Oratex 6000 on a PA12

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Posted

well i started the removale of the fabric off the PA12 it had the waterborn stewards system and replacing it with Oratex6000. So far so good except try to get all the green Ekobond glue off but i did find the trick. Hahhaaaaa

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Posted

How about telling us the "trick" you found?  I think that both the green and clear glues may be a product of 3M, but not sure about that.  I know that there is a difference in the procedures for applying them.  I have used the Stewarts glue.  EDMO

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Posted

What i found was to soak a rag whipe it onto the airframe where that Ecobond green glue is to kind of lightly soak the glue, then let it flashoff/dry and use ur hand to rub all the glue off.  It rolls up into a non sticky booger and falls off and ur left with a clean surface. And it hasnt bothered the epoxy paint thats on the airframe.  

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Posted (edited)

I wonder if that would work if you get some of the Oratex glue on some fabric where you don't want it?  When you can, would you try that on a scrap piece of fabric and post the results?   Thanks,  EDMO

Edited by EDMO

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Posted

Surething thats a good idea to try out.  Will do that today or tomorrow.  But i belive the glue in Oratex is based in water and it has 5 glues in it that r heat activated, the water just helps spread the glueout and then it evaporates. So b good to try and c if it will break it down for clean removal.  

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Posted

Surething thats a good idea to try out.  Will do that today or tomorrow.  But i belive the glue in Oratex is based in water and it has 5 glues in it that r heat activated, the water just helps spread the glueout and then it evaporates. So b good to try and c if it will break it down for clean removal.  

Great experiment - The Stewarts glue was heat activated too.  EDMO

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Posted

well i started the removale of the fabric off the PA12 it had the waterborn stewards system and replacing it with Oratex6000. So far so good except try to get all the green Ekobond glue off but i did find the trick. Hahhaaaaa

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Fun, fun, fun! But I gotta axe; how did you do the magic levitating tail trick?

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Posted

With the engine still on and fuse stripped the plane is nose heavy,  If you lift the tail up past waist high you better be hanging on as it will go up on the nose in a heart beat, especially if he has the long engine mount on it.  The top of the vert stab is just hitting the ceiling and keeping it from going over on the nose.

:BC:

 

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Posted

Hahahahaaaaa awesome observation Leni and u r correct. Hahhaaaaaa u have to b careful and keep the prop turned so it not hit is a good idea also.  Me and a buddy Ridder spent a good 4-5 hrs scrubbin the old Ecobond off about 3/4 of the airframe so far and its lookin good.  But boy i tell u its a ton of work to get clean, Joe from BetterAirCraft Fabric will b here to help and show the install of the fabric to me and a list of others that r interested March 16,17,18.  

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Posted

Your levitating tail makes me think about something I have forgotten to mention from my Oratex experience. I used Oratex 600 and it is much, much lighter than the traditional stuff I had on before. The weight difference on the wings has no real influence on CG for obvious reasons but eveything behind the wings do... And it is a lot... The avid flyer tend to be nose heavy even for us with 2 strokes and I ended up putting some dead weights in the tail when I'm not fully loaded with camping stuff. A good time to go for that double tail spring and a new heavy tail wheel (not that it can get much heavier than the traditional hard Maule...)

 

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Posted (edited)

Hey Bucky- does that one live inside or outside most of the year? Curious how old the removed skin was and how It held up? Sounds like the glue did the job but how about the Stewart's uv and top coat? Just wondering if there was more to simple aesthetics that drove the decision to recover. And if the previous covering system worked good, why switch up to the Oratex? Whadda you guys do up there, actually look for extra work to get you thru the winter months lol? 

Edited by dholly
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Posted

Doug,

When it was recovered last the fabric was not shrunk properly and it would get really saggy when it was cold out. 

I am curious how you plan on covering it with the boot cowl still on the bird.  That's going to be a tough one to cover right with the engine and boot cowl still on.

Very good point about the weight of the covering, and new W&B will need to be done for sure.  The 12s tend to be nose heavy when you do the 0320 conversion especially as I stated before if you use the standard "long" mount that the 0235 used. 

