• If You Are Having Trouble Logging In with Your Old Username and Password, Please use this Forgot Your Password link to get re-established.
  • Hey! Be sure to login or register!

Yes, another Javron cub

One of the advantages is less need for a second set of hands. A 3 part Boot Cowl will allow you to reach stuff without removing the firewall up front. Once you get all the fabric on it gets hard to reach areas down the line having nut plates on everything just make life easy down the road when you bend something.
DENNY
 
Wire was to hold things while the fasteners were being installed and then the wire was removed. I do not put nut plates on everything under the floor. If I need to remove the floorboards it is usually 30 years down the road and I install inspection holes and cut fabric.
 
I’ve had very good success using nut clips under the floor. They work great and accomplish the same thing.

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/hapages/clipnut.php?clickkey=3024976

Also, regarding the oval holes in the floorboards for the brakes not being big enough, I believe Piper made them that way on purpose. I’m not entirely sure why. Maybe the steel channel acts as a stop to prevent you from pushing a dead brake into the floorboard? The ones I’ve taken apart were all like this.
 
So I messed up. Drilled the boot cowl to the channels, then removed it and drilled the false boot cowl to the channels. Now when I put both on, the lower channels and cowl skins don't match up. I have a choice now. Make new false cowls or just take the fabric forward to the forward channel. I'm leaning toward taking the fabric forward and deleting the false cowls. I can't really figure out why they are there anyway. Any input on either method would be appreciated. Thanks.
Wayne
 
When Piper first made the Cubs the fabric of choice was grade A cotton and nitrate dope. The life of the cotton varied based upon the environment where the plane lived. This meant that every 4 - 6 years the fabric needed replacing. So Piper made the secondary false cowls removeable so that the fuselage could be recovered without removing the engine, windshield and cowl. The entire fuselage could be recovered in just a few days with minimum disassembly and labor.

CAR 3.625 (b) All portions of the airplane lying behind openings in the engine compartment cowling shall also be constructed of fire-resistant materials for a distance of at least 24 inches aft of such openings.

What sized holes did you drill? For the #4 sheet metal screws? After 100-150 hours those #4 screws start backing out. You could change to #6 plate nuts and machine screws. This may help cover up your boo boo.
 
Last edited:
I'm only at #40 holes right now and I'm going out to #6 machine screws into self locking nutplates in the channels. Unfortunately, the mismatch is larger than drilling out will fix. I wonder whether dacron covered with modern coatings would be"fire resistant"?
Wayne
 
These are the guidelines to answer your question. You will have to test a sample of your fabric to get the answer.
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-1
Fireproof

(1) With respect to materials and parts used to confine fire in a designated fire zone, means the capacity to withstand at least as well as steel in dimensions appropriate for the purpose for which they are used, the heat produced when there is a severe fire of extended duration in that zone; and

(2) With respect to other materials and parts, means the capacity to withstand the heat associated with fire at least as well as steel in dimensions appropriate for the purpose for which they are used.


Fire resistant
(1) With respect to sheet or structural members means the capacity to withstand the heat associated with fire at least as well as aluminum alloy in dimensions appropriate for the purpose for which they are used; and

(2) With respect to fluid-carrying lines, fluid system parts, wiring, air ducts, fittings, and powerplant controls, means the capacity to perform the intended functions under the heat and other conditions likely to occur when there is a fire at the place concerned.


Flame resistant means not susceptible to combustion to the point of propagating a flame, beyond safe limits, after the ignition source is removed.

Flammable, with respect to a fluid or gas, means susceptible to igniting readily or to exploding.


Consider that the sole purpose of those fasteners is to keep the aluminum from flapping in the breeze. They are not structural.
 
