Oratex finishing tapes on compound curves

[rocketman2tm]

We are putting the finishing tapes on the tail feathers right now. According to the Kitfox instructions the trailing edge of the elevator should be covered with a 4" tape or optionally a 3" bias tape. With oratex, there arn't any bias tapes. I can't seem to get the 4" tape around the radius and get it to lay flat even with quite a bit of tension applied to the tape.

Anyone else have this problem? Did you end up using 2" tape instead?

[efwd]

My conversation with Lars last week revealed It would not be achievable with Four inch tape. I was sold 2" tapes for that and the You Tubers all seem to use 2". Im sure John will be replying soon. I havent done mine yet but he has.
Eddie

[jrevens]

There is definitely no way to make the 4" tape go around those curves. As I'm writing this I'm nowhere near my elevator to look, but I probably used 2".

[colospace]

Yup, 2 inch for me.

[jiott]

In case you guys cutting your own tapes haven't thought of it, it should be easy to cut your own bias tape. Just lay out your cut lines at 45 degrees to the fabric weave, easy-peasy. I'll bet a 3" bias tape would go around no problem, and look better too-1.5" on upper and lower visible surfaces instead of a thin 1" or less.

[efwd]

Hey Jim.
I have thought of it but I believed that this was Oratex and it doesn't behave like Poly Fiber so I was certain cutting at 45 degrees would do nothing as I thought the fibers were locked up with the color. I just tried it with a two inch tape I cut at 45 and it does help! Thanks.

[JMH]

I need some guidance from the experts. That is those that have covered your horizontal stabilizer with Oratex. I'm trying to figure out how to do the edge tapes. I'm thinking of using a 4" tape on the trailing surface, and a 2" tape on the leading edge. The question is what to do on the outside edge of the stabilizer where the curve and transition from the smaller leading edge to the larger diameter tube on the rear. What did you do here? Pictures would be appreciated. Lars is trying to help me, but he's out of the country. He sent some photos, but I'm unable to understand the process.
Thanks
John

[colospace]

Looking back for photos, I find it has been embarrassingly long since I was doing that covering. I believe I did use 2 and 4 inch tapes. The first photo (rotated obviously) shows stretching around the corner about to start. I then stretched it around the big end enough to get a short straight section. The second photo shows that tape complete. I then did the 4 inch tape just long enough to cover the edge of the end tape. I could not find a close up of that.

[efwd]

I believe I know exactly what your talking about. The radius of the edge at the tips is a larger radius than the leading edge. I cant't post a pic currently but I will say that I kept the tape on center such that the result is the tape edge falling just shy of wrapping over the edge of that tip rib. So, you might say I have only one layer of fabric lying over that tip rib. I considered using a piece of tape trimmed so that extending from the trailing edge and at an angle, the edge of the tape would go center line. I would then trim the other edge to meet at the middle. Then as I came around with the centerline tape I would stretch it at an angle to capture the reverse side tip rib. My current tape is going to have to do, as I decided that if the fabric shows wear at that point I will just lay tapes on top and bottom. Being Oratex and already "painted" there will not be a problem applying the "patch" over the stress point.
Eddie

[Cherrybark]

I had 2" and 4" tapes. Didn't think the 2" gave enough overlap, and was worried about getting the wrinkles out of the 4" while rounding the curves. After a lot of back and forth, I measured lengths of 4" and cut it down to 3" width. The picture shows the coverage you will get. It also shows a few bumps that might benefit from a visit with the hot iron.

One of the advantages of using factory finishing tape, rather than cutting and pre-gluing strips of fabric, is the thin edges are coated with color. When you cut fabric or finishing tape there will be a white line along the cut edge. A red Sharpie nicely matches Fokker Red.