All things hang gliding. This is the main forum. New users, introduce yourself.

Moderators: sg, mods

User avatar
By lukef
#399775
I try and strip my glider down each year and fully wash all tubing inside and out as I mostly fly coastal dunes.
I got a bit of salt water last year and washed it without stripping and after stripping it on the weekend I found a bit of pitting on my outboard leading edge where it slots into the mid section leading edge, only cosmetic and no structural issues but i was wondering if anyone uses a treatment or something I might apply to areas especially vulnerable after fresh water washing
By bickford frederick
#399781
LPS 3 applied several times might help slow the corrosion. Use very small amounts allowing the rust inhibitor time to do its job and wipe clean after each application. Don't get any on your sail.

Completely disassembling every part the airframe might reveal corrosion in other areas.
User avatar
By kukailimoku2
#399782
And of course you are replacing ALL removed nyloc nuts with brand new ones when you do the maintenance...

:goodidea:
User avatar
By miraclepieco
#399790
I usually crash gliders long before they corrode ;-) but I remember one of the manufacturers (WW?) recommending wiping tubes with linseed oil.
User avatar
By kukailimoku2
#399799
Maybe BubbleBoy or jlatorre can chime in but I don't remember any recommendations for oil on wires because 1) sand and grit would stick to it quite nicely and 2) it would stain the sail when in the bag.

Guys?
User avatar
By lukef
#399821
Thanks very much for the feedback, I had a look at the LPS 3 and that looks quite ideal. Thanks all
User avatar
By jlatorre
#399862
kukailimoku2 wrote: Tue Aug 01, 2017 9:00 pm Maybe BubbleBoy or jlatorre can chime in but I don't remember any recommendations for oil on wires because 1) sand and grit would stick to it quite nicely and 2) it would stain the sail when in the bag.

Guys?
That sounds right to me. And as for linseed oil, you want to use the "boiled linseed oil" (which is not really boiled, but has chemicals that accelerate the hardening of the oil to provide a polymer coating on the tube).

And good on you for inspecting! IMO every glider should be stripped down once a year to look for stuff like this (and also dents, almost-torn rib pockets, broken strands on cables, and so on and on). It's astonishing, and unsettling, to find this stuff just lurking beneath the surface. I think kukailimoku would agree with me there. We could tell you stories...

And new nylocks all around when you put it back together. Because your wing deserves it.
User avatar
By DMarley
#399897
Lanoline has been around since before 700BC as a waterproof, waxy, protectant, and there are several commercial formulations that contain this natural lubricant.
User avatar
By kukailimoku2
#399901
"Waxy" still gives me pause...if there's any even tiny element of "sticky" you're gonna be really upset by the crud on the wires and the sail and the inside of the glider bag. I remember a guy in Binghamton who glossed his sail with bowling alley wax (no, I am NOT kidding). Made the sail feel supple but all of the stitching turned into a swiffer duster and made a serious mess.

You might want to experiment on something other than your glider first.
User avatar
By DMarley
#399922
kukailimoku2 wrote: Wed Aug 09, 2017 8:59 pm "Waxy" still gives me pause...if there's any even tiny element of "sticky" you're gonna be really upset by the crud on the wires and the sail and the inside of the glider bag. I remember a guy in Binghamton who glossed his sail with bowling alley wax (no, I am NOT kidding). Made the sail feel supple but all of the stitching turned into a swiffer duster and made a serious mess.
http://www.fluid-film.com/products/
Yeah, probably not the best choice when the collection of sand, grit and dust are a concern.
I used something similar on my 33' sailboat's wire rigging in preparation for salt-water sailing. But I'd wipe all the excess off. And I never, ever sailed it on a dusty launch or LZ. :| Though we had a few hurricanes and Nor'Easters blow plenty of fine dust around. The torrential rains usually fixed all that.