Cable routing and pulley installation are pretty well covered in the manual. With that and the Piper drawings, I was able to figure out what went where. One thing that gave me pause was the Manual photos of the elevator cable ends. The manual shows two similar brackets for the ends. The top bracket is fine but the lower bracket is shown as a triangular looking plate with three holes. There is nothing in the kit that looks like that. I finally realized that the part shown in the manual was used for a lower bungee. We don't have one on this aircraft and the part shipped with the kit looks like this.
20230922_120352.webpThere are a number of things shown in the manual that are for finishing the installation. I have yet to put any cotter keys in and I waited quite awhile to put fairleads in. I have taken stuff apart several times and I prefer that to be fairly easy for now.

For the brake installation, the manual is probably different than what you will do. I, like a lot of people, bought Grove heel brake master cylinders. They have an integral reservoir so there is no need for a remote as shown in the manual. In addition, the brake mount plate on the fuselage is predrilled to match and position the Groves perfectly. You do have to drill up through the floor board to match. I backed up the floorboard with a piece of 2x4 to minimize chipping as mentioned in many other sources. I did spend some time trying to figure out where to install the cylinders before I realized that the plate was predrilled. I installed nutplates on the mount plate rather than use the nuts provided in the kit. I also had the seat base out to make this job easier.
20230808_141337.webp

Landing gear I have not worked on yet since I don't have my wheels or brake calipers yet. They are supposed to be here soon as are my Acme struts.

Fuel system routing will likely be different than its shown in the manual and the Piper drawings aren't much help either. I'll tell you right up front that my "pile of shame" grew considerably while I was doing fuel lines. You have a choice to make here in what material you want to use for this. The carbon cubs use nylon (or some such plastic) lines but I understand there to be some leakage issues with that. Most javrons, I think, use aluminum. Here, you can choose either the dead soft 3003 aluminum line or the harder 5052 aluminum. The trade off is harder line with 5052 but more difficult to route. I went with 5052 and if you had asked while I was bending, I probably would have recommended 3003. With 5052, it work hardens rapidly. You cannot rebend it or straighten it. It will just break so it goes in the pile. Also, 5052 is straight sections and you need at least 6 ft sections. That costs extra for shipping. Order a lot the first time. I wound up having to order another batch after throwing so many on the pile. 3003 usually comes in a roll and I don't know about shipping for that. I have heard it is somewhat difficult to straighten but again, I don't know. It is pretty soft. I believe the roll of 3003 is what you get from Jay if you pay the extra cost for fuel system stuff. Here's some photos of my routing.
20230922_120644.webp

20230922_120639.webp

20230922_120541.webp

20230922_120629.webp

Note this line is visible in the L21 window. You wouldn't have that with the D windows.

Wayne
 

Attachments

  • 20230922_120352.webp
    20230922_120352.webp
    56.2 KB · Views: 116
  • 20230808_141337.webp
    20230808_141337.webp
    100.9 KB · Views: 119
  • 20230922_120644.webp
    20230922_120644.webp
    60.6 KB · Views: 144
  • 20230922_120639.webp
    20230922_120639.webp
    60.2 KB · Views: 142
  • 20230922_120541.webp
    20230922_120541.webp
    29 KB · Views: 134
  • 20230922_120629.webp
    20230922_120629.webp
    81.5 KB · Views: 133
.....Fuel system routing will likely be different than its shown in the manual and the Piper drawings aren't much help either. ...

I'm not a builder or even a Cub guy,
but I would suggest being very careful with fuel line routing if you're not gonna go by the manual.
High and low points & the possibility of unported / airlocked lines need to be considered.

Consider the 1948 Cessna ragwing 170-- even though it was a high wing airplane with a gravity feed fuel system,
it came with an engine driven fuel pump due to fuel line routing & the possibility of unporting & airlocking a line.
Lots of people removed that fuel pump, usually without any consequences, but it was there for a reason.
 
So you really can't, or maybe, probably shouldn't, go by the drawings. The Piper drawings have two fuel tank outlets and has header tanks. Newer cubs usually have four fuel tank outlets and no header tanks. Yes, it is important to pay attention to line slope. For the most part, the Piper accommodations are in the Javron fuselage and you can use them. I did for the most part. The important part in my opinion, is to keep the line slope all downhill to the valve when on the ground. I did that to the best of my ability.

