Finished wing bags and covers for vertical and horizontal stab.

• $23 a roll for 24” wide. Reflectix 3/16” thick. 25 feet long.
• 22.25” wide by 94” piece for each wing bag.
• Regular sewing machine with straight stitch and longest stitch.
• Thread was simple, everyday mending thread.
• Woodpecker is used to puncture the bubble wrap that's sandwiched between the foil. Woodpecker is used over carpet or cutting board. Do both sides twice and inboard enough to allow insulation material to fit under the shoe.
  EDIT: An alternative to the Woodpecker is simple and perhaps more effective. A Steam Iron set to max temp (I.e., linen) will flatten the edges and make sewing even easier. You must use bakers paper or parchment between the Reflectix and Iron to preventing melting the plastic and sticking to the hot plate or shoe of the Iron. Certain brands of the aluminized bubble wrap will permanently bond together if an Iron is used at max temp. The Reflectix brand does not fuse together permanently. It does stick together but separates like masking tape.
• Don't forget Sewing 101 and to properly engage the bobbin thread with needle thread. And, lock the stitch by going back and forth using the reverse switch on the sewing machine. Never used a sewing machine just google the make and model in Youtube and there will be endless how to videos.
• Must push and pull through sewing machine.

The inspiration video for making the bags is courtesy of estrickland1.
How to Make a Wing Bag, wing cover. (23 min 19 sec)(23 min 19 sec)

This was very helpful. I plan on making a few now.

Same here on planning to build oneI have several planes I dont want scratched up in transport.I now they will get scratched on landing with no gear but no sense in adding to it.
Mookie

Originally Posted by Abbeville Pilot

This was very helpful. I plan on making a few now.

Thanks should be given estrickland1 on his video. It is quite explicit. Learning to use a sewing machine was my challenge. The rest is simple.

Originally Posted by MookieStick

Same here on planning to build oneI have several planes I dont want scratched up in transport.I now they will get scratched on landing with no gear but no sense in adding to it.
Mookie

Exactly.

Bill

Very cool use of Reflectix and good job on the video. I have a few foam planes needing some padding and protection, thanks!

Originally Posted by flyinjrc74

Very cool use of Reflectix and good job on the video. I have a few foam planes needing some padding and protection, thanks!

Thank estrickland1 for his excellent video.

Hey, Prof,
Guess what, tonight I finally got around to trying my hand a sewing. Not too tough once you get the hang of it. Of course at first the tread tension was too loose and made big notts of thread on the back side, but a little adjustment and it got much better.

I didn't get around to making actual wing bags tonight it's just getting too late. But for practice I did make a bag out of the insulation big enough to hold my foot pedal and power cord, along with the quick start guide and some other odds and ends.

I'm probably never going to be a Betsy Ross, but I don't see a problem making passable wing bags. I can probably make pretty good main blade bags for helicopters as well. Those will probably be a hit on heli night at the field.

Thanks for your part in adding to the instructions. I'll be coming back to your blog to check the dimensions and looking for more tips. Best part of the whole deal was, I didn't even poke my finger once. That's more than I can say for going fishing.

Thanks again,
Bert

Originally Posted by Sideslip

Hey, Prof,
Guess what, tonight I finally got around to trying my hand a sewing. Not too tough once you get the hang of it. Of course at first the tread tension was too loose and made big notts of thread on the back side, but a little adjustment and it got much better.

I didn't get around to making actual wing bags tonight it's just getting too late. But for practice I did make a bag out of the insulation big enough to hold my foot pedal and power cord, along with the quick start guide and some other odds and ends.

I'm probably never going to be a Betsy Ross, but I don't see a problem making passable wing bags. I can probably make pretty good main blade bags for helicopters as well. Those will probably be a hit on heli night at the field.

Thanks for your part in adding to the instructions. I'll be coming back to your blog to check the dimensions and looking for more tips. Best part of the whole deal was, I didn't even poke my finger once. That's more than I can say for going fishing.

Thanks again,
Bert

Bert,

You are welcome. I have never sewn using a sewing machine before but I did get it figured out. No fingers were poked either.

Bill

Originally Posted by Sideslip

Hey, Prof,
Guess what, tonight I finally got around to trying my hand a sewing. Not too tough once you get the hang of it. Of course at first the tread tension was too loose and made big notts of thread on the back side, but a little adjustment and it got much better.

I didn't get around to making actual wing bags tonight it's just getting too late. But for practice I did make a bag out of the insulation big enough to hold my foot pedal and power cord, along with the quick start guide and some other odds and ends.

