Builder Tip #84 from HomebuiltHELP 
Why Powder Coat your steel parts?
Consider the options for protecting your aircraft's steel parts:
Every homebuilt aircraft has some parts that are made of steel and need protection from rust. The traditional solution has been to cover those parts with a suitable rust inhibiting primer and paint. Considering the number and complexity of those parts, this has always been a time consuming, messy process for many builders.

An alternative process is to have those steel parts professionally powder coated . This method for protecting steel parts from wear and corrosion is highly superior in many ways. The finish is thicker and more resistant than paint to chipping, scratching, fading and wear. While more expensive than the cost of paint, this process eliminates the builder's time in prepping and painting steel parts altogether. Finding a suitable powder coating service is closer than you think and a quote for the work is what you need to get started.

Watch this week's Tip to help you decide the best method for your project: paint or powder coat!

A collection of steel parts from a popular kit
Much tougher than paint!

Interested in learning about  solid riveting techniques for building aircraft like those made by Vans Aircraft and others?
Working with  "solid" rivets  (the ones that need a bucking bar to be held on the back side) can be intimidating if you are not familiar with the relevant tools and techniques. As compared to blind rivets which are relatively easy to work with, solid rivets need a little practice and some specialized tools.

Once the confidence in setting these rivets is acquired, the opportunity for building a  greater variety of fast, sleek aircraft becomes possible (For example, the majority of Vans aircraft models are predominantly built with solid rivets).

Our popular DVD: " RV Rudder Workshop" demonstrates and explains the basic techniques and tools for working with solid rivets. As an example of putting these skills to work, a rudder for the Vans RV7 is built in a step by step presentation. You cannot get a better preview and understanding of what it takes to build a Vans aircraft with this informative DVD.

Become enlightened today with the details of solid riveting by visiting the webpage below and ordering a copy of  RV Rudder Workshop!
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Attaching a Wing: only common tools needed
Skinning a Wing
Watch a previous Tip?
 Don't forget that past  Tip of the Week articles and videos are listed on the Archive Listing page on our website. You can check back there for future reference and review of these tips.You can also reach that page from a link on the top, right side of our home page. 

We have also released a  dual DVD set containing the first 35 Tips with updated comments and material for those who want to watch offline with the convenience of DVD chapter indexing.
HomebuiltHELP | PO Box 111 Brussels WI 54204 | email: [email protected]


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