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Reshrunk fabric

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roncarolnikko(at)hotmail.
Guest

Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 8:20 pm Post subject: Reshrunk fabric

Thanks to the off list response of a nameless member I used a heat gun to 

reshrink some loose fabric on my rudder.   The cutting off of the old 

fabric, patching, and painting would have in no way been a better repair 

than simply waving the magic wand at the problem.  After patching in fabric 

on the fuselage I also used it to eliminate distant wrinkles that did not go 

away when the new fabric was shrunk.  I understand the need for 

instructions, but sometimes a little common sense must prevail.   Sorry, 

can't always follow the heard.   Thanks again for the off list advice.  Ron 

NB Ore



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Guy Buchanan

Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 1204
Location: Ramona, CA

Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 9:55 pm Post subject: Reshrunk fabric

At 08:19 PM 11/12/2006, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  Thanks to the off list response of a nameless member I used a heat gun to

reshrink some loose fabric on my rudder.


	


Leave them nameless if you want, but I'd love to hear what you did and how 

you did it.



Thanks in advance,

Guy Buchanan

K-IV 1200 / 582-C / Warp / 100% done, thanks mostly to Bob Ducar.

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_________________
Guy Buchanan
Deceased K-IV 1200
A glider pilot too.

Float Flyr

Joined: 19 Jul 2006
Posts: 2704
Location: Campbellton, Newfoundland

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 6:11 am Post subject: Reshrunk fabric

If your cloth further shrunk then all that means is it wasn't properly

shrunk in the first place.



I too have removed wrinkles form cloth.  Doing so required removing and

patching an area of cloth.



Don't worry about following the herd .....  Follow the installation manual.



Noel



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_________________
Noel Loveys
Kitfox III-A
Aerocet 1100 Floats

Beemer

Joined: 26 Aug 2006
Posts: 87
Location: Middle Georgia

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 6:57 am Post subject: Reshrunk fabric

Not necessarily. It is acceptable to shrink Poly-Fiber to less than the

maximum temp. You can "finalize" the shrink at anywhere between 250 and 350

degrees. Beyond 350, it loosens up (as already stated). The Poly-Fiber

manual states that if the higher temps warp the structure - STOP! The STC is

good at 250 degrees (not that an STC means anything to us).



Case in point: My model 2 rudder warped badly when I shrunk it at 350

degrees. I have to redo it to get the hinges to line up properly.



Bradley



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Beemer
KF2 (and now an M3!)
Suzuki G10 three-banger
Middle Georgia

lcfitt(at)sbcglobal.net
Guest

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 7:28 am Post subject: Reshrunk fabric

An important thing to consider here is that the Kitfox manual calls for a 

shrink temperature lower than the maximum shrink temperature in the 

Polyfiber manual at least in the Model IV.  There has been some discussion 

on this in the past some advocating the temps in the Polyfiber book and some 

the temps in the SS manual.  Some of the structure in our airplanes is 

subject to distortion with over shrunk fabric - the wasp waist seen in some 

aft fuselage sections as an example.



After the fact, if it came to replacing fabric and trying a hot air gun, I 

think I would try the hot air gun as the benefit might save tons of work and 

if it doesn't work, nothing lost.



Lowell

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jimcarriere

Joined: 27 Aug 2006
Posts: 22

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 8:29 am Post subject: Re: Reshrunk fabric

[quote="lcfitt(at)sbcglobal.net"]

Some of the structure in our airplanes is 

subject to distortion with over shrunk fabric - the wasp waist seen in some 

aft fuselage sections as an example.



The wing trailing edges are another example.  I reinforced mine with aluminum tubing.  This is described in the builder's manual as an option, depending on how much the builder wishes to shrink the fabric.

Jim in NW FL

Series 7 in progress

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_________________
Jim in NW FL
Kitfox Series 7 in progress
Rotec R2800

Float Flyr

Joined: 19 Jul 2006
Posts: 2704
Location: Campbellton, Newfoundland

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 8:31 am Post subject: Reshrunk fabric

I remember reading some where the most tension the polyfibre cloth will

develop in shrinking is some where in the vicinity of 4 lb./ sq. in.  The

older Egyptian cottons could generate well over twenty lb./ sq. in..



I've tried the heat gun and found there was no way I could regulate the

temperature applied to the cloth.  A calibrated iron (at) 350F can be left on

the cloth for a considerable time with no damage.  Polyfibre says it can be

left there indefinitely but I wouldn't try that.



I have a set of temperature calibrating wax sticks ( the blue one melts at

325F the red one at 350F) that allow me to instantly calibrate my iron to

between 325F and 350F.  All I have to do is make sure the blue stick melts

on the face of the iron and the red one doesn't.  If I remember correctly

these sticks were made to calibrate the temperature of photographic thermal

print heads that used to write data on the back of photographs.



Noel



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_________________
Noel Loveys
Kitfox III-A
Aerocet 1100 Floats

roncarolnikko(at)hotmail.
Guest

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 9:45 pm Post subject: Reshrunk fabric

Noel the fabric as mentioned by others can not be shrunk to it's max 

potential without damaging many areas on a Kitfox.   If 3" distance with a 

heat gun is not affective then 2 3/4" then 2 1/2" etc.  I found it easy to 

use the desired distance for my gun of about 1 1/2".   This  probably gave 

the same heat as the original shrink and the same tension on the fabric.   

Worked for me.  Ron NB Ore.

[quote]From: "Noel Loveys" <noelloveys(at)yahoo.ca>

Reply-To: kitfox-list(at)matronics.com

To: <kitfox-list(at)matronics.com>

Subject: RE: Reshrunk fabric

Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2006 10:41:03 -0330






If your cloth further shrunk then all that means is it wasn't properly

shrunk in the first place.



I too have removed wrinkles form cloth.  Doing so required removing and

patching an area of cloth.



Don't worry about following the herd .....  Follow the installation manual.



Noel



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