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Building Tips and technical articles. => Building techniques => Topic started by: Pat on February 13, 2013, 07:52:18 PM
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What is the process for applying leather fillets? They came with my cobra kit. I want to try them but have no idea what the process is.
Pat
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What is the process for applying leather fillets? They came with my cobra kit. I want to try them but have no idea what the process is.
Pat
Well some swear by them. But the process for me would be pick up the phone call Wicks Aircraft and order Superfil and after receiving the filler walk to the trash can and deposit them. I know that not what you wanted to hear but maybe one of the guys who use them can chime in. That's only my opinion.
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Robert,
All opinions are welcome. I just wanted to try them for something new. I have a pretty firm grip on other methods of doing fillets. what I am best at is using dolphin glaze polyester filler. Just looking for a new learning experiance.
Pat
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I'm guessing, but I think the procedure is to glue them down with Ambroid or similar, and use the leather as a base for some other material to go over it, so that keeps the fillet material to a minimum and excess weight down. You get a bigger, smoother fillet this way, I think. In the good old days I think it was common to mix balsa dust and glue and put that over the leather, and then sand smooth. The procedure was in the instructions or on the plans of some old stunt kits, if I remember correctly. I have never done it myself, but have a few feet of it around somewhere and might try it one of these days for the same reasons you are. Might be a good idea to pass the technique on so it isn't lost to time.
Type at you later,
Dan McEntee
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Thank you Dan!
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Leather fillets is my second best discovery for making good fillets. First one was West System 105+209+baloons mix. Now I use leather for fillets up until the fillet needs to be tapered. I then switch to West System for tapering. If I can figure out how to make leather fillets taper nicely, I'll use them exclusively.
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I have used them successfully on a number of planes. I use "Tite-Bond" and dampen them a bit before application. Not that there are not other good ways, it is just what I do. Tapering is not a problem usually as I tend to take my flaps to the fuselage, no tapering necessary. If needed, the above post addresses it well. The only tricky part can be wrapping around the LE of the wing, they tend to go convex, instead of concave. It really does not show in the finished plane but if you are reeeeeealy picky, it may be an issue. 8)
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If needed, the above post addresses it well. The only tricky part can be wrapping around the LE of the wing, they tend to go convex, instead of concave. It really does not show in the finished plane but if you are reeeeeealy picky, it may be an issue. 8)
True, the fillet does become less concave but this is why they invented 120 grit sandpaper and dowels. You can sand it right back to the original radius. ;D
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I use leather fillets on almost all my planes. I use Ambroid. Before installing, I wet the leather. As the glue sets, the leather is still a bit wet. They can be shaped while wet with a round tool of the correct diameter. This pushes the leather strips and makes them nicely concave. The edges only have a slight "step", which is filled with your favorite epoxy filler.
I use a ball bearing to which I have welded a short piece of heavy piano wire as a handle.
Floyd
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Thank you everyone!
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Hi Pat,
Ambroid, Sigment, Duco, Titebond, any "regular" glue will work to apply the fillets. Wetting them before hand makes it a little easier as stated above. I put them on after having covered the wing, but before finishing them. A tiny bit of splackling compound on the edges will make them disappear.
BIG Bear
RNMM/AMM