Pretzel Yoke Center Hubs part deux

[Ragwing nut]

Re: Pretzel Yoke Center Hubs part deux

I'll use this as an opportunity to introduce myself - and see if I can upload a picture of my yokes/buttons.

I'm Ron Pollock and I recently acquired BC12D ser#6879 and got it home to the Los Angeles area. Bill Berle has been a great help and influence in my choice of airplane.

I'm very pleased with it and if anyone sees anything incorrect please let me know.

[IMG][/IMG]

mag switch is really only thing incorrect, but would not change it. Originally VSI and TB was not there, but very common and worthy additions

[VictorBravo]

Re: Pretzel Yoke Center Hubs part deux

It's a 65HP airplane with a 2000 FPM vertical speed indicator... but I just haven't had the heart to tell him yet

My new friend Ron Pollock just bought the beautifully restored '46 that my old friend Ross Briegleb had rebuilt about 20 years ago. It's a solid 9 out of 10 or better on all levels,. Ross has a significant amount of Taylorcraft experience.

(He also built a metal and a fiberglass airplane side by side in the same shop at the same time, and both won Oshkosh Lindy awards the same year!)

[Pearson]

Re: Pretzel Yoke Center Hubs part deux

Hank,

I have a plaster of paris mold that I think it was you that sent me for making the yoke hubs. I have not done anything with it. I don't know if this is what you were referring to or not. I think this plaster of paris set up is pretty marginal for turning out anything of any sort of quality. But if you need it, I'll send it to you. Just let me know.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Pretzel Yoke Center Hubs part deux

I'm pretty sure it was the one I sent, but there should be a master turned from wood too. Don't send it back yet. Let's wait and see who has the time (and the desire) to make copies. Might be you or me or someone else in the tribe. It really doesn't matter who actually builds the parts, we can all share in the work, cost and parts. Nice thing is we are a family of Taylorcraft nuts and none of us actually has to have the parts right now to fly. Once we have everything identified we can see who has what's needed and divide up the work.
Hank

[Mark Julicher]

Re: Pretzel Yoke Center Hubs part deux

Doc has a master for the pretzel hubs made out of metal and polished nicely. I was going to make some before I got sidelined with my wife's accident.

I think I can muster some time now - but I have a question. What kind of release agent should be used on the metal before I apply resin?

[VictorBravo]

Re: Pretzel Yoke Center Hubs part deux

What kind of release agent should be used on the metal before I apply resin?

'Pends on the resin or plastic you are using. Believe it or not, three coats of good car wax works pretty good for most normal fiberglass work, assuming your mold is smooth. There are silicone mold release agents available at plastics supply houses that are very very good.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Pretzel Yoke Center Hubs part deux

Mark,
Does Doc have a master (copy of the original in metal) or a mold (a female you can lay up a new copy in)? There are different release systems depending on what you have.
If you have a master, you will need to make a mold. That can actually be easier since you can vac form thin plastic for each ball you want to make over the master and then use plaster to support the plastic. When you are read to make the copy you just spray the inside of the plastic mold with PVA or put on a couple of coats of wax. you lay up the ball inside the plastic and just cut away the thin plastic.
If you have a mold the steps are shorter but there is a catch. You still spray the mold with PVA or coat it with wax, BUT if you don't get a good coat of release you will have a devil of a time getting the copy out of the mold. If there is too much release, the surface of the part will have lots of flaws and require a lot of finish work.
Both ways work, they are just different. Put me down for two with or without defects. All surface defects require is time, sandpaper and filler.
Hank

[NY86]

Re: Pretzel Yoke Center Hubs part deux

Still trying to figure out the colors.

Apparently, there are red and black centers. Are there also red and black emblems, or are all the emblems black? Is the red the same as the Cessna parts? Looking at the picture at the top of this page (post 16), it looks like the same red as Cessna, but I can't tell what the color of the emblem is.

Also, anyone have Ercoupe maroon? Is it original?

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Pretzel Yoke Center Hubs part deux

The Yoke centers I have used to be red on the outside (they are faded, cracked and distorted beyond use). They look "redder" on the inside, but definatly were not black. All of the badges (buttons) I have are black on silver or polished and sealed metal. I also have a pretty bad Erocoupe center that also looks like it was red at one time but the button is red on silver.
Hank

[NY86]

Re: Pretzel Yoke Center Hubs part deux

So the red plastic centers have black emblems?

The Ercoupe ones were maroon to start. Both they and the Cessna red (and presumably the Taylorcraft red) ones fade to a sort of reddish purplish brown color.

[Pearson]

Re: Pretzel Yoke Center Hubs part deux

I would like enough hubs for four airplanes, two pairs of black and two pairs of red. The red ones I have seen all had black centers.

[Robert Lees]

Re: Pretzel Yoke Center Hubs part deux

Here's my rather misshapen, faded and generally manky hubs from my 1946 BC12D.

Points to note:

1. The "button" is indeed black on silver, but how original these are to my aircraft is a moot point.

2. Like Hank's, the outside has faded somewhat, the inside shows a much richer red (maroon, John?) than that of Ron's rather scarlet appearance (his hubs, not him!). Is this a quirk of the camera? I bought new Ercoupe pretzels from Univair a few years ago, and the red of the inside of my hubs is much more akin to the red trim pieces on the yokes (see the difference in Ron's photo).

3. My 1945 (ex-1941 BC65) has black hubs. So it appears that at least two colours were used at some point, unless black was used originally, and then in later used the Ercoupe maroon was used as a replacement? I'm sure the drawings would show.

[NY86]

Re: Pretzel Yoke Center Hubs part deux

OK, here's where I think things stand:

Ercoupe: Maroon with Red emblem
Cessna: Red with Red emblem
Taylorcraft: Black or Red with Black emblem.

As of noon today the centers of the plastic pieces had not seen the light of day in over 60 years...

Unless somethoing else comes up, I'll pursue three colors of plastic parts and one color for each emblem.

Also looking into making the small colored trim at the base of the spoke for a complete restoration...

Rob: my Cessna example makes yours look pristine!

[Robert Lees]

Re: Pretzel Yoke Center Hubs part deux

Rob: my Cessna example makes yours look pristine!

Possibly...

Are you suggesting that you can do red, black and maroon centres?

[Ragwing nut]

Re: Pretzel Yoke Center Hubs part deux

I have a near perfect pair of maroon faded to a nice purple. The company that made them is perfectly legible on the back with a patent number so make sure it is not in effect (which I doubt) before proceeding.