by Chappy » Mon Apr 05, 2004 10:36 pm
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