:BC:

 

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Posted

Well i think the stewards system wasnt installed right in the instal. It wasnt that it wasnt totaly cause it wasnt shrunk right, i belive the glue was comprimised some way b4 instal or durring instal.  It was put on the plane in the late 90's or earlie 00's and it was the first generation of the stewards waterborn.  The glue in a ton of places is still sticky and very thick, so i think the fabric never got a good anchor when they wraped it on the tubes. (So u can imagine how bad the drummin was inside when u flew plane.) I tried many times to reshrink the fabric, it would look great and b tight then look at it the next day and it would b saggy again.  The plane lives outside year around under a hanger roof and is only flown in summer when dad is here in Ester. He and Mom winter in Louisianna now a days.  

Far as covering it cause of boot cowl there is a extra panel that is between the end of fabric and the cowl. Look at the pic of b4 i pulled fabric. And the plane has a metal belly from landin gear to tail wheel.  And with no fabric and no tail feathers on there is 10.8lbs on the tail. Didnt weigh it b4 removed old fabric.  Will c what it is after fabric instal 

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Posted

Well had an awesome turnout for the Oratex show and tell, got alot farther than expected with the coverin since its so user friendly, Joe from Better AirCraft Fabric was here and did a great job with tons of info on the product. Now to just get with it and finish it up.  Here some pic, 

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Posted

Got a little more done on gettin the tail feathers covered,  i figure once they all covered ill start the sewing on them, then after that ill b back to finish up the fuseloge.  Still havent shrunk the fabric yet, as it looks so far it will b super nice when im done. 

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Posted

Quite the audience you got there hope you got a pot of coffee on for them ha Looks good.

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Posted

Well i should have had coffee for them, but im not a big coffee drinker so honestly i didnt think of that to much.  Hahahahaa 

on another note i have some great info,

Standard fabric i pulled off the plane

fuselodge- 7.6lbs

tail feathers 8.2lbs

 

weight of Oratex roll b4 fabric work 25 lbs

weight of Oratex roll so far after all fabric pulled off EXCEPT ONE SIDE OF FUSELODGE 18.7lbs

I bought more fabric than i needed just to have it if ever needed. Could probably cover a KitFox fuselodge, to bad its white not corsair blue for the BlueFox. Hahahaaaaaaa 

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Posted

So what's your take and preference vs. PolyFiber system? 

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Posted

Well i really cant say, this is the first time i have ever done any fabric work (except a few small patches on my BlackFox) i was VERY nerves to do the work on Dads plane but since Joe from Better AirCraft Fabric came up from Anchorage and showed me the ropes and do's and dont's for the install,,,,, i think this fabric is going to take the aircraft fabric world by STORM!!! So easy, user freindly, no stink, and ill say just down right fun as hell to do the work!!!  Hahahahaaaaa so now ive got two more planes to do with the Oratex, my build of the BlueFox when its done, and my BlackFox, now they have Black Oratex out so next winter the BlackFox gets it.  Here is the blue and the black i want. 

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Posted

Well finally was able to get back to the fabric work on the PA12, gettin right side fit, glued, and anchored to airframe, looks damm good i say, so hope today ill finish that up and move on to sewin the tailfeathers, and do finishin tapes.  Well unless the new turbo for the D9 Caterpillar shows up then ill have to do some real work. :(

P.S. I love this Oratex!!!! 

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Posted

Seriously, you can shrink out that big of a wrinkle? Wow that must be so pretty awesome stuff.

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Posted

With some heat from the heatgun and holdin fabric away from airframe the Oratex almost becomes rubbery and strechs so it easy to get the wrinkle pulled out and shrunk some as u attach it to the airframe to anchor it down.  But yes u can really shrink the stuff in some places when needed, Awesome stuff i tell u. 

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Posted

Well got to work on the 12 again between customers comin in and out yesturday. I repainted the belly pans and the trim around doors and windows, hope to start installin the new lexan, she is starting to cometogether now and just in time dad will b home this friday, b good to c mom&dad agian its been all winter. 

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Posted

Well as i get dirt rollin around here for sale or to mine i get a little time to work on dads 12, she lookin good, mayb ill get a rainy day so can do somemore soon.  Hahhaaaaa

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Posted

Well got a few rainy days and dirt moving good around here at moment, so was able to get somemore done to the pa12, real close to being done so can put wings back on her. Just a few tail feathers to finish sewin/ finish tape. And my wife is redoing the front and back seats, Dad is healin up good so he is excited to get it in the air. We cant wait. Hahahaaaaa

:bugeyes:

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