Wayne
 
Not to mention, I plan on doing a fuel flow test which is probably something I would recommend for any builder.

Wayne
 
I'm in the throes of fabricating interior panels. I have been for what seems like months although I've only had the kit for 5 months. I've put about $600 (only about $400 of that was for interior panels) into sheet metal and spent what seems like hundreds of hours working on them. I'm getting them to a point where I'm close to finished (ready for fabric) but only because I am going to cover them with fabric. If I was leaving them bare, I'd probably have to do most of them over again because of all the goofs. This is a job where I might think about buying the precut panels that Jay sells as an add on if I was ordering now. Started out by making paper templates and transferring that to metal. I made the first couple with flanges on the bottom but it made it near impossible to bend them enough to install them. So I cut em off. I then decided that I wanted them to go just below the top of the floor boards and since I had cut the flanges off, wellllllll, darn it, too short. I eventually learned to look at the Piper drawings for panels. That helped me avoid a couple of other mistakes. I chose to make my panels out of .016 6061-T6 aluminum. Pretty light stuff, maybe too light, but I'll see. Really easy to bend or dent but I think covering them with fabric will hide almost everything. I've used most of a 4x12 sheet and I went back to get some more to finish up. I decided to use #6 machine screws into nutplates. The panels I've made have been in and out of the airplane at least 100 times, seems like. It really has taken a tremendous amount of time. A large shear and brake can make things much nicer looking but there are still lots of places where snips and files were used. I've put a self adhesive 3/32x1/2 EPDM foam tape onto every tube that I thought the panels might rattle against. A lot of people use felt instead which is what is on the Piper drawings, I believe. Again, I'll have to see how it works out.

Wayne
 
I'm in the throes of fabricating interior panels. I have been for what seems like months although I've only had the kit for 5 months. I've put about $600 (only about $400 of that was for interior panels) into sheet metal and spent what seems like hundreds of hours working on them. I'm getting them to a point where I'm close to finished (ready for fabric) but only because I am going to cover them with fabric. If I was leaving them bare, I'd probably have to do most of them over again because of all the goofs. This is a job where I might think about buying the precut panels that Jay sells as an add on if I was ordering now. Started out by making paper templates and transferring that to metal. I made the first couple with flanges on the bottom but it made it near impossible to bend them enough to install them. So I cut em off. I then decided that I wanted them to go just below the top of the floor boards and since I had cut the flanges off, wellllllll, darn it, too short. I eventually learned to look at the Piper drawings for panels. That helped me avoid a couple of other mistakes. I chose to make my panels out of .016 6061-T6 aluminum. Pretty light stuff, maybe too light, but I'll see. Really easy to bend or dent but I think covering them with fabric will hide almost everything. I've used most of a 4x12 sheet and I went back to get some more to finish up. I decided to use #6 machine screws into nutplates. The panels I've made have been in and out of the airplane at least 100 times, seems like. It really has taken a tremendous amount of time. A large shear and brake can make things much nicer looking but there are still lots of places where snips and files were used. I've put a self adhesive 3/32x1/2 EPDM foam tape onto every tube that I thought the panels might rattle against. A lot of people use felt instead which is what is on the Piper drawings, I believe. Again, I'll have to see how it works out.

Wayne

Hi Wayne,
I know you have a substantial amount of time invested in your interior, but did you ever consider using Kydex? I ordered Jays interior kit and started to fit and install it, but really did not like the way it was fitting and the fact that his interior aluminum is made out of 020 3003 soft aluminum which is very easily dented or bent. if I had known this before I ordered it I would not have ordered it. I made the switch to Kydex 028 thickness plastic (same stuff the airline manufactures use on their interiors) and I am loving this stuff. It is super easy to cut bend and fit, plus you can get many different colors and when you are done fitting? you are done> no painting, no fabric, or any other weight added, and the weight of the Kydex is about the same as the 020 6061 T6 unfinished. the benefits of Kydex and ease of use far outweigh the use of aluminum in my opinion, the stuff can be stretch formed using heat, it can be bent cold and cuts like butter with tin snips.

