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Thread: Fabric Patch

  1. #11

    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    New Hampshire
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    1,342
    "What I would do is install inspection rings."

    Please don't do that on an aileron. Nothing good will result.

    Urethane finishes are very resistant to chemical strippers. And the chemicals do attack the poly fabric. And one characteristic of modern fabrics is that they do wick any thin liquids along the weave a long way. The manner of starting a repair advised by the paint manufacturers is to sand the urethane finish off, down to the primer. A drawback of the beautiful urethane finish systems.

    The advice on putting what is called a "dollar patch" on the small hole needed to access the fastener, sanding the finish for an inch around that small hole, is the best approach. Cut the patch out with pinking shears.

    Yes, I have done that exact repair.

    Wes

  2. #12

    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Posts
    1,609
    Quote Originally Posted by WLIU View Post
    "What I would do is install inspection rings."

    Please don't do that on an aileron. Nothing good will result.

    Urethane finishes are very resistant to chemical strippers. And the chemicals do attack the poly fabric. And one characteristic of modern fabrics is that they do wick any thin liquids along the weave a long way. The manner of starting a repair advised by the paint manufacturers is to sand the urethane finish off, down to the primer. A drawback of the beautiful urethane finish systems.

    The advice on putting what is called a "dollar patch" on the small hole needed to access the fastener, sanding the finish for an inch around that small hole, is the best approach. Cut the patch out with pinking shears.

    Yes, I have done that exact repair.

    Wes
    Yes very bad advice to install inspection rings on a control surface. My bad. Thanks for setting this straight or correcting this.

    Tony

  3. #13

    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Michigan United States
    Posts
    40
    Mark back at least 11/2" from the opening, you want 1" min fabric overlap with any type of glued repair. Sand the polyurethane off exposing the silver,U.V. coatings,STOP SANDING when through the color!!, the underlying coatings will be able to be dissolved with M.E.K. Glue on the patch with Super Seam etc. shrink the patch, at least 250* F, NOT over 350* F, refinish with the original type of finish process. Matching the poly top coat will be tough, you cannot "feather" urethane, the best choice to totally hide a repair is to repaint the entire panel.

  4. #14

    Join Date
    May 2015
    Posts
    32
    The detail is really appreciated - thanks!

  5. #15

    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Alabama
    Posts
    2,236
    Seems like Greg is the man on this one!

    I think everyone would just roll their eyes at my Weldwood Contact cement on a patch, hit it with an iron in ten minutes, and paint with more household latex system.

    That is when it's not in a place where a little duct tape on the inside and a sticker of some kind on the outside isn't possible.

    The opinions and statements of this poster are largely based on facts and portray a possible version of the actual events.

  6. #16
    rwanttaja's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Seattle
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    2,948
    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Giger View Post
    That is when it's not in a place where a little duct tape on the inside and a sticker of some kind on the outside isn't possible.
    Psssst... clear plastic shipping tape works nice on the outside. Not as visible as duct tape, but heavier-duty than scotch tape.

    Ron "Where's that bonding strip?" Wanttaja

  7. #17
    L16 Pilot's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Posts
    187
    If it's Superflite the manual has a pretty good section on fabric repair. Basically sand around the hole into the primer and glue the patch with U500 glue. I've never had one come loose.
    If God had intended man to fly He would have given us more money!

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