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 What
are finishing tapes and where should I use them?
>Finishing tapes are simply precut strips of
polyester fabric cut to varying widths (2 inch, 3 inch, 4 inch, and
6 inch.) These tapes are used to cover cemented or sewn seams or to
protect certain areas of fabric that may be subjected to a lot of
abuse. An example would be the leading edge of a wing.
Do
finishing tapes come in different weights of material?
>Yes, they are made from either lightweight fabric
or medium weight fabric.
Can
I use either type with any kind of fabric?
>Yes. We recommend using lightweight tapes
whenever possible. They are very easy to apply.
What
do I use to make the tapes stick to the fabric?
>You will use Poly-Brush to apply the tapes. You
simply apply a coat of Poly-Brush to the surface and let it dry.
Then apply another coat to the area where the tape will be located
and apply the tape. Then brush the tape in place.
How
do I prevent brush marks on the fabric when I attach the tapes?
>You should be careful when brushing on the
Poly-Brush. The best way to do this is to mark the area where the
tape will go using a pencil. You then brush only within the pencil
lines.
I
notice that tapes have a pinked edge. Why is that?
>Tapes are cut with a pinked edge to provide more
surface to adhere to the underlying fabric. This pinked edge
actually provides over 40% more area for adhesion.
I
notice that after my tapes are in place over the ribs that an air
bubble has appeared in the area of the rib lacing cord. Is that
normal?
>Yes, it is normal. A certain amount of air will
be trapped around the rib lacing cord. You will never get them to
totally disappear. They will not be apparent after the silver
Poly-Spray is applied.
I
am having difficulty getting all of the pinked edges of my tapes to
lie down. What should I do?
>Don't worry about this problem. After the tapes
have dried in place, take a small hobby iron calibrated to 225
degrees F and gently iron the edges of the tape. You will find they
will melt into the fabric.
What
if I used 350 degrees to iron my tapes?
>The tapes will shrink at any temperature above
225 degrees F. You will then have snakelike tapes.
How
do I know what width tape to purchase?
>2 inch tapes will be used more than any other.
They are typically used over all ribs. 3 and 4 inch tapes are
normally used on the leading and trailing edges of wings.
Is
it difficult to stretch a tape around a curved area such as a
wingtip?
>Sometimes this is difficult to do. We have made a
"bias" tape for this purpose. These tapes are simply cut
at a 45 degree angle on the fabric. The resulting tape, when
stretched around a curve, will lay down very nicely.
Some
of the old timers use Poly-Tak to apply tapes. Why not do that?
>Do not use Poly-Tak to attach tapes. Poly-Tak
will dry too brittle for the flexible bond needed on tapes.
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