General Cover Questions

[jmorrical]

I’m probably over thinking this, but the cover manual (bottom of fuselage) says to glue the belly stringers and weight the triangular section of fabric as shown here. I've followed that instruction, but want to make sure I finish it correctly.

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I know this area is cut away later for a panel. My manual gives no other instructions, but I assume the weight suggested must be there to put more fabric in contact with the clued stringer and to hold it firmly in contact while glue dries.

Questions about this:

• Should I shrink this area or not? I worry shrinking would pull fabric off the glue seam I have tried to maximize by the weights.
• Do I shrink at 250* and 350*?

Thanks

[Daveembry]

Hi Jim,

Looks like you are doing it correct. You should have pre-glued the tubes there at the belly pan V (if you didn’t, no big deal. See below.) You first shrink the fabric at 250 and you will notice that the fabric will not touch those tubes when you do that since those tubes are a little lower than the 2 outside tubes where the fabric wraps the fuse. You want to do this first 250 shrink so you know the fabric is pretty close to it’s final position on the tubes before glueing these V tubes. 250 shrink just takes the wrinkles out mostly and doesn’t do much pulling like the 350 does.

So, that’s why you put the weights in the center to hold the fabric down to touch those V tubes. You would then use MEK to activate the pre-glued areas. You can also put some poly tak on the top of the fabric after using the MEK. The problem with even putting tak on TOP of the fabric (which Poly Fiber does NOT recommend you ever do even though the videos in Dropbox show CC factory guys doing it a lot) is that when you put the glue on TOP of the fabric, it will harden on the top and not get the glue down to the tubes. If you didn’t pre-glue the tubes, then take the tak and do a very small section of the fabric and immediately push it down (with your gloved hand) though the fabric to the tube so it shows the black tube. You can see this only works if you have let the tak harden on the top of the fabric. If you notice, if you place tak on the TOP of the fabric like the videos show, it will usually NOT go through the fabric and touch the tubes and turn black, but instead.....just stay the white fabric color. This is because there is hardened poly tak in the fabric and it won’t let the new tak you are adding to the top pass through. Sometimes the new tak you put on top will melt into the hardened tak in the fabric if you use enough and work it in.

Let this dry very good and then cut the fabric on the inside of the V tubes enough so that you can get a good wrap (1” at least) on the V tubes on both sides and glue the fabric ends around the tubes.

Then you can go ahead and shrink that entire belly fabric piece at 350 and it should get nice and taught.

So the glueing of the tubes there isn’t a big deal to start with, just get enough of a glued area to hold the fabric until you can cut it and wrap it around the tubes which will be the strong hold before doing the tight 350 shrink.

The cover manual (bottom of fuselage) says to glue the belly stringers and weight the triangular section of fabric as shown here. I've followed that instruction, but want to make sure I finish it correctly.

Screen Shot 2020-02-02 at 9.37.33 PM.png

I know this area is cut away later for a panel. My manual gives no other instructions, but I assume the weight suggested must be there to put more fabric in contact with the clued stringer and to hold it firmly in contact while glue dries.

Questions about this:

• Should I shrink this area or not? I worry shrinking would pull fabric off the glue seam I have tried to maximize by the weights.
• Do I shrink at 250* and 350*?

Thanks

[jmorrical]

The fuselage cover is glued to longerons, windows and door have not been cut out and glued yet. I have only shrunk the bottom fabric. The stabilizer tube link inside at the trim assembly is pushing against the fabric as you would expect. I know a reinforcement and patch will go over that area at some point. When do I put a relief cut there to allow the fabric to seek it's natural line? Do I shrink 250 then free it or free it before I do any shrink shrink?

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[Daveembry]

Jim, something isn’t right. There should be no protrusion there. Did you insert the tube that goes through the trim tube at the yoke there or something? That tube (the yoke of the trim motor attachment) is well inside the fuselage tubes and nowhere close to protruding out though to touch the fabric. It looks like it’s almost 1/2” inside the fabric.

The fabric should not touch there and you would simply put the grommet and patch in that location.....paint the fuse and not cut that fabric out until your are ready to install the stabilizer.

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The fuselage cover is glued to longerons, windows and door have not been cut out and glued yet. I have only shrunk the bottom fabric. The stabilizer tube link inside at the trim assembly is pushing against the fabric as you would expect. I know a reinforcement and patch will go over that area at some point. When do I put a relief cut there to allow the fabric to seek it's natural line? Do I shrink 250 then free it or free it before I do any shrink shrink?

Bjcb0zaiRPSoGoeetbqbsQ copy.jpg

N0TlYGihSvGw5glHODOAjw copy.jpg

[jmorrical]

Dave, I am building an EX so there could be a difference. I hope there is a difference! My link seems a bit longer than yours. I was finally able to get a photo but can’t get it to rotate to a normal view. It clearly protrudes past the stringer just a bit. It looks exactly like figure drawings and part #s in the EX Manual.

[Daveembry]

Oh OK. I’m not familiar with the EX so maybe someone else can jump in on this one. I know the EX2 and 3’s but my thoughts would be that you would do the first shrink at 250, cut it out and then do the final shrink just like you would do on the fuel tank cap on standard fuel tanks. The first shrink gets it into position and then the final shrink gets it tight after the cut.

Dave, I am building an EX so there could be a difference. I hope there is a difference! My link seems a bit longer than yours. I'm sorry I can't get a photo to post, but it clearly protrudes put past the stringer just a bit.

[Mark Keneston]

Oh OK. I’m not familiar with the EX so maybe someone else can jump in on this one. I know the EX2 and 3’s but my thoughts would be that you would do the first shrink at 250, cut it out and then do the final shrink just like you would do on the fuel tank cap on standard fuel tanks. The first shrink gets it into position and then the final shrink gets it tight after the cut.

agree with Dave the yoke tube looks to be protruding. I’d verify that part and the #. I also should think you will want leave it closed if possible and cut it after paint.

[Dan L]

Dave, I am building an EX so there could be a difference. I hope there is a difference! My link seems a bit longer than yours. I'm sorry I can't get a photo to post, but it clearly protrudes past the stringer just a bit.

That is the way my EX and a PA 18 I recovered looked. Not a big deal at all. Leave it like it is and cut out the fabric after painting.

It could well be that the EX 2 and 3 use different parts here. My stabs are actually Univair PA18 parts. I think I remember that CC made a change here at some point to the shape and spacing of the stab along the fuselage from the originals.

[jmorrical]

Beside top, angle tubes and inertia plate I know that the third edge of the inertia plate fabric is glued to the window frame. The manual and Mitch's cover video says only to razor cut along the outside edge of the door frames left and right. There is no indication as to how to finish this line.

Is a little excess edge glued and tucked into the 'D' window channel as with the outer fabric? I just don't see what to do.

And tapes are also tucked into the window channel?

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[Daveembry]

I’m not really following this but I think you are talking about covering the inside divider between the back seat and the storage area? I’ve never covered that part and in fact, have never seen anyone cover that. Most people leave that off to give you more storage options (like long fishing poles, rifle cases, etc). Is that your question?

The tapes that go along the windows do go into the back “D” window slots just like the fabric.

Beside top, angle tubes and inertia plate I know that the third edge of the inertia plate fabric is glued to the window frame. The manual and Mitch's cover video says only to razor cut along the outside edge of the door frames left and right. There is no indication as to how to finish this line.

Is a little excess edge glued and tucked into the 'D' window channel as with the outer fabric? I just don't see what to do.

And tapes are also tucked into the window channel?

ho3zsg7RR0O66k9+t4ZDYw.jpg

e11gJwzRTZ2IeWx8mMsd5A.jpg