Oratex is like Yoga Pants

[CanadianSheepHunter]

Does anyone have 60" long X normal roll width of BLACK Oratex 6000 they would sell?...you could fold it up instead of shipping in a long roll(i know the folds will come out)

[CanadianSheepHunter]

I used this “Super Thin” when I attached my aluminum plate onto my Rudder @ base around horn...it ran. Today I tried it carefully on an Aileron to install Seaplane drains...IT RAN !!!

[CanadianSheepHunter]

This second Seaplane drain I tried applying it to the plastic first...Nope...IT RAN!!

[CanadianSheepHunter]

And on the second one it ran to the opposite side of Aileron FFS !

[CanadianSheepHunter]

Here’s the answer folks...use the “Gap Filling Medium” glue...with it it hold onto the Seaplane drain with needle nose pliers and apply lots to the base...cover the entire base then put it where you want and hold 5 seconds...NO RUNS !!!...I did 8 like that tonight and worked perfect. After it was on i add some to perimeter just because.

[CanadianSheepHunter]

These pics were done with the Purple bottle “Gap Filling Medium”

[CanadianSheepHunter]

Covering a flap today with one piece of Oratex 6000, putting the seam on top so it’s hidden in flap cove. In order to prevent puckers I’ve had excellent success with tacking with heat gun up to where my finger is, then the last 3/4” of metal to the right i don’t tack down at all until the flap/aileron is FULLY shrunk, this eliminates puckers of the fabric(downward puckers) on the rear edge of that metal edge.

[CanadianSheepHunter]

I hold the felt here and point the heat gun vertical and move the heat gun on and off the felt pad when tacking beside an metal edge that i don’t want the heat to touch. I tack the sheet metal first ONLY with the heat gun and that results in no wrinkles. I run my Steinel heat gun @ 450 F and when tacking onto sheet metal i use bare hands and starting @ Center leading edge i heat only a 4”-6” wide spot for like 1-2 seconds then run flat with felt or fingers. I found tacking VERY small bites of the sheet metal as you go SLOW I’m able to prevent 98-99 % of wrinkles on sheet metal. Once i have the sheet metal all tacked flat i will go over it with heat gun/felt again, then use the Iron/felt. You could tack onto the sheet metal with the heat gun set lower but i found even with it set @ 450F and taking small small bites and only hitting the area with that kind of heat for a second or two works for me.

[CanadianSheepHunter]

Now when i go to tack the Oratex to the 1/2” rear tubing i WONT use the heat gun, i pull the Oratex as tight as i can at the Center area and tack with iron and i only tack the aft/rear edge(if you tack the top/bottom of the 1/2” tubing now you will get puckers that may not come out). I continue tacking the rest of the 1/2” tubing this way pulling as hard as i can rearward on the Oratex before tacking(those big wrinkles from your fist shrink out no problem). Then once the Aileron/Flap is fully shrunk THEN i tack the top/bottom of the 1/2” tubing and Iron/felt it...even then take care not to push down on the forward edges of 1/2” too much or it could get stuck down too low(pucker)...some puckers come out with heat gun, some with iron but not always.

[CanadianSheepHunter]

I also hold the felt over ribs when shrinking the bays between ribs. I never had any ribs stick to the fabric while shrinking with heat gun. I hold the felt so 1/4” is past the edge of rib and go on/off the felt with heat gun pointing it straight down @ 450F. Then after i shrink all bays with heat gun like this, and sucked any puckers out hopefully with the heat gun then i shrink all bays with iron STAYING OFF the ribs until all bays shrunk fully then i go over the ribs with heat gun then iron over ribs and tack the Oratex then to the ribs with iron/felt.

[CanadianSheepHunter]

Here is big wrinkles made with my hands pushing/pulling down as hard as i can with both hands for like 5 seconds(to give it a few seconds to stretch at all)...NO HEAT used here. Then i carefully release one hand and grab the iron @ 160 C and tack the 1/2” tubing rear edge(at Center of Center bay). Then go to next bay repeat, next bay repeat. These big wrinkles from my hands shrink out totally...wrinkles from a heat gun or iron you have to fight with.

[CanadianSheepHunter]

I work by myself and use this heavy sand bag to keep things weighted down when needed or to keep bottom from sliding when I’m pushing down the Oratex on the other side. In this pic i have tacked to the rear 1/2” tubing at Center bay and the two bays left of Center in pic. You can see the Oratex on those bays nice and snug already. Once shrunk I’ve had excellent tightness of fabric thus far doing it by myself(so far rudder, ailerons and now flap by myself). And once i remove the iron from the 1/2” tubing i hold the tension on fabric while rubbing the 1/2” with the felt then i get both hands holding tension for 15-20 seconds as the Oratex instructions say it takes 10 seconds for the glue to set lightly after being heated, and it says it’s very important for no movement while it initially sets/tacks(not fully set)

[CanadianSheepHunter]

Here is the Superstol flap with leading edge metal tacked down and the 1/2” tubing tacked all along rear edge and the edge closest to me in this pic tacked down...the far edge with sandbag not tacked yet(next)

[CanadianSheepHunter]

Both ends tacked now, rear edge of 1/2” tacked. Once again you see the wrinkles to the right from my hands pulling/pushing they shrink out fine. At this stage each bay between the ribs sounds like a drum when tapped with fingers in Center(you don’t do any shrinking until after 24 hrs and after iron on all edges/sheet metal)

[CanadianSheepHunter]

This large shooting sandbag works excellent!