What’s this blue stuff?? February 23rd, 2006
Most of the aluminum parts come with a blue plastic covering. Van’s recommends removing it as soon as possible. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to leave it on until I finish each piece, as it will help protect the aluminum pieces from getting scratched as I move them around.
I still needed to remove enough material to deburr, drill holes, etc. I used the old soldering iron trick. I used my Scotch-brite wheel to polish the tip of the iron into a nice blunt point, and ran it along a metal straight-edge to ‘score’ the plastic. I then used the same straight-edge as a guide to tear the unwanted plastic off.
Note that the iron is never actually going all the way through the plastic. It it just making it thin enough to where it’s easy to rip. This ensures the aluminum doesn’t get scratched if the iron isn’t perfectly smooth.
