Oratex is like Yoga Pants

[BDA]

I learned something else that I should have known.

Although the fabric is very tough under normal circumstances, when it gets warm - it is fragile.

I had to match drill holes in the fence on the horizontal stab - almost forgot - so I had fabric on one side already. When I was drilling, the chuck was touching the fabric, but very little presure. The friction from the chuck melted a hole in the new fabric in less than 3 seconds. &!@$!/?($!!!

Fortunatly the hole was close enough to the edge that I was able to patch from the back side and cover it with tape.

Another lesson -
When patching Oratex 6000 you have to use an Oratex 6000 patch.

If you patch a hole with just the tape (600), the heavier fabric will stretch the thinner tape as it pulls the edges of the hole apart just enough that it is visible through the tape patch.

The tape can be used over the patch, if it is on the backside or the frontside.

[BDA]

More lessons learned -

When you have a hole to patch in the fabric, the manual says to melt the edges of the hole with soldering iron to seal the hole so it wont grow.

BUT
When you melt the fabric you get a hard plastic edge that sticks out like the Sierra Nevadas around the Grand Canyon when you stretch that super thin yoga pants material over it. The more you melt it the bigger it gets.

SO
If you do not melt it, its not hard to iron flat to the patch and hide it under tape.
Just sayin...

If you do melt the edge - do as little as possible AND then iron flat on hard surface imediately to keep it smooth.

Otherwise you will end up with a ragetty edged lump in your yoga pants - nobody wants to see that.

[Clark in AZ]

LOL! Nope don't want to see the lump in the pants. Thanks for posting, getting ready to do my SuperSTOL with Oratex and have read your thread with great interest.

Thanks again,
Clark

[BDA]

Your welcome Clark, hope it goes well for you.

And for GODS SAKE DO THE INTERIOR FIRST!

[BDA]

So we were getting kind of excited about painting some stripes on this thing, and my daughter had some good ideas, so I gave her several different kinds of tape to do a mock-up. The blue, green, and plain masking tape all came off and cleaned up.

But not the electrical tape.

The tape came back off - but it left an adhesive stripe behind that wont come off.

I have tried alcohol and acetone but no luck.

Next is MEK and a toothbrush I guess.

Dont put electrical tape on Oratex!!

[Tralika]

Try 3M Adhesive Remover. I've used it for years, it works great. It has never hurt any surface I put it on however I wouldn't use it on anything porous like upholstery . It comes in spray cans as well but I've never tried it.

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/MMM08984

[BDA]

Thanks John!!
Will try that

I thought I should post some pics of something that went well for a change.

Here is the rib stitching on the horizontal stabs, with tape.

I am happy with that.

I used round, unwaxed lacing cord.

As said before, i only post the bad stuff here to be of help to others. All in, I am very pleased with the fabric.

[kenryan]

I just used black Oratex for my stripes. Came out pretty good I think.

strip.jpg

[Clark in AZ]

Looks great! Did you use regular black Oratex for the stripes or the peel and stick? What temps did you use to do the stripes?

Also, any detail pics on your cargo door, specifically latches, weather strip, stiffeners?

Thanks,
Clark

[kenryan]

I used Oratex finishing tape, 6 inch wide cut diagonally lengthwise. Temps are critical. Too much heat and the tape will shrink, pulling away and losing the clean lines, showing glue. Use enough heat to set the glue, but not so much as to shrink the fabric. Don't expect perfection. Don't have any pics handy on the baggage door. I just made a frame out of square aluminum tubing (like the doors are meade) and epoxied it to the steel fuselage. Latches are just ordinary quarter turn fasteners.

[Clark in AZ]

Thanks! I have my door done and temporarily attached. I am trying to figure out how to latch it. I've thought about the cam locks but haven't committed yet. Also, did you do anything for weather stripping?

Clark

[kenryan]

Just peel and stick. (Sorry Shawn, didn't mean to hijack your excellent thread.)

bdoor2.jpg

bdoor1.jpg

[Clark in AZ]

Perfect! Thanks! I'm also sorry about the hijack.

Clark

[BDA]

No worries

We should have a thread with everyones bagage door pics too!

I sure could have used some help when I did mine.

Ken do you want to start it with your pics?

I will add mine

[kenryan]

Done.