Jump to content

Fog in the cockpit


p51rick

Recommended Posts

Perhaps some of you have been here before. After uncounted hours of eye straining labor you get that project through the paint shop only to find that when the mask is

 

pulled off of the canopy, there is a haze at places on the inside. It's not the end of the world if the canopy can be removed and cleaned, and then reinstalled. My problem

 

is that this is not possible on my current build (High Planes "Precious Metal") where the teardrop canopy has been blended into the airframe with 5-minute epoxy and jet

 

glue. After removing the Bare Metal Foil I'm left with what can best be desribed as patches of white inside the canopy which resembles fog. I think it is a nearly

 

microscopic dust which statically attached to the canopy either when the BMF is being burnished onto the canopy or when it is removed.

 

So the question is, how to get rid of it when I absolutely cannot remove the canopy? Is there a way to get rid of the static charge which is holding the dust there?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am not a expert but this happend to me and I ran a magnet over it and the stuff fell off if this don't work you can always play it out like you ment to do it that's what I always do good luck .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have always used a 50/50 mix of 91% Isopropyl alcohol and distilled water before I paint. This removes the static charge and cleans it at the same time. I am not sure if you will have any luck on the back side of the canopy but it would be worth a try. You can get 91% alcohol at any major pharmacy and distilled water in the water aisle at your favorite grocery store(check the label to see that is says distilled). It is also a great cleaner for bare plastic. A cotton cloth is best. Synthetics(microfiber) tend to build the charge unless they are wet, but using cotton eliminates any issues with that.

 

If you want to see static charge at work, get an old plastic piece and rub it with a dry microfiber cloth and then load up your paint brush and move it close to the plastic. You will see the paint jump off of your brush without ever touching the surface when you get close. It is a very weird thing to see!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the stuff attaches itself to the inside of the canopy during the sanding and polishing to blend the canopy before masking. I am plagued by this as well. Does coating the inside of the canopy with Future before attachment help prevent this? Nick Filippone

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If your fogging is due to using superglue, then you may be screwed. This occurs when the fumes are trapped inside the canopy when you glue it on, and frosts the inside surface. The only remedy for this is to remove the canopy and get another, unless you're willing to do major polishing inside it once you pry it off.

 

If it's simply small particles clinging to the inside of the canopy, and you don't have a way to "discharge" the static cling, you might try finding some small opening near the cockpit, turn your airbrush on as high a pressure as you dare,and try forcing air through the cockpit in an effort to dislodge the particles. If needed, you could even drill a small hole to do this, which could then be filled, sanded, and repainted after solving the cling problem.

 

Best of luck!

 

GIL :smiley16:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If your fogging is due to using superglue, then you may be screwed. This occurs when the fumes are trapped inside the canopy when you glue it on, and frosts the inside surface. The only remedy for this is to remove the canopy and get another, unless you're willing to do major polishing inside it once you pry it off.

 

If it's simply small particles clinging to the inside of the canopy, and you don't have a way to "discharge" the static cling, you might try finding some small opening near the cockpit, turn your airbrush on as high a pressure as you dare,and try forcing air through the cockpit in an effort to dislodge the particles. If needed, you could even drill a small hole to do this, which could then be filled, sanded, and repainted after solving the cling problem.

 

Best of luck!

 

GIL :smiley16:

Gil-

That sounds like a good idea. Perhaps a different way to do it would be to drop by your friendly Fry's/Costco or any other major seller of computers and pick up a can of canned air. They generally come with a small plastic tube like WD-40 comes with. You should be able to feed that into a small opening and blow the canopy out.

 

I know that horse has left the barn, but there are a few glues out there that are designed to not fog clear plastic and getting one of them would prevent this in the future.

 

My #1 non-fogging glue is Poly-Zap super glue by Zap. It has a silver and blue label and is made for gluing the R/C guys Lexan bodies together. It will not fog as long as you don't use an accelerant on it. It is my number one adhesive because I can glue stuff on and not have to worry about it fogging paint or clear plastic.

 

My #2 choice is by Pacer(I know, same company as Zap) and it is Pacer "Formula 560 canopy glue". Again a R/C product for gluing canopies on R/C aircraft. It is a white glue that is very strong and flexible. It doesn't set as quick as super glues but it gets tacky very quickly. It is great for attaching things to clear plastic like rear view mirrors on cars. It is strong, flexible, cleans up with water and dries absolutely clear and will not fog under any circumstances that I can think of.

 

# 3 is Microscale Kristal Klear. Very similar to Formula 560 but it is a lot slower to dry, not as strong a bond and doesn't get tacky nearly as quickly. However it dilutes in water better and makes a really good decal adhesive in the dilute form.

 

The first two require you to stray into the R/C section of your hobby shop. You won't find these in any pure plastic shop, but they are pretty much widely available in R/C shops.

 

Sorry if I got off topic a little bit but it seemed appropriate. ;-)

Edited by PeteJ
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I appreciate all of the responses and suggestions. I always dip my canopies in Future a few days before attachment; this trick has never failed me when it comes to protection from CA fumes. I can dislodge some of it by tapping on the canopy but the rest is still there. I'm still trying to figure out a way to create a static charge to try to move the junk little by little until it is not on the glass. Perhaps I need to be proactive and try Pete's anti-static wash before attachment.

 

Happy Landings,

 

Rick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I appreciate all of the responses and suggestions. I always dip my canopies in Future a few days before attachment; this trick has never failed me when it comes to protection from CA fumes. I can dislodge some of it by tapping on the canopy but the rest is still there. I'm still trying to figure out a way to create a static charge to try to move the junk little by little until it is not on the glass. Perhaps I need to be proactive and try Pete's anti-static wash before attachment.

 

Happy Landings,

 

Rick

Rick, not if you are dipping the canopy in Future. The 50/50 mixture will strip the Future in a heartbeat!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rick - When I worked at Sony we used to have Antistatic "guns" or Deionizing "Guns" that we used on complex prototype Circuit Boards. I did a little web search and found several, but they were commercial grade and expensive [ around $600-800]. But I am sure that there are Hobbyist versions available much cheaper. Check in your local phone book for "electronic equipment suppliers" and you may find cheaper unit or track down on the Internet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rick - I had a little time to do a more detailed search for Antistatic Gun. If you put in Zerostat on your search engine you will find the Zerostat 3 Antistatic Gun. This is a manual device that creates a antistatic field with Piezoelectric crystals. Price is $97 [ a lot better than $600 to $800 mentioned above], this can be used on all your canopies or entire model before painting to help remove dust particles. There may be even cheaper ones out there, but ran out of time to search.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

My 2 cents

I do Use the Zerostat Gun ( Used to use it when Playing Albums ..Now coming back). I use this gun after I rub down paint and when I have discovered Dust particles inside the canopy windows...90% effective

Cheers

Bill

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...