I used 020 6061 T6 on my last cub build and covered the interior with 3m carbon wrap which worked out well, but I must say, Kydex is much easier to work with.

20230922_141249.webp

Rick
 

Attachments

  • 20230922_141249.webp
    20230922_141249.webp
    37.9 KB · Views: 181
I thought about kydex. Remember, I live in Phoenix. I read somewhere that kydex can get soft and start moving with high temps. I would guess that it is not uncommon for hangar temps around here to be in the 130s so I kind of decided to not use it. Not really sure if it is a concern or not. By the way, I'm making progress.
20231020_101858.webp
Wayne
 

Attachments

  • 20231020_101858.webp
    20231020_101858.webp
    73 KB · Views: 84
Like Rick I’m using Kydex as well. I have found that by using measured heat in some places and cold bends in other places allow some creative and simple solutions.

To heat to wear it wants to “flatten out” a bend requires some good temp, I’m guessing 200 plus degrees. When I heat to allow thermo-moulding I use a heat gun on 1200 degrees to heat up a designated area to a even temp high enough to stretch.

In your case I probably wouldn’t use all black, but a gray or other light color should work just fine in my opinion.

Pb

IMG_5906.webp
IMG_5899.webp


Transmitted from my FlightPhone on fingers… [emoji849]
 

Attachments

  • IMG_5906.webp
    IMG_5906.webp
    61.7 KB · Views: 104
  • IMG_5899.webp
    IMG_5899.webp
    107.1 KB · Views: 97
It's been awhile since i last posted, but I've been working on lots of different things. One thing is the windshield install. The univair strips provided with the kit don't fit worth a darn. I fiddled with them for a long time off and on. I'd work on them for awhile and get frustrated and go do something else for a week or two. Sam did a great write up in his thread. One thing I would emphasize is to not even drill and cleco them on until they fit well. If you do, you'll wind up with holes that won't hold a cleco anymore. Ask me how I know. If you know anything about composites, that sounds like it is the hot ticket but I just couldn't bring myself to throw $200 worth of windshield strips in the trash. At this point, I've got two strips that fit fairly well with nut plates holding them on to the boot cowl. I need to do some work on them to pretty them up and they will hopefully be done.

I've also put the wings on in order to do all those things between the fuse and the wing. I fabricated flexible hoses to connect three of the four fuel ports (fourth still to come). I'm using Phenix Industries stuff. It looks great, goes together reasonably easily, and is way cheaper than Aeroquip. Hopefully, if doesn't leak. Seems like every time i use an angle pipe thread fitting, they always start tightening up just past where I want it to point and I have to get another full turn on it. So all you will see in my wet lines is straight pipe thread nipples transitioning to flare. I use the flare fittings to make my turns. Lots and lots of people have used pipe threads 90's but I decided not to. I'm using Phenix hose for fuel with an integrated, but not external, steel braid that is made to resist E85 car gas. My rationale is that if it will resist that stuff, it should do fine with av gas. The hoses cut easily with a dremel and cut off wheel. I'm taking the flex lines from the tank forward ports into the airframe post that is associated with the specific location. Looks like this.

20231220_143938.webp

I'm also using Phenix products for flex points on the brake lines. Here, I went with their stainless, Teflon lined, high pressure hose. Put flex lines at the top of the gear leg to connect the hardlines in the gear legs to the hardlines coming from the brake cylinder. I initially made the flex line a nice short, straight piece like this.

20231208_110227.webp

After turning my brain back on, I realized that the gear flexing would just pull on it in tension so I'm refabricating it with two 90 degree fitting and a short semi-loop of hose.

