X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Sender: To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 08:00:52 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from mail-pv0-f180.google.com ([74.125.83.180] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.3.6) with ESMTP id 4242140 for lml@lancaironline.net; Thu, 29 Apr 2010 20:57:50 -0400 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=74.125.83.180; envelope-from=bobatbmackey@gmail.com Received: by pvf33 with SMTP id 33so84553pvf.25 for ; Thu, 29 Apr 2010 17:57:04 -0700 (PDT) DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=mime-version:sender:date:x-google-sender-auth:message-id:subject :from:to:content-type:content-transfer-encoding; b=VJiG1cTGCGlWboOZfK60CBD+2mQWzooe+5RVPSraJ4Lrv/d6HmOI0thkq5AUJxyoAK yIf7OcnaSxtR3sbrhi/XEGSdMc5YO/kYiIzOyhI0vjFVAGekV6AQC7+H6gt8Qrr7Bg5f OzH7LMGFDDhx2YgP3LRbptokudaEEGsxJTqNU= MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.142.9.17 with SMTP id 17mr2779729wfi.325.1272589023189; Thu, 29 Apr 2010 17:57:03 -0700 (PDT) X-Original-Sender: bobatbmackey@gmail.com Received: by 10.142.154.10 with HTTP; Thu, 29 Apr 2010 17:57:03 -0700 (PDT) X-Original-Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2010 17:57:03 -0700 X-Google-Sender-Auth: 2c4ed086833a8f58 X-Original-Message-ID: Subject: [LML] Cabin Door Window-IV-P From: bob mackey X-Original-To: lml@lancaironline.net Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable > Two weeks ago, I discovered what appeared to be about a 1=94 =93crystalli= zation=94 > just visible by looking through the Plexiglas at an angle within the carb= on fiber > =93sandwich=94 holding the door window in my Lancair IV-P. Robert: sorry to hear that you will have to cut up your door. That's a lot of work, but better than suddenly opening the window in the flight levels. Two things come to mind as possible triggers for a crack in Plexiglas. The first is a scratch or dent at the edge of the Plexiglas that can act as a stress concentration. Before installation, the edge of the window should be as smooth as reasonably possible. Any saw marks should be sanded out. Any small cracks at the edge should be completely removed by sanding away that area. The second is solvent exposure. Do not use acetone, ethyl acetate, toluene, or lacquer thinner at any time in the immediate vicinity of the Plexiglas. Weeks, months or even years later, crazing can develop in the areas that were exposed. I haven't looked up all the possible materials that are incompatible with Plexiglas, but I would also suspect MEK. Aircraft paints are likely to contain these or similar solvents, so be sure to keep the paint solvents apart from the window. Mask carefully, and remove the masking as soon as possible after the paint tacks up. -bob