Seven Headliner Questions

[t-crafter]

Re: Seven Headliner Questions

You can get spray on 3m fabric spray and in a can at Nappa The wind Lace is a 1/2 or5/8 round foam material covered with fabric. Any upholstry shop or supply house will have it. It was used around doors and windows of cars up to the mid 60,s. Carlton

[VictorBravo]

Re: Seven Headliner Questions

The headliner in a Taylorcraft, IMHO, should be left out. It not only reduces the headroom inside the plane noticeably, but it also means you can't put the skylight in, and you can't do as thorough of a pre-flight inspection. The padding can trap and hold moisture, mice, etc. It also weighs a pound or two. for my money, unless you are doing a full antique restoration, a "daily flyer" T-craft should do without the headliner.

If you are doing a headliner, go to your nearest hobby shop and buy 48 inch lengths of 1/16 inch music wire, made by K&S company in the red cardboard tubes, and bend that to shape for the headliner bows. 1/8" wire is just ridiculous. Make them out of rebar, why don't they

If you want to do it really lightweight, get the newfangled carbon fiber rods instead of the music wire, you'll save half a pound and it won't rust.

[Ron Coleman]

Re: Seven Headliner Questions

Auto upholstery shops have bow wire for headliners. the wire is spring steel that will take a set and hold the cloth in place. Be sure to epoxy paint it. T-Craft headliners are simple to make and install if you have any sewing experience. Make the liner out of wool because after you get it in place with a few minor sags and wrinkles you can shrink it tight with a light spray of water. If you are going to spray it for fire proofing, do it after it is installed so that it will not be preshrunk. I wouldn't worry about fire. If it catches on fire, rip it out real quick and throw it out. You might as well jump out with it.
Access for inspection is important. Mark where you want the zippers to be and have a friend or some one at the fabrik store sew them in for you. It would not hurt to buy some cheap cloth to make a dummy, then make a pattern from that to transfer to a good quality wool. Then offer the pattern to the rest of us.

Try it, you will like it.
RonC
N96995
I put a vinyl headliner in a Cessna 172. DON'T ever do that unless you like pain.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Seven Headliner Questions

Just a little hint when you spray the wool to shrink it. Use DISTILLED water in a new, clean sprayer. The littlest bit of contaminant or dissolved minerals in the water can spot the wool. I also found my wires last night and can see why they were so thick, they are NOT music wire. They are a soft steel wire about the strength of a coat hanger wire (just thicker). If you go to smaller diameter music wire they won't fit tight in the fuselage holes. I think I may look for some Stainless welding rod. It looks like they used mild steel welding rod on the original.
I also am not very worried about flammability. I figure if the headliner and seats are on fire I'm already gone. I don't want anything to SPREAD a fire, but wool doesn't burn very well anyway unless there is a flame on it from somewhere else. The GLUE scares me. Some of those spray glues burn like mad. I have yet to see staples burn.
Hank