20240124_131431.webp

I made the first brake hardlines from 1/8 aluminum tube but it seemed a little wimpy to me so I changed it to stainless. I also put flex lines down at the wheel. Here's how they look.

20231208_110242.webp

I'm not sure whether this will work with the planned big tires so I think I may be revisiting this.

Wayne
 

Attachments

  • 20231208_110242.webp
    20231208_110242.webp
    617.7 KB · Views: 104
  • 20231220_143938.webp
    20231220_143938.webp
    879.5 KB · Views: 124
  • 20231208_110227.webp
    20231208_110227.webp
    633 KB · Views: 115
  • 20240124_131431.webp
    20240124_131431.webp
    768.6 KB · Views: 114
For whatever reason, the photos aren't posting. If I figure it out, I'll post them.

Figured it out. Evidently there is about a 2meg file size limit.
 
It's been awhile since i last posted, but I've been working on lots of different things. One thing is the windshield install. The univair strips provided with the kit don't fit worth a darn. I fiddled with them for a long time off and on. I'd work on them for awhile and get frustrated and go do something else for a week or two. Sam did a great write up in his thread. One thing I would emphasize is to not even drill and cleco them on until they fit well. If you do, you'll wind up with holes that won't hold a cleco anymore. Ask me how I know. If you know anything about composites, that sounds like it is the hot ticket but I just couldn't bring myself to throw $200 worth of windshield strips in the trash. At this point, I've got two strips that fit fairly well with nut plates holding them on to the boot cowl. I need to do some work on them to pretty them up and they will hopefully be done.

I've also put the wings on in order to do all those things between the fuse and the wing. I fabricated flexible hoses to connect three of the four fuel ports (fourth still to come). I'm using Phenix Industries stuff. It looks great, goes together reasonably easily, and is way cheaper than Aeroquip. Hopefully, if doesn't leak. Seems like every time i use an angle pipe thread fitting, they always start tightening up just past where I want it to point and I have to get another full turn on it. So all you will see in my wet lines is straight pipe thread nipples transitioning to flare. I use the flare fittings to make my turns. Lots and lots of people have used pipe threads 90's but I decided not to. I'm using Phenix hose for fuel with an integrated, but not external, steel braid that is made to resist E85 car gas. My rationale is that if it will resist that stuff, it should do fine with av gas. The hoses cut easily with a dremel and cut off wheel. I'm taking the flex lines from the tank forward ports into the airframe post that is associated with the specific location. Looks like this.

View attachment 68441

I'm also using Phenix products for flex points on the brake lines. Here, I went with their stainless, Teflon lined, high pressure hose. Put flex lines at the top of the gear leg to connect the hardlines in the gear legs to the hardlines coming from the brake cylinder. I initially made the flex line a nice short, straight piece like this.

View attachment 68442

After turning my brain back on, I realized that the gear flexing would just pull on it in tension so I'm refabricating it with two 90 degree fitting and a short semi-loop of hose.

View attachment 68443

I made the first brake hardlines from 1/8 aluminum tube but it seemed a little wimpy to me so I changed it to stainless. I also put flex lines down at the wheel. Here's how they look.

View attachment 68440

I'm not sure whether this will work with the planned big tires so I think I may be revisiting this.

Wayne

If you have to change it down the road considering eliminating the hard line and do flex all the way from the fuselage. Also try to get rid of that loop at the top of the caliper (45 fitting pointing up to line on gear leg so you don't have a place for air to get trapped. That would eliminate 3 fittings per side.
DENNY
 
Yes I ran my lines one piece from cylinders to caliper, they come out near gear fitting, can barely tell they are there. It should be criminal how poorly those univair strips fit. I bought a shrinker stretcher combo, made wood blocks and I have a ton of autobody dollys and hammers. Ended up tossing that waste of money in the trash and just laid up a windshield strip out of fiberglass 3 inch tape about 8 layers deep. For the inside strip its only 12 ish inches wide, I got the idea from the bearhawk manual and seeing quite a few other homebuilts. The laid up fairing snaps into place it fits so good. Next time I will buy the longer windshield, LP aero seems to cut the window shorter than they used to.
 

