"Fender welt" anti-chafe on fairings

[Joel Severinghaus]

Does anyone still have the original "semi-bright combination welt" anti-chafe stapled on their gear leg and wing root fairings? Is that vinyl-wrapped cord a 3/16 inch bead or a 1/4 inch bead? And how wide is the flap that is stapled to the fairing?

I've found several online catalog sources for what vintage car restorers apparently call "fender welt". Looks like the right stuff (http://www.metrommp.com/metrocart/ty...pe=Fender Welt), but I want to match the original material Taylorcraft used in the 40s.

[Robert Lees]

Re: "Fender welt" anti-chafe on fairings

Mine was a P-section rubber strip riveted on. I'm fairly sure it was original, because they used those horrible steel rivets.

[Ragwing nut]

Re: "Fender welt" anti-chafe on fairings

Does anyone still have the original "semi-bright combination welt" anti-chafe stapled on their gear leg and wing root fairings? Is that vinyl-wrapped cord a 3/16 inch bead or a 1/4 inch bead? And how wide is the flap that is stapled to the fairing?

I've found several online catalog sources for what vintage car restorers apparently call "fender welt". Looks like the right stuff (http://www.metrommp.com/metrocart/ty...pe=Fender Welt), but I want to match the original material Taylorcraft used in the 40s.

Use "J" channel weatherstrip. It works better. Depending on when the fairing was made will have a couple different types of anti-chafe.

[Joel Severinghaus]

Re: "Fender welt" anti-chafe on fairings

I have J channel weatherstrip glued on my fairings now, but I want to switch it for something more original.

The photo above is of '46 BC12-D NC96818, s/n 9118, snapped in her hangar at Brodhead, WI. Hers is a later serial number than mine, and her fairings looked original, so I'm assuming my ship would have had stapled welt as well. Besides, it looks cool and antiquey.

[Joel Severinghaus]

Re: "Fender welt" anti-chafe on fairings

Replaced the rubber U-channel on my gear fairings with "Model A fender welt" from Tom Baker. Using the photo above as a reference, I punched holes with a nail for my home-made staples. Notched the welt for the curves, glued it in place, then pushed in the staples and hammered them over flat.

Before and after photos:

[Mark Julicher]

Re: "Fender welt" anti-chafe on fairings

Joel,
Those are really NICE.