[khelsea]

I had to replace a panel of solartex on my beaver using buytrate clear w/ talcum to fill the weave and it''''s not sticking to it. Tightens up and lets loose of the surface. HELP!!!!!
Khelsea

[DO335]

Originally Posted by khelsea

I had to replace a panel of solartex on my beaver using buytrate clear w/ talcum to fill the weave and it''''s not sticking to it. Tightens up and lets loose of the surface. HELP!!!!!
Khelsea

Hard to say exactly what's going on.

I've been a "doper" for about 50 years. The only time I've had a no-stick issue is when the stuff I'm doping has some sort of contamination.

It just so happens that lacquer thinner works about the same as dope thinner and that will strip any crap off your surface.

You will also find that nitrate dope goes on easier than butyrate dope for the fill coats, costs less, dries much faster, shrinks your fabric and gives a great prep with no brush marks when it dries, if you happen to be brushing.

With nitrate, you must remember that it is not fuel proof with glow fuels and you cannot put it on top of butyrate, which is fuel proof to glow fuels.

It's also a good idea to finish off with a butyrate clear coat once everything, including trim and any vinyl stripes or whaterver trim you use, is done. Just go easy on the initial clear coats so you don't melt anything like vinyl. The final clear coat will seal all the edges of the trim.

Another possibility to check is that there may be some contamination in your dope or your delivery system if you are using a sprayer - the sprayer, the hoses, the compressor, the compressor tank or in your paint bucket or on your brush if you are brushing.

[khelsea]

Is it possible to clean solartex w/lacquer thinner prior to spraying buytrate w/ buytrate thinner or will the lacquer thinner leave a residue that won't be compatible w/ the buytrate? Could it be that the infrared heat system I have is flashing off the surface too fast. Maybe I should start again w/nitrate to fill the weave and then buytrate for color, the rest of the beav is fine. Khelsea

[Dzlstunter]

Just a thought, khelsea: the word "clean" jumped out from your last response. Assuming the plane has been flown, the surfaces may very well have accumulated some stuff in the weave of the solartex which is rejecting your finishing coats. Acetone, or maybe some Prepsol or some other finishing treatment might help. But it MUST be clean if you are going to finish coat it. Good luck, Dzl

[khelsea]

Thanks DZ but this is new solartexand the plane is new build. My dope came in today and I'll shoot dope primer first, 2 lite coats w/ 20 minutes between and let it sit till tommorow. I'm going to move it out from underneath the infrared heat when I spray and still haven't decide what I'm going to clean it with... shouldn't have too, it's new, clean dust off with damp cloth and go for it. I'm not going to go with MEK cause we have 30% humidity today. It's white solartex so I beleive it's a dyed material and not painted right? Wish me luck and thanks for everbodys help. Khelsea

[Marcel B.]

One of the best de-greasers is Methyl Hydrate. I have never tried this on a plane, only for prepping aluminum for TIG welding, so...
Acetone will leave a residue, is toxic and stinks like heck. Not to mention all the stuff it dissolves.

If you try it, remember meths burns with an invisible flame, so be careful!