Building Tips and technical articles. => Building techniques => Topic started by: frank carlisle on June 11, 2006, 06:40:10 AM
Title: Fillet Blister Prevention-can it be done?
Post by: frank carlisle on June 11, 2006, 06:40:10 AM
Is there any way to prevent those pesky blisters from forming in the fillets?
I just cut a slit through one on my new Victory and am about to start the repair. As I was cutting I kept thinking that this is something that ought not happen. I've seen a lot of posts about fixing them but nothing about preventing them. DOES THIS MEAN BLISTERS CAN'T BE PREVENTED?
I used SIG silkspan to cover the plane and butyraterate dope to seal the wood and stick the tissue down. 1/2 hour epoxy and micro balloons make the fillets. Rattle can "dupli-color" primer. Brodak dope the rest of the way to the top.
Where did I go wrong? Just look at this picture...........If I wasn't bald already I'd be ripping out my hair!!
Title: Re: Fillet Blister Prevention-can it be done?
Post by: RC Storick on June 11, 2006, 09:24:31 AM
Yes you can achieve a finish with no blisters. I use epoxolite and micro balloons. You must use primer at least on the fillets. Do not I repeat DO NOT spray directly on the fillet.
The reason that blisters happen is that the first coat is gassing off and the top coat is already dry. The fillets are so hard that no air can escape downward so it gasses up through the top coat. So just dust paint on fillets and let dry throughly between coats.
Title: Re: Fillet Blister Prevention-can it be done?
Post by: Bob Reeves on June 11, 2006, 11:18:58 AM
I use epoxolite and/or aeropoxy and have never had a fillet bubble. Sand the fillets after they have had a day or so to cure, clean with prepsol to remove any left over resin or junk, use a brush to applyn one coat of Brodak primer and let dry for at least a day. Sand the primer and they are ready to paint. Follow Roberts advice from here and you should never have another fillet problem.
Title: Re: Fillet Blister Prevention-can it be done?
Post by: RandySmith on June 11, 2006, 09:05:45 PM
Frank
Most all of these are caused by too much dope, if you measure with a mic the thickness, most will find it at least 2 to 3 times thicker than the rest of th e finish. when you paint the planes you don't need to spray the fillet area...it will get more dope than the rest of the plane from just the overspray hitting the corners of the fillets and piling there. The reason they pull up and blister is because the dope is thicker, and when it starts to dry it will start to shrink...when this happens it will pull loose from the surface, because a s Sparky has said, it drys slowest at the fillet underneath the surface of the dope
regards
Randy
Title: Re: Fillet Blister Prevention-can it be done?
Post by: frank carlisle on June 12, 2006, 05:20:05 AM
I'll certainly stay away from the fillets in the future. In the meantime my plane is popping up blisters almost as fast as I can fix them.
Title: Re: Fillet Blister Prevention-can it be done?
Post by: Bill Little on June 12, 2006, 08:56:39 AM
Title: Re: Fillet Blister Prevention-can it be done?
Post by: Eric Viglione on June 12, 2006, 07:36:39 PM
Since I like my pasta with olive oil & garlic **), the only way I can avoid fillet blisters when using dope finish is to buy a big box of surgical gloves and use them when handling the unfinished plane. j1 Never, never, ever lay a bare finger on the fillets once installed. As tempting as it is to fondle the woodwork, my skin doesn't touch the plane until after paint. I also give a quick swipe with the Sherwin Williams version of Prepsol to the fillets before shooting, and as said by others here, never shoot directly at the fillet area.
Since I've gone to the Klasskote epoxy paints this is no longer an issue though I still use the gloves just for habit's sake and to keep the chemicals off me when I'm painting.
EricV
Title: Re: Fillet Blister Prevention-can it be done?
Post by: Bill Little on June 12, 2006, 09:44:43 PM