Still making good progress on the wiring. Picked up my powder coated interior pieces and took my panel and collective control to Air Capital Dial for silk screening, these guys are great for silk screening and EL panels. (cheap plug for them because a buddy owns the company)
I started riveting the exterior sheet metal today and after about 3 rivets the paint started popping off in big chunks. I stopped at that point to try to figure out what I had done wrong. I went to the paint store on Monday with the piece among things we checked was the paint thickness and uniformity, both were perfect. This is not my first painting project.
The best we could figure out was that the flexing and pounding was more than the paint could stand. The part was the eyebrows and they probably could have used a little more time on the English Wheel so that I did not have to flex them so much for riveting.
I have gone back to my original plan of making it safe and getting it in the air. I have decided to powder coat the exterior also. The downside is that the rivets will not be painted. Pretty tacky and no OshKosh trophies but it will be OK.
The upside is that it will probably save me a week or more because I don't have to construct a paint booth, or haul it to one.
Heading to Washington DC for a week to hobnob with the potentates. Back to work next weekend. Will probably finish the wiring and start on the engine.