Attachments

  • DSCN1574.webp
    DSCN1574.webp
    390.5 KB · Views: 193
Where can you buy full sheets like this ?


Like Rick I’m using Kydex as well. I have found that by using measured heat in some places and cold bends in other places allow some creative and simple solutions.

To heat to wear it wants to “flatten out” a bend requires some good temp, I’m guessing 200 plus degrees. When I heat to allow thermo-moulding I use a heat gun on 1200 degrees to heat up a designated area to a even temp high enough to stretch.

In your case I probably wouldn’t use all black, but a gray or other light color should work just fine in my opinion.

Pb

View attachment 67235
View attachment 67236


Transmitted from my FlightPhone on fingers… [emoji849]
 
Google is your friend for kydex sheets, or contact Kydex directly for distributors.

Piedmont plastics
Interstate Advanced
Polymer Plastics
Holster Builder - only thick sheets
Professional Plastics
Regal Plastics doesn’t stock it
Etc

Non-stocking distributors are not apt to be able to get you any as you’re taking 50+ sheets to do a shippable run, depending on thickness. It goes by total weight.

Peter


Sent from my iPhone using SuperCub.Org
 
Thanks Denny and fishhook. I'm not particular happy with my brake lines so I'll probably redo them and that sounds like a good alternative.

There are a couple of questions that I had with the kit. One is about these two tubes.
20240128_205300.webp
I measured and they are the same dimensions. Looking at the drawings, Piper used two tubes of the same part number for two different places. These aren't identical so which goes where. The cad plated tube turns out to be the rear pivot tube for the horizontal stab. The uncoated tube is the pivot tube for the standard flap handle. The uncoated tube also has a hole drilled in one end that is for a cotter key and matches with the hole in the bushing in the seal base.

You also get in the kit a number of bent up pieces of aluminum and it took me awhile to work out where they go. Here's a photo with each marked with a location.
20230905_102302.webp
Pretty much all of them will need to be trimmed and drilled to fit. The two marked "box beam" would perhaps be better described as forward door post trim. Once I got them all about how I wanted them, I took them to a place and had them powder coated gloss black to match the frame.

Wayne
 

Attachments

  • 20240128_205300.webp
    20240128_205300.webp
    1.3 MB · Views: 45
  • 20230905_102302.webp
    20230905_102302.webp
    1.4 MB · Views: 51
Hi Wayne,
I know you have a substantial amount of time invested in your interior, but did you ever consider using Kydex? I ordered Jays interior kit and started to fit and install it, but really did not like the way it was fitting and the fact that his interior aluminum is made out of 020 3003 soft aluminum which is very easily dented or bent. if I had known this before I ordered it I would not have ordered it. I made the switch to Kydex 028 thickness plastic (same stuff the airline manufactures use on their interiors) and I am loving this stuff. It is super easy to cut bend and fit, plus you can get many different colors and when you are done fitting? you are done> no painting, no fabric, or any other weight added, and the weight of the Kydex is about the same as the 020 6061 T6 unfinished. the benefits of Kydex and ease of use far outweigh the use of aluminum in my opinion, the stuff can be stretch formed using heat, it can be bent cold and cuts like butter with tin snips.

I used 020 6061 T6 on my last cub build and covered the interior with 3m carbon wrap which worked out well, but I must say, Kydex is much easier to work with.

View attachment 67204

Rick
Where can we buy this Kydex in sheets to do my interior ?
 
