Stits poly fibre

[brink]

Not too many people have ever discussed this, I worked at American Flyers in Ardmore Oklahoma, after I got my Private pilot and flight engineer certificate. No Jobs so I started helping out in the fuel department and aircraft maintenance. Jack Pierce was very senior to me and I kinda worked with him along with Bob Gilley, that was in the engine shop. Jack and I cover some tail feathers with Stits Fabric, Jack was a master using grade A Cotton and this Stits process was totally new to Jack and Me. In School We used Grade A Cotton, on a 1 foot square with a center wood strip that we used for rib stitching, any way I had my Airframe ticket at that time. That Poly fibre process you applied it,we used thickened nitrate dope to attach the fabric, we had a heavy duty sewing machine, and Jack Sewed up the envelopes, we didn’t have a manual, just a sheet of paper warning us not to heat the fabric to hot, using a clothes Iron, Jack lived off Highway 70 and I lived in Ardmore, and drove by Stofa Hardware on my way home, I bought an Iron that nite, and Jack and I were on duty that Saturday, and had an Annual to do on a Cessna 150. After I test flew the 150, we did the shrink on the Stits. We liked it,it looked good, covered it with a bed sheet, and lt sat until Monday. What happens is the weave relaxes, and you see looseness, (Would you look at this) well we fired up the Iron, and did another shrink. But this time the control surface sat for about a week. Again the weave relaxed,and this time their was looseness but not as bad. Ever sense that first experience with Stits, I always let it set for up to a week between shrink before I apply that first coat of poly brush. Jack and I used Nitrate dope,rib stitched, and applied all the reinforce tapes and sprayed 2 coats of Nitrate, and finished with 4 coats of Silver. Then 2 coats of color. 5/years ago, I seen Jacks handy work,still looks like the day we installed it.

[Richard Murray]

Brink completely agree with letting the fabric set a day or two and then going over it again with the iron. Temperatures are sacred working with dacron and 350 is a never exceed value or you'll damage the fabric. You mentioned nitrate dope in your post

Jack and I used Nitrate dope,rib stitched, and applied all the reinforce tapes and sprayed 2 coats of Nitrate, and finished with 4 coats of Silver. Then 2 coats of color. 5/years ago, I seen Jacks handy work,still looks like the day we installed it.

and that is not part of the Stits PolyFiber process.

[brink]

This was in 1974 I don’t know when Stits hit the market, if their was a manual we didn’t have one, Jack had always used Nitrate dope and it works really well. Poly tach is a whole world better and that’s all I use now,some times I thin it with acetone,or MEK I also like to attach plastic inspection rings using the poly tac, then I use Polybrush to apply the pie plates, this time I am going to use the thin glider fabric for the pie plates, just to see how well it attaches and lays on the inspection ring, and if molts it’s self to the plastic ring. John Abitz applied the plastic ring after soaking it in MEK, for a few minutes,then laying it on the fabric, I think it had one coat of polybrush on the fabric. The plastic inspection ring would weld it’s self to the polybrush and fabric, Anyway the glider fabric is worth a try.