Author Topic: Leather Fillets (Read 1956 times)

Mike Griffin · « **on:** May 15, 2009, 05:34:17 PM »

guess some would say that this is "so yesterday" but I have just used my first set of leather fillets and I gotta say they are fast and easy to apply and look great. I got these installed in half the time of using super-fil or epoxy with micro balloons although both of those make great fillets.

Mike

Clint Ormosen · « **Reply #1 on:** May 15, 2009, 09:08:48 PM »

Nice job on the fillets. But what is that model?

Mike Griffin · « **Reply #2 on:** May 16, 2009, 06:17:39 AM »

Clint that is a profile version of the Adams Special. I just took the plans for the Adams Special and made a profile out of it. The wing is a Mellineum wing.

john e. holliday · « **Reply #3 on:** May 16, 2009, 08:58:51 AM »

Looks great to this point in construction. Have some filets I got in a kit. Haven't used them yet as I haven't built the kit yet. May have to part with some coin and get some. DOC Holliday

roger · « **Reply #4 on:** May 16, 2009, 12:08:52 PM »

how do you glue them on ? and do they take paint well? and do they crack and split ? how much and where can i by them? can i make em miself
roger

Mike Griffin · « **Reply #5 on:** May 16, 2009, 02:47:38 PM »

Hi Roger

I bought mine from Bill Sawyer in New Bern, North Carolina. His e mail address is starbond@earthlink.net. I do not remember how much per foot I paid for them but they were not expensive.

You can put them down with Ambroid or Medium or Thick CA. I used CA. They take dope, Paint and most anything you can throw at them. Bill tells me he has some on planes he has had for years and they have not cracked.

Mike

Larry Renger · « **Reply #6 on:** May 21, 2009, 12:50:06 PM »

I soak them in water to make them really flexible, then glue them down with Titebond. Use a rounded dowel to press them into the corner as you go. Allow to completely dry before doping.

On places where the curve is really tight (small model leading edge or stab on a large model) I carve a bit of "meat" off the backside in just that area.

Because they are porous, dope soaks in and so far, has never pulled up into a bubble. I get mine from Freeman supply, a place that specializes in stuff to make patterns and molds. Available in a wide variety of sizes.

Bill Barber · « **Reply #7 on:** May 21, 2009, 01:52:24 PM »

Larry, I was taught by Mike Ringrose to do it the same way . Soak for about 15 minutes then using Ambroid and a rounded tool
push them in . One plane is over 10 years old with no problems with the leather . Best not have your covering overlap them.
Bill

Brian Massey · « **Reply #8 on:** July 25, 2009, 02:56:53 PM »

I checked the Freeman website; seems they only sell the leather fillets in 100 foot rolls. They also do not post pricing on the web, you must "submit a quote request". Why? Oh well, I submitted my request.

Brian

Matt Colan · « **Reply #9 on:** July 25, 2009, 07:07:00 PM »

Do leather fillets offer the same amount of strength that Brodak Aeropoxy-Lite offers. The Brodak stuff dries like steel, and adds strength to the wing to fuselage joint. Do leather fillets add strength to the joint?

On my Ares, I spent a week working on my fillets, filling, sanding, filling, sanding some more, and then a little more filling, sand again, feel curve, look, fill again, and then sand until I'm happy. A lot of work but I did get some real smooth fillets.

Frank Sheridan · « **Reply #10 on:** July 29, 2009, 07:49:10 PM »

What happens if one tries to apply film coverings over leather fillets?

Glen Wearden · « **Reply #11 on:** July 30, 2009, 08:56:42 AM »

I got a quote from Freeman. I'd have to go into the leather fillet business to come out on that one. I noticed in the Tower Hobbies site that Fourmost sells fillets that are a nylon composite, supposedly very workable, flexible, etc., etc. They also sell black trim strips to be used around open windows, on wheel pants, etc. Looks to me like they resemble coaming (sp). FYI

Glen

Steve Holt · « **Reply #12 on:** July 30, 2009, 04:22:30 PM »

Quote from: Ty Marcucci on July 30, 2009, 10:54:50 AM

I would never put any thing over the fillets. Put the fillets over the covering. When the film is shrunk up tight, it will pull away from the fillets; leather, wood, or epoxy, in (most) cases and leave air bubbles. Same as silk , silkspan or polyspan will. One is lucky if this does not happen. Of course you could use "super glues" to apply the covering to the fillets, but this may coase other problems down the line. Weight for one.

Ty,
I've experimented with film over the leather fillets. It seems to work fine. I used Ultracote and ironed a strip (1/2" wide) down on the fillets with the curved bottom trim iron set on low temp. I then ironed the fuselage and wing covering on without actually getting into the radius of the fillet. There are seam lines on eithe side of the fillet, but with darker films they pretty much disappear.
Steve

john e. holliday · « **Reply #13 on:** August 02, 2009, 07:29:23 AM »

Big difference between dope and tissue compared to iron on coverings. I may have to try the leather fillets on my next plane. In reality I try to stay away from them. DOC Holliday

Author Topic: Leather Fillets (Read 1956 times)

Mike Griffin

Leather Fillets

Clint Ormosen

Re: Leather Fillets

Mike Griffin

Re: Leather Fillets

john e. holliday

Re: Leather Fillets

roger

Re: Leather Fillets

Mike Griffin

Re: Leather Fillets

Larry Renger

Re: Leather Fillets

Bill Barber

Re: Leather Fillets

Brian Massey

Re: Leather Fillets

Matt Colan

Re: Leather Fillets

Frank Sheridan

Re: Leather Fillets

Glen Wearden

Re: Leather Fillets

Steve Holt

Re: Leather Fillets

john e. holliday

Re: Leather Fillets