lining for fuselage cradle?

[Colin Roney]

Any ideas on best material to line a fuselage cradle.
If carpet? wool.synthetic?
Best adhesive to stick it down?

[Tim Taylor]

Traditionally wool felt has been used as it wears well and in the correct grade is soft. Seach for F grades to find more details. Not cheap but worth using on an expensive glider.

Indoor/outdoor carpet can also be used.

Contact cement is the most common adhesive. I recommend a rubber seam roller to help with a smooth fitting.

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It is worth noting that leaving a glider in a wet cradle (or wing wheel) can cause damage (blistering, discoloration) to gelcoat. Try to avoid long periods of contact with damp surfaces. I use felt on my WingRiggers but prefer marine grade outdoor carpet on wing wheels. Construction adhesive (Liquid Nails etc.) works on the carpet pretty well. For felt, Gorilla Glue is good.

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On Sunday, December 3, 2017 at 9:05:00 AM UTC-6, Tim Taylor wrote:
> Traditionally wool felt has been used as it wears well and in the correct grade is soft. Seach for F grades to find more details. Not cheap but worth using on an expensive glider.
>
> Indoor/outdoor carpet can also be used.
>
> Contact cement is the most common adhesive. I recommend a rubber seam roller to help with a smooth fitting.

McMaster Carr has all kinds of felt, amazing variety. They have a monster warehouse here in Chicagoland, I can pick up my orders 1 hour after placing it on their website.

[jfitch]

On Sunday, December 3, 2017 at 3:30:24 AM UTC-8, Colin Roney wrote:
> Any ideas on best material to line a fuselage cradle.
> If carpet? wool.synthetic?
> Best adhesive to stick it down?

Also worth noting is that the Cobra cradle has a strip of rubber in the middle to provide some "sticktion". Depending on the glider, some my slip off the cradle or roll in it very easily without this.

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Yes, a strip of foam or (my favorite) a piece of (white neoprene) shelf liner. You know, the nubbly stuff sold at WalMart. It only costs about three bucks and you get enough to do a half dozen cradles. I saw a freshly waxed Discus roll over when a cross wind hit the vertical fin. The canopy was open to also catch the breeze and the result was a cracked canopy that only cost an arm and a leg to replace.