Interior colors for the '41 Deluxe

[shipljl]

I'm getting to the point where it's time to work on the cabin on my '41 Deluxe. Can anyone help me with the original colors for the upholstery, headliner, control panel etc? Photos would be great. I have some old black and white photos. The original color was the ivory-maroon. Chet Peek said that the interior was done to match the exterior paint combination. Any help would be appreciated.

[Ragwing nut]

Re: Interior colors for the '41 Deluxe

headliner was a taupe or beige wool, seats were mohair. I actually have a correct seat and door panels the infamous Tom Baker Sr. made for me 12-15 years ago that are perfect condition we never used. went to leather when we decided to install the interior. Seat is 100% correct. I have been meaning to post it in the for sale section but have not done it yet. Panel was matching beige with hand painted wood grain insert, have an original, not sure how useable though.

[shipljl]

Re: Interior colors for the '41 Deluxe

Sent you a PM.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Interior colors for the '41 Deluxe

I have finished my 41 Deluxe interior and took it back to factory original. Mine was Taylorcraft Ivory over Maroon too so yours should be just like mine (which is an extension of what Tom Baker did. I have LOTS of pictures and have an upholsterer here who made my seats, door panels and headliner from the "Taupe Mohair" and "Leatherette" that is used by the antique car restoration guys (Taylor got his materials from the car builders too and the pre-war car guys have LOTS of information on materials). We did NOT use the original wool for the headliner since it gets stained by the oils in your hair but there is a modern fire-proof substitute that looks just like the original.
Start posting what you want to see and I will start digging through pictures to post (a few at a time to keep from overloading the system).
Hank

[Ryan]

Re: Interior colors for the '41 Deluxe

www.alliancememory.org has many original taylorcraft factory photos. I know there are some interior shots on there as well...

[shipljl]

Re: Interior colors for the '41 Deluxe

Hank,
I really appreciate the offer. The first thing I need is the color of the tubing in the cabin, the ones over the control panel, and the ones through the "D" windows. Next I will be looking for colors for the control panel and the metal trim around the door frames.

thanks,

John

[Ragwing nut]

Re: Interior colors for the '41 Deluxe

Acry Glo (sherman williams) has a color called Stone grey or beige that is almost a dead ringer on color. If you want it correct it should not be super glossy.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Interior colors for the '41 Deluxe

Let me try this again. For some reason my post didn't go through. The uncovered tubes in the cockpit (the ones visible from the seats through the glass, including the tube through the "D" window) are matt black on mine. The tubes for the door hinges (the "A Pillars") are wrapped with sheet metal covers that are painted beige. I found a match for the color in hardware store spray cans called "Putty". I think it was Rustoleum. The base color for the panel was the same with Faux wood grain for the insert and glove box doors. Under the doors the covers are aluminum colored (aluminum paint seems to last better than actual bare polished aluminum).
In the picture I have since routed all of the radio wires behind the "A Pillar" covers and I hope to make a new mold for the missing glove door handle.
Hank

[shipljl]

Re: Interior colors for the '41 Deluxe

Hank,
Do you have a source for the two fabrics in the picture of your cabin, the one used on the door and side pannels and the one used on the headliner? Also what names would you call these colors?

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Interior colors for the '41 Deluxe

The upholsterer found some material used by antique car restorers. The "Leatherette" (what we replaced with Naugahyde today, Leatherette was a coated cloth that was made before WW-I that didn't always stand up) was a 1940 or 41 Maroon that was used in Studebaker's and Nash's. The fabric was originally Taupe Mohair and he found a synthetic material the same car restorers used in their work that looks the same. Nice thing is it has better fire proofing than the original. At least it didn't smell like a burning horse when you tried to see if it would support a flame. They are both also used in boats and have to meet the fire requirements there.
Since original Leatherette and Mohair couldn't be found, I figured if cars could win the Pebble Beach antique car concourse with this, it should be OK for my plane. Not EVERYTHING can be original.
Hank

By the way, I was told that you only have to meet the fire resistance requirements that were in place when your plane was built, NOT the current ones, although this material was supposed to meet current ones. Try the sample book at the best antique car upholsterer you can find. A good one is worth his weight in Gold! I could NEVER have sewn a set of seats as nice as he did, and he let me help!

[shipljl]

Re: Interior colors for the '41 Deluxe

What color should the control wheel be? The old black and white photos look like they are a light color. Also, the banjo wires, were they the same color as the wheel or were they chromed?

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Interior colors for the '41 Deluxe

Seems like there were different colors for the wheel but my hub and outside were black and the spokes, shaft and center cap were Nickel plated.
Hank

[flyboy150]

Re: Interior colors for the '41 Deluxe

Unrespected Taylorcrafter with 3 posts lol.


Hank,
It appears you have been doing quite a bit of work on the plane since I was there mid April, what are you working on next? Are you staying with the three panel shield?

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Interior colors for the '41 Deluxe

I am in love with the 4 piece windshield. The more I look at it the better it looks. Of course there were some pretty painful parts too. The windshield (the front part) was custom cut at a plastics manufacturer and all of the holes were drilled there since a crack in the main piece would be pretty expensive. The front piece is key since it has to be made to fit your boot cowl and wing roots and each plane is a little different. If THEY cracked one of the holes, they were responsible. Each was drilled oversize and I put a piece of small model plane fuel tube in each hole so the screws wouldn't bear on the Plexi. The holes in the metal strips were drilled to match the Plexi, NOT the other way around! I made the windscreens (the side pieces) and the top transparency. The top was easy, but he sides were a PAIN. If anyone else does this pick the HOTTEST day of the year to do the actual instillation of the side glass. I have a whole stack of broken windscreens in the hangar. It didn't work until I "broke the code" and attached the front edge with the plastic sticking out and the metal frame not pulled down to the "A" Pillar (the door hinge tube). I pulled it on a day when the temp in the hangar was 110*F and used a tile gun to GENTLY fan the plexi till it relaxed and slowly curved down for the bolts to hold it to the "A" pillar. Even then I came out the next day and the pilots side was broken the first time (see photos). The cause looked to be a small "nick" on the top edge where a crack started as it cooled. What finally worked was to heat the plexi, on a REALLY hot day till it was SOOOOO CLOSE to bubbling (there are a few up under the wing fairing) then keep it very warm over night so it would hold its shape (August in SE Virginia is NICE AND WARM!).
After it was fully formed and had been in place a few months I took the curved piece back to the plastics contractor to have the vent holes made (it held its shape by then). He had NO IDEA how hard they were to make, but he did a great job polishing all of the holes so they don't start cracks.
If anyone wants to try it, it should be a lot easier the second time. The big thing is to keep the side pieces HOT. As for visibility, you don't even really see the frames since they are pretty much in front of the tubes. Get your pieces made and wait for your hangar to be unbearably hot. You guys north of the Mason-Dixon line need to plan some time in the south or have a BUNCH of heat in your hangar.
Hank

[Larry Lyons]

Re: Interior colors for the '41 Deluxe

I would sak that the moderator take this info about the 4 piece windshield and make it in to another thread so we can find it later by doing a search on "4 piece windsheild" or at least "windshield". I will not need this for a long time and maybe never if I go with a one piece, but I sure will if I go with the 4 piece.
L