pactise you can get most of the gum to come off with the tape. when you have the tape off. to remove the left over glue i used citrasolve and a scotchbrite i gave the bit a good scrub with a small nylon brush attachment on the steam nozzel to warm it up soaked the scourer in citra and scrubed away came off pretty easy and cleaned up with steam and rag. WARNING DO NOT loiter in one small area keep moving and come back to the area Ali heats up quick and thin leading edges can distort. if your unit has a regulater turn it way down and slowly increase until it cleans. other benifits for your Lazair steam cleans with the detail nozzells and brushes it will remove all the dirt and grit from around tthe rivet heads and that black from raw ali wheels engines seat fabric worked on the old wing i have, still covered in tedlar i wrapped a small floor brush in a towel and went over the wing it removed the dirt and bird poo and tightend the wrinkles. dont go near the tape. i found that overall it was faster and needed less polishing in the end. tip if you decide to by one duration of the boiler should be a minimum of 1 hr and at least 3 to 4 bar that way it will be more usefull any thing less is a toy and ends up in a draw. if the wife gets hold of it say goodbye to it. for more info look at our site www.steamaustralia.com.au or the amerivap site that has a video. when i do the next wing i'll do a little video and post it. OZZIE

Ozzie,

What a great idea! I, too, DO NOT like using the nasty chemicals to get the glue off, and of course you have to be super careful not to get them on the foam ribs or they can be easily damaged.

In the past, I would soften the glue with a mixture of lacquer thinner, aceton and mek. 3M, and probably other companies, sell adhesive remover products that should work better, I would hope. After getting the glue soft, I used a small plastic ruler (sold at the local school supply store) to push the glue up into balls that are easier to get off. It takes a handfull of them to do the whole job, as they work best with a sharp edge on them. I think I will make a trip down to the auto body and paint supply guys to check out what they have next time I have to do a recover job. Also I will try your idea, that's for sure!

There is a product they sell here now called Xenit. It's also a citrus based cleaner that's good for removing adhesives. You should try it if you can find it. It's made by Stoner. It WILL attack some plastics, so you have to test it first (ask me how I know).

Once you get all that glue crap off, covering isn't bad. In fact, the last cover job I did, I did by myself. It came out better than when I had helpers. I put the wings in stands that hold the wings verticle, and high enough so I can just reach the top (trailing edge). I apply all the inside tape, then hang the covering over the wing. I attach the trailing edge first, then one at a time, pull the paper off part way down each rib's tape, and tap the covering onto the glue as I go. Just keep the panels as flat as you can. I thought I would screw it up, but it worked out well!

Chappy

dear guest, what do you plan to recover your lazair with?

no idea i cant find anything on these planes. Do you Know where i can look on the internet for anything. If so what should i cover it with??

Hi Guest. how about a name. Tedlar, the original covering is next to impossible to find, plenty of people looking. the first models were covered with Mylar that still can be found it is used on solar panals and with fiberglassing. most owners cover with stits or other fabric. go thru the files sections on all the lazair sites for details ect. a product called aerolam is another alternative. plenty of manuals and assembly updates on files just browse away. plus plenty of info from the good people right here.. ozzie