I've been making a number of small pieces of aluminum out of a big piece. Pretty much used up two 4' x 12' sheets of .016 6061-T6. I've also used about 2/3 of a sheet of .032. I messed up a piece I was working on so I had to go get another sheet of .016. Pretty sure I'll need to pick up another sheet of .032 once I start building baffles for the engine. I used some .032 to build my upper baggage floor. Looks like this except I have had it powder coated gloss black.20231011_135539.webp It is two pieces because I couldn't get a single piece in there. I also built the aft bulkhead and plan on painting it to match the walls an off white color. The bulkhead screws into nutplates that are in a piece of Piper channel and also into nutplates attached to angles riveted to the floor. I have started to build the forward bulkhead (aft cabin) which I am also doing in AL. Metal was also needed for wing root fairings which are complete. Wing root fairings are heavily patterned after the Piper drawings but not exactly. I did not include the screw tension thingies and some of the lengths are different since my wing root is not stock Piper. 20231128_115134.webpI also made some flap gap fairings, again mostly to drawings but my flaps are longer than stock so I did it in two pieces for ease of manufacturing and installation. I tried to find some balsa per Pete's suggestion but found it difficult to source big enough pieces. Also used AL to build the tail belly close out pan. 20240223_160903.webp

For my interior panels, as previously mentioned, I went with .016 alum coated with fabric. Here's how it turned out.20240130_105956.webp I bought Solarium fabric at Joe-Anns and burned some samples. I wasn't satisfied with the results so decided to treat it. I found a recipe on eaa's website for a borax solution so I did that. For whatever reason, it burned faster. Soooo, I went online again and looked for a commercial product. Many do not claim to work on polyester but I finally found one. 20240405_094137.webpI bought a gallon of for about $40 and it pretty much won't burn at all now. I used less than half of it. Attached fabric to sheet with spray on adhesive from 3M. I used a couple of cans of 3M Headliner Adhesive but I just bought a can of 3M 90 Adhesive. Doesn't seem to be any significant difference from what I could see. I sewed a couple of pockets on to three of the panels before gluing. For my first time ever sewing, I was mostly OK with the results. I found it a little difficult sometimes to get the fabric centered and lined up on the sheet when I tried to do the whole thing at once. Seemed a little better to do sections at a time with the bigger panels.

I've decides to try to build a windshield retainer from fiberglass. I bought some west resin and hardener and some 1" fiberglass tape. I did a couple experiments (I've never worked with fiberglass before) using wax paper on the windshield area and laid up a section of tape. It was not a particularly successful experiment. 20240405_094123.webpThe wax paper released OK but was all crinkly which transferred to the glass. In addition, the tape slid all around and was unsat. You guys that have done this, what format and kind of glass fabric did you use and what did you use to keep stuff off the windshield and to release the cured retainer? Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks.

Wayne
 
Last edited:
I tried to find some balsa per Pete's suggestion but found it difficult to source big enough pieces. Also used AL to build the tail belly close out pan.

Wayne
That works. I used Balsa because there was a hobby shop just down the street which stocked a lot of it in all sorts of sizes. It has now closed.
 
Wayne,
Mask the windshield and boot cowl off with painters tape. Then add a layer of clear packing tape to the areas you’re going to put fiberglass, plus a few inches for slop protection. Then get some mold release agent or wax and apply per instructions. Then do the fiberglass or carbon fiber lay up. Twill molds better to odd shaped surfaces than plain weave.
 
What Ed said and cut on the bias, across the grain of the fabric. Eliminates the stray strands that make a mess. Somebody else suggested this on another thread and it made a world of difference in my layups!
 
Thanks, guys. Do you use something like a 10 oz cloth or what? How do you finish it? Gel coat or just fill and sand or something else?

Wayne
 
Add one extra layer over what you think you need. That gives you material to sand. When you lay it up like you’re doing for the windshield strip you can’t vacuum bag it so you need to make sure to get the air bubbles out during the lay up. Without a mold and vacuum bagging you won’t get a nice smooth surface. That’s where making it thicker comes in. Sand and fill and sand some more. If you’re going to clear coat it, sand and shoot a coat and repeat until it’s smooth and all the pinholes are filled.
 
Back
Top