Oratex is like Yoga Pants
- BDA
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- Location: Kenai Alaska
Re: Oratex is like Yoga Pants
Ken I agree
2 thin coats, did you have any brush marks show through fabric?
On the hard flat surfaces?
2 thin coats, did you have any brush marks show through fabric?
On the hard flat surfaces?
SuperStol XL Alaskan With Titan 340
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
- BucF16
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- Location: Alexandria, Ohio
Re: Oratex is like Yoga Pants
Have you talked to Lars about the issue?
My Oratex shows up Friday.
Thanks Bruce
My Oratex shows up Friday.
Thanks Bruce
Bruce Johnson Highlander # 393
"Because I fly, I envy no man on Earth"
Builder web site:
http://www.bruceshighlander.blogspot.com
"Because I fly, I envy no man on Earth"
Builder web site:
http://www.bruceshighlander.blogspot.com
- kenryan
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- Location: anchorage, ak
Re: Oratex is like Yoga Pants
Certainly nothing that bothers me. I am 100% happy with the way it looks.BDA wrote:Ken I agree
2 thin coats, did you have any brush marks show through fabric?
On the hard flat surfaces?
Super Stol Kit #299
- BDA
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- Location: Kenai Alaska
Re: Oratex is like Yoga Pants
Yes, I spoke with Lars, its 100% operator error, i was in a hurry and got a little too much on the door frame, and didnt notice it until I shrunk the fabric.
SuperStol XL Alaskan With Titan 340
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
- BucF16
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- Location: Alexandria, Ohio
Re: Oratex is like Yoga Pants
Roger That! Thanks for the updates
Bruce Johnson Highlander # 393
"Because I fly, I envy no man on Earth"
Builder web site:
http://www.bruceshighlander.blogspot.com
"Because I fly, I envy no man on Earth"
Builder web site:
http://www.bruceshighlander.blogspot.com
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Re: Oratex is like Yoga Pants
Bruce,BucF16 wrote:Have you talked to Lars about the issue?
My Oratex shows up Friday.
Thanks Bruce
Give me a holler when you are ready to start recovering. I will come over and give you a hand.
Max Rentz
Newark, Ohio
Newark, Ohio
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Re: Oratex is like Yoga Pants
I’ll have to pass this on to Chris Wallen.BDA wrote:I cannot stress enough not to use too much glue.
If you can see brush marks in the glue when dry, it is too much and will show through the fabric. Better to wash it off and do it again. It takes so little glue.
When joining a seam, make the glue at the overlap wider than the overlap fabric so that the edge has glue to stick to. The finish tape will hide it.
Before finish tape, run masking tape along the top piece of the overlap.so that a narrow glue line along the seam on the "lower" side will hide the seam under the finish tape. The masking tape keeps the glue off the upper piece.
Oh, when wrapping fabric around a tube use the iron, the heat gun will distort the fabric and cause wrinkles that are impossible to fix.
Make your penetration "dollar" patches ahead of time from finish tape, not fabric. The fabric needs glue that is hard to hide at the edges, tapes need no glue.
AV8R Paul
Certified Light Sport Repairman LSRM-A
Certified Light Sport Repairman LSRM-A
- BDA
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- Location: Kenai Alaska
Re: Oratex is like Yoga Pants
Dont get me wrong - I stll like the Oratex and would use it again.
I am just posting my mistakes so others dont have to deal with the same problems. I would have ended up with a better looking finished product if I had known this stuff.
I am just posting my mistakes so others dont have to deal with the same problems. I would have ended up with a better looking finished product if I had known this stuff.
SuperStol XL Alaskan With Titan 340
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
- BDA
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- Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 11:25 am
- Location: Kenai Alaska
Re: Oratex is like Yoga Pants
Going around the door required making a cut and seam at the longeron below the door.
This is somewhat tricky to get the glue in the right spot on the fabric.
Have to pull the side straight and clamp with it in one position to mark for glue line, then take loose and pull the bottom surface straight to mark for glue line. Make sure to check overlaps to make sure you have enough wrap - before you cut.
This is somewhat tricky to get the glue in the right spot on the fabric.
Have to pull the side straight and clamp with it in one position to mark for glue line, then take loose and pull the bottom surface straight to mark for glue line. Make sure to check overlaps to make sure you have enough wrap - before you cut.
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SuperStol XL Alaskan With Titan 340
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
- BDA
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- Location: Kenai Alaska
Re: Oratex is like Yoga Pants
Finish tapes on the fuselage this week
More learning curve
Tapes make up for a multitude of sins! They look really good. Well, better.
But
The tape on the top to the vert transition was more than difficult. Not happy with how it turned out.
I could not stretch it enough to go around the corner and lay down flat, had to cut it in the middle and overlap. This is a 2 or 3 person operation. If there is a way to do this in one piece I would pay to see it done - I am not sure its possible.
I was using 115* C on the iron to bond the tapes, worked very well except if I stayed in one place, then the tape shrunk just enough to leave a little glue mark at the edge.
