This afternoon I was able to get some time in the garage, thanks to visiting grandparents. I cleaned, etched and primed all of the elevator parts. I’m not planning to prime the skins, since I’m trying to save weight in the extreme aft part of the aircraft. The arm is so long at this point on the aircraft, any increase in weight has a disproportionately large impact on the center of gravity, bringing it further aft. Weight aside, priming the skins isn’t really essential. Every mating surface will still have at least one layer of primer, helping prevent any possible corrosion.
I started by using Stuart Systems EkoClean to clean all of the parts. The ribs were the most time consuming, with multiple flanges and other nooks and crannies. Then I etched all of the parts using Stuart Systems EkoEtch. I sprayed the larger parts with the hose to make sure the residue was removed, then set them out to dry. After dinner, the parts were mostly dry. I air blasted them to make sure the holes were clear of water, and then I mixed up the EkoPoxy primer and got started. I mixed up 200 grams of part A, which turned out to be more than I needed. I’ve gotten much more comfortable with my spray gun now, and was happy with the outcome. A fairly consistent light coating everywhere, with a few spots of slightly heavier coating. The white color is hard to see when being applied, so it’s hard to judge how evenly the coats are going on. I did two coats on everything, and focused on the surfaces that will mate with other parts.
