The build has begun

[bbs428]

Glad you got your kit Mike. Now the fun starts.

Soon you'll be making airplane noises!!

[Kahle76]

Enjoy the build. This forum is a huge source of information.

[MOFlyer]

My epoxy beads don't look anything like the ones performed at the factory. I can work on my form but my question is, are these beads "thick" enough for the ribs on the horizontal?

[TahoeTim]

I put two strips of painters tape around the tube at the distance i wanted. Add glue with a popsicle stick and then smooth with a finger. When you pull the tape it leaves a nice line.

your pics:
Be sure to scuff up the powder coat. Also, check your mix ratios. Your glue looks pretty dark to me. I weigh mine on a scale.

[jiott]

Yes smooth it with a finger. It will give a nice radiused fillet (on both sides of the rib).

Weighing the glue mix is fine but not necessary. I used my wife's old measuring spoons to get good accurate 50/50 volumes.

[Esser]

Wear a latex glove and dip your finger in methyl hydrate. it will leave a nice smooth fillet without sticking to your finger. The methyl hydrate is great for cleaning up wayward epoxy and other things after.

[Jfquebec]

For me...it's simple...i spit some saliva on my finger and smooth the fillet...like the silicone around the bath...work really well..

[MOFlyer]

Thanks all. The picture doesn't show it well but the powder coat is rough to the touch where the ribs are applied. I used the 50ml applicator with a 7 inch mix stick so the mix should be right. However, it doesn't appear that the applicator is doing me any favors. It's $20 per 50ml and it doesn't seem that it will last as long as I originally thought so it looks like I'll be getting a finger wet I also discovered that the epoxy acts as a lubricate when first applied. I had the ribs secure, or so I thought, so I just applied to one side of the rib and will go back tonight and apply epoxy to the other side.

[TahoeTim]

I use my gunpowder scale to weigh my goop

[jrevens]

Thanks all. The picture doesn't show it well but the powder coat is rough to the touch where the ribs are applied. I used the 50ml applicator with a 7 inch mix stick so the mix should be right. However, it doesn't appear that the applicator is doing me any favors. It's $20 per 50ml and it doesn't seem that it will last as long as I originally thought so it looks like I'll be getting a finger wet I also discovered that the epoxy acts as a lubricate when first applied. I had the ribs secure, or so I thought, so I just applied to one side of the rib and will go back tonight and apply epoxy to the other side.

The 50 ml tubes can be very handy, but you pay for it. You can get a little better price than that from R. S. Hughes online (or save shipping costs if you have one of their locations in your area). The same with the mixing nozzles... they can be very useful, but everytime you use one you have to leave a quantity of unused epoxy in the nozzle that you throw away. But the tubes can also be handy for just squeezing out a small quantity of the proper mix in a dixie cup or on a piece of paper or cardboard, to then mix with a stick & use. A gloved finger, wetted with alcohol also works well for smoothing or cleaning up edges. It evaporates away faster than water & doesn't seem to affect anything adversly. I hate the taste of epoxy.
I've found that the Hysol seems to sometimes vary in consistency and mixed color from can to can or tube to tube. I'm not nearly as impressed with it's quality and properties as I am with the 3M 2216 structural epoxy that I've been familiar with in the past and that Kitfox used to use. It is less expensive though.