I should mention that if you are not careful how the fabric wraps around the tubes it is not a flat and smooth transition when you are done and the tape must glue down in the depression that is left or there will be an air bubble, so the depression cant be “covered” by the tape. The tape must be ironed down into the depression.
Air bubbles are a real problem, you have to iron from the center out as much as possible, i did have a couple I couldnt work out and had to poke with razor blade then iron.
Lars told me to put a narrow line of glue next to the overlap seam before covering with finish tape - I would not do that again. Too hard to keep it from showing thru the tape. If I had gotten the tape on sooner maybe the iron would have knocked down the glue line, but it didnt and looks bad.
Before the tapes I had a few wrinkles that I knocked off with a dremmel with sander drum, also worked well on the high spots on the overlap.
The finish tapes stick REALLY WELL. The only time I had trouble is when I overheated with heat gun. The iron is the best way by far for the tapes, when The iron wouldnt fit or surface was uneven I turned the gun down untill it wouldnt shrink the tape and used the felt blade.
More learning curve
Tapes make up for a multitude of sins! They look really good. Well, better.
But
The tape on the top to the vert transition was more than difficult. Not happy with how it turned out.
I could not stretch it enough to go around the corner and lay down flat, had to cut it in the middle and overlap. This is a 2 or 3 person operation. If there is a way to do this in one piece I would pay to see it done - I am not sure its possible.
I was using 115* C on the iron to bond the tapes, worked very well except if I stayed in one place, then the tape shrunk just enough to leave a little glue mark at the edge.
I should mention that if you are not careful how the fabric wraps around the tubes it is not a flat and smooth transition when you are done and the tape must glue down in the depression that is left or there will be an air bubble, so the depression cant be “covered” by the tape. The tape must be ironed down into the depression.
Air bubbles are a real problem, you have to iron from the center out as much as possible, i did have a couple I couldnt work out and had to poke with razor blade then iron.
Lars told me to put a narrow line of glue next to the overlap seam before covering with finish tape - I would not do that again. Too hard to keep it from showing thru the tape. If I had gotten the tape on sooner maybe the iron would have knocked down the glue line, but it didnt and looks bad.
Before the tapes I had a few wrinkles that I knocked off with a dremmel with sander drum, also worked well on the high spots on the overlap.
The finish tapes stick REALLY WELL. The only time I had trouble is when I overheated with heat gun. The iron is the best way by far for the tapes, when The iron wouldnt fit or surface was uneven I turned the gun down untill it wouldnt shrink the tape and used the felt blade.
SuperStol XL Alaskan With Titan 340
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
- BDA
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- Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 11:25 am
- Location: Kenai Alaska
Re: Oratex is like Yoga Pants
Pics
You can see where the tape got skinny when I tried to stretch it around the corner, you can also see the depression where I really had to work to get it to stick after that.
The wrinkles were easy to shrink out.
All in all the tapes are very forgiving, and finish out nice if not abused.
You can see where the tape got skinny when I tried to stretch it around the corner, you can also see the depression where I really had to work to get it to stick after that.
The wrinkles were easy to shrink out.
All in all the tapes are very forgiving, and finish out nice if not abused.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
SuperStol XL Alaskan With Titan 340
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
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Re: Oratex is like Yoga Pants
BDA, how is your SuperSTOL coming along?
AV8R Paul
Certified Light Sport Repairman LSRM-A
Certified Light Sport Repairman LSRM-A
- BucF16
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- Location: Alexandria, Ohio
Re: Oratex is like Yoga Pants
Hey BDA, Did you rib stick your Stabilizers/, Elevator/Rudder/
Thank you in advance
Bruce
Thank you in advance
Bruce
Bruce Johnson Highlander # 393
"Because I fly, I envy no man on Earth"
Builder web site:
http://www.bruceshighlander.blogspot.com
"Because I fly, I envy no man on Earth"
Builder web site:
http://www.bruceshighlander.blogspot.com
- BDA
- Veteran Member
- Posts: 707
- Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 11:25 am
- Location: Kenai Alaska
Re: Oratex is like Yoga Pants
I have been on the North Slope for almost a month, so not much airplane work lately.
I did not ribstitch my vert, We shall see how well that Oratex sticks. I will put some on the horizontal.
Back home in a few days then I will hang the Titan engine.
I did not ribstitch my vert, We shall see how well that Oratex sticks. I will put some on the horizontal.
Back home in a few days then I will hang the Titan engine.
SuperStol XL Alaskan With Titan 340
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
- BDA
- Veteran Member
- Posts: 707
- Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 11:25 am
- Location: Kenai Alaska
Re: Oratex is like Yoga Pants
Last pic before engine goes on
I have shrunk the fabric per instructions but the largest section on the side does not seem as tight as the others. It is tight, just not as tight as the small sections.
will roll it outside overnight and let the frame get cold (below zero) then shrink again.
I have shrunk the fabric per instructions but the largest section on the side does not seem as tight as the others. It is tight, just not as tight as the small sections.
will roll it outside overnight and let the frame get cold (below zero) then shrink again.
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SuperStol XL Alaskan With Titan 340
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind