fabric materials list for the bearhawk

[rjtaylor]

I am at the point of doing the fabric work on my bearhawk. Can anyone provide a list of what materials they used? I plan to use fabric in the interior as well as the exterior. thanks.

[Mark Moyle]

Ron, I just ordered/received superflight system 7 for my Pacer from Abby at AERO in Wassilla. Everything in 13 boxes. Including how to book for dumb me..sa, fabric, tapes, needles, lace, drains, grommets, rotary pinkers, inspection plates, cleaners, infrared thermometer, epoxy primer, Juneau white and light metallic green Less than $2800. I'd imagine if you called her and told her your covering a Maule M7 she'd set you up! The only thing I didn't order from AERO was acetone, wrags/paper towels and glue brush/s...garnet.....fresh air supply.......stuff like dat dare. Mark M. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk H

[rjtaylor]

ok. thanks.

[Battson]

I ended up ordering the following, and got it nearly exactly right. I probably ordered more thinners, hard to recall. I did order a little more medium fabric, but then found I didn't need it.

Description	P/N	Quantity	Unit
Heavy Duty Fabric (72" wide)	1-9970	13	yards
Medium Fabric (72" wide)	I-MEDIUM	23	yards
Light Fabric	LIGHT-U	4	yards
Linear tape Med 1” x 25 yd	1-1031x25	1	roll
Linear tape Med 3” x 25 yd	1-1033	1	roll
Linear tape Med 2” X 50 yd	1-1032	3	roll
Linear tape Med 4” x 25 yd	1-1034	1	roll
3” bias tape 25 yard roll	1-BIAS3	1	roll
Poly -Tak	2-PT3	4	quarts
Poly-Brush	2-PB4	1	gallons
Poly-brush untinted	2-PBU4	4	gallons
Poly-spray	2-PS4	5	gallons
RR 8500 reducer/retarder	2-854	5	gallons
Std rib lacing thread, 8 oz, 400yd roll		1	roll
Reinforcing tape 3/8" roll 50 yds		1	roll
Thermometer/Iron calibration		1	each
HS silicone		1	oz
Inspection hole reinforcing ring	12-IHRR	10	each
Cloth adhesive (anti-chafe) tape roll	1-AC1	1	roll
12” straight tip rib needle	11-RN12	1	each
C-2210 pint sure cleaner		1	gallons
Paint strainer cone		12	each
Paint paddle	11-PP	6	each
Alimunium drain grommet, 1/4" hole		20	each

[Battson]

After-thoughts, could have done with more paint paddles - reused some a few times.

The 3/8" reinforcing tape is good for most fuselage/empennage applications, but for wing surfaces I had to double it over to get enough width - this was cheaper than buying another roll (one roll is more than you need).

I bent the tip of my 12" straight tip needle - you want to bend it (once) to suit your needs. Straight is not as useful.

Adjust number of inspection rings to suit your needs. I used more inside the cabin than outside.

4 yards light fabric was a *little* short for the interior. I used a medium weight panel for the baggage area.

Heavy fabric is for the belly. I would do this again every time, I am off-airport a lot. I would do the same for the underside of the H-stabiliser (order more heavy fabric if you want to do this, and subtract from your medium order).

Obviously don't order the Polyfiber chemicals if you're going to use a different system (e.g. Stewart Systems). The Polyfiber system is full of nasty chemicals compared to Stewart Systems. I would use Stewards over PF, having seen them both in action now.

Hope that is of some help.

[rjtaylor]

thanks for sending your materials list. that's exactly what I was looking for. last time I got in a discussion with the steward system people it got ugly. I used this same system (I believe) back in the late 80's and it was called ceconite 7600 and was marketed by blue river aviation. it was a disaster. the stewart people admitted (if I remember correctly) that this stewart system came from the original blue river stuff, but was "improved and nothing like the old stuff. I remember the blue river stuff was all water based with the exception of the glue activator. and, the fabric was a yellow color and came with the clear dope already impregnated in the fabric. it was indeed easy to use and fast. mine looked great for about a year or two. then the fabric started to come loose and did for the remaining 19 years. the scary part was the fabric would loosen I cold weather. you could actually see it shrink and stretch while you watched. anyway, anything you can give me in regard to the stuff they sell now and it's use in cold climates would be appreciated. using the ceconite 7600 blue river stuff was one of the largest mistakes I have made in the last 58 years. thanks again for the information. opinions encouraged...................rob.

[Battson]

The Stewarts stuff you buy today is basically equivalent/interchangeable with Polyfiber in terms of the result.
I think they both use interchangeable polyester fabrics, tapes, lacing, etc?? Only the tins of chemical (glue / base-coat / silver coat) are different as far as I know. I have seen aircraft covered in both, (from Cubs to Ag planes) and cannot tell the difference. Both seem equally durable and hard-wearing.
The main difference I can see is one process cleans-up with highly poisonous/odorous MEK, and the other with water. I used Polyfiber, and I have seen friends using Stewarts. I would use Stewarts next time.
2c

[Zzz]

So Battson, you used Polyfiber? Has anyone used Air-Tech? There's a local shop here who uses it and I may try to get some hands on experience there prior to my own covering.

[Battson]

Yes, and I like it just fine. I am not recommending it ahead of Stewart Systems.

[bestbearhawk1231]

Battson, out of curiosity, what shade of yellow is your bearhawk? I am using the Stewarts system and after watching a friend use solvent based paint I am glad I did. It works great in the desert like environment I live in, I don't have to worry about explosions or dying from the fumes, and cleaning up with water is fantastic. I have no idea what their glues are like to use or what the long term durability is like, but from what I have seen so far the paints hold up as well or better than other systems when it comes to hanger rash. The stewarts paint uses water as a carrier instead of solvents. Because of this, if you live in a humid climate it will take longer for the paint to dry and may not turn out right...if you live in the desert you will have the opposite problem. Last summer when I was spraying I had to thin them out more than they called for so it would flow out right...it was 90 degrees or so and around 10% humidity in the shop...it also helped out to spray some water on the shop floor before I started spraying to get the humidity up a bit. The nice thing is that you are using distilled water so you don't have to spend a bunch of money on solvent reducers. It is really nice not getting high as a kite when you are spraying and being able to step out to the facet outside to wash your spray gun. Any ecoprime that is left (the one part stuff) in the gun you can pour right back into the can. Once the water and solvents evaporate they are essentially the same with the exception that solvent paints use a chemical bond while the waterborne paints rely on a mechanical bond. Waterborne paints have came a long way since the 1980s and 1990s. I have friends that are auto painters by trade and have told me that they spray differently. If you try to spray a waterborne paint like a solvent paint chances are you will have runs since the water doesn't evaporate as quickly as the solvents. One big reason I chose to learn how to spray with waterborne paint is because aside from aviation and hotrodders most of the country has made the switch to waterborne paint. Supply and demand will take over and the price of solvent paints will go through the roof in the future. I have tried shooting solvent paint and can't shoot it to save my life.

[Battson]

It sounds like they are certainly the way of the future. Painting is fun, but the smell and the nasty clean-up chemicals are certainly not.
I used Polytone 'Orange Yellow', 140 I think. But of course the achieved colour will vary by brand.

[Jflyer]

I'm in the process or using the entire line of Srewart Paint Systems product on a Schweitzer 2-33 (Glider) restoration. I did paint cars years ago and the fact that I'm not breathing in all the volatile crap is great. We started on the tubes fuselage first with the newer EKO-Poxy (Epoxy Primer) which laid on beautifully. Real easy to spay. Dry time was maybe 10 minutes. We went straight on over that with EKO-Poly topcoat in Sport Yellow. That also laid down great.

When learning the process they tell you numerous times to forget everything you know about spraying regular volatile compound paints, because this is a whole different animal. You basically lay on a bunch of light 'fog' coats in a cross-coat pattern. Eventually you'll see a gloss.

The amazing thing is the time you can wait to put on another coat. Since it's a mechanical adhesion, all you do is wipe it down with a solvent. OK there is some nasty stuff, maybe scuff it up a little with a Red Scotchbrite and spray away with. Could be months between coats.

There is a fine line between a good gloss looking coat and a run. Been there done that. Stay with multiple fog coats. When top coating, the last coat will be slightly heavier bit not much. Lay it on thick and it'll run. Screw it up? Let it dry, sand it down or scuff with Scotchbrite and go again.

For fabric, the glue is extremely easy to work with. The IA working on this with us has been covering planes for about 40 years and his opinion is that its the easiest glue he's ever used.
You brush it on, let it set for about 10 minutes and layout your fabric. If you don't like how the fabric is laying just tug it around to where it looks good. The glue does have a little tack to help hold the fabric in place but will not set until you apply heat. Up to that point, you can lay on the fabric, and lift it off all you want. After setting it with heat and then shrinking the fabric, I don't think this stuff will ever let go.

We are in the EKO-Fill part of the fabric which is a simple one part 'Primer, Weave Filler, and UV protectant." You brush on two cross-coats, let it set overnight and start spraying. Scuff it up and blow it clean with air between coats. I've had some family issues preventing form staying on it. I've been caring for elderly parents. However, 2 months between coats is no problem at all.

The documents and data say the minimum temp to paint is 65 degrees. My personal limit is now 70, after watching it run and no cure at 66. However, I wiped the runs off with a towel while they were wet and now there's no issues. The EKO-Fill primer for fabric goes on thick. After the first spray coat, which is after the brush coat the weave is almost gone. It looks more like vinyl. They'll tell you, to scuff/sand and spray as many coats as you need to get the finish you're looking for.

Obviously I'm sold on the product. I advise to watch all he videos, read all he documents and then call them just as you're ready to go. The owners will get on the phone and talk you though all the process as well as provide some helpful tips for your specific project. For the EKO-Poxy coat and topcoat on the tubed fuse I think I called them 15 times and they were great. Couldn't have been more helpful and supportive. The hardest thing to get used to is how simple it really is. I kept thinking I was missing something when I wasn't.
​The really neat thing about this product is the High Volume Low Pressure (HVLP) system. Less over-spray to get all over your hangar neighbors cars and planes. Plus by the time the little over-spray does make it to the exhaust fan it's dry dust. So if anything does get outside, it just flies away in the air.

[rjtaylor]

In regard to the stewart system, has anyone seen an airplane covered with this process after some time? durability is what I have most concerns about. I realize it's easy to use. be sure to keep if from freezing as it's junk if it freezes while in storage. water based.

[aerolite]

Ron, I covered a plane in 2002 using AFS (aircraft finishing systems), which is who SS bought. This plane has been in northern Quebec the whole time. It was the first one I did with this product and I know I went too heavy with the topcoat in a few areas. There was a couple of spots on the top of the H-stab that ended up with spider web cracks but you could see the paint was too thick. This happened after about 3 or 4 winters, also it sat outside uncovered all year as well. That is the only instance I know of with any issues of SS in our cold winters. It seems to hold up well. I went back to Polyfibre, mostly because that is what I knew and it was really easy to get locally but I'm done with it now, can't stand the smell anymore. The SS is easy to use, just follow their instructions.