I'm probably never going to be a Betsy Ross, but I don't see a problem making passable wing bags. I can probably make pretty good main blade bags for helicopters as well. Those will probably be a hit on heli night at the field.

Thanks for your part in adding to the instructions. I'll be coming back to your blog to check the dimensions and looking for more tips. Best part of the whole deal was, I didn't even poke my finger once. That's more than I can say for going fishing.

Thanks again,
Bert

Bert,

You are welcome. I have never sewn using a sewing machine before but I did get it figured out. No fingers were poked either.

Bill

I got to work the other night and figured out my machine. Got it all threaded and ran a test piece. All seemed well. Then tonight I got around to the real thing. Started sewing up one side and the machine jammed. I got it to free up and tried again. Sewed a few inches and jammed again. Had my wife look at it. She got a old wash cloth out and sewed the heck out of it, no problem.

I try to sew the bag again...yup....jammed. We tried different thread tension and different stitch length and I finally broke the needle. Changed the needle, reread all the instructions that seemed to be pertinent and still nothing . I've threaded the bobbin two different way, and that don't help.

I got one bag done, and it's functional. I've had enough for tonight. My head cold has decided to make a comeback. And I don't care if I never sew again...well I might try one more time.

I bet you have a Brother machine, right?

Bert

Oh BTW, mine is a Singer 5400. POS!!!

Originally Posted by Sideslip

I got to work the other night and figured out my machine. Got it all threaded and ran a test piece. All seemed well. Then tonight I got around to the real thing. Started sewing up one side and the machine jammed. I got it to free up and tried again. Sewed a few inches and jammed again. Had my wife look at it. She got a old wash cloth out and sewed the heck out of it, no problem.

I try to sew the bag again...yup....jammed. We tried different thread tension and different stitch length and I finally broke the needle. Changed the needle, reread all the instructions that seemed to be pertinent and still nothing . I've threaded the bobbin two different way, and that don't help.

I got one bag done, and it's functional. I've had enough for tonight. My head cold has decided to make a comeback. And I don't care if I never sew again...well I might try one more time.

I bet you have a Brother machine, right?

Bert

Oh BTW, mine is a Singer 5400. POS!!!

Correct, it is 10 year old Brother. Long stitch and straight stitch? I found that the I really had to woodpecker the heck out of the material so it would not balloon during sewing. Hit it again, front and back then try sewing again.

If I can sew, you can sew these.

Bill

Bill, at this point I think it's the machine. It will sew light cloth just fine. Yes Straight stitch, long stitch. Woodpeckered the material to death. Still got a no go. Machine sews about five stitches or less and then the needle jams. I'm fed up for tonight. Supposed to go to our indoor, end of the season, flying, pizza party, tomorrow, and I feel lousy. We'll see how I feel in the morning. I may forgo the whole thing. Maybe I'll donate this machine to a needy cause. I don't need any more frustration in my life. Fighting with Tru-Turn was/is enough. Still no sign of my 2nd spinner, and I have had no word from them either. I don't really expect much anyway.

I'm still a little on edge. My mother in-law died last Friday evening. It was pretty traumatic, being at her bedside with my wife when she passed and my mind is still not right.

Talk to you later,

Bert

Originally Posted by Sideslip

Bill, at this point I think it's the machine. It will sew light cloth just fine. Yes Straight stitch, long stitch. Woodpeckered the material to death. Still got a no go. Machine sews about five stitches or less and then the needle jams. I'm fed up for tonight. Supposed to go to our indoor, end of the season, flying, pizza party, tomorrow, and I feel lousy. We'll see how I feel in the morning. I may forgo the whole thing. Maybe I'll donate this machine to a needy cause. I don't need any more frustration in my life. Fighting with Tru-Turn was/is enough. Still no sign of my 2nd spinner, and I have had no word from them either. I don't really expect much anyway.

I'm still a little on edge. My mother in-law died last Friday evening. It was pretty traumatic, being at her bedside with my wife when she passed and my mind is still not right.

Talk to you later,

Bert

Bert,

I can empathize and only express my sincerest wishes that things get better. Grieving is never easy. And our hobby is supposed to be fun not frustrating. I bought a new open source Taranis and I still have only just checked it out and did basic firmware upgrades. It is not a ready to use it as a radio. You program everything. Right now, life is too short. 3 weeks ago my fractures her ankle but she has other disabilities that required her to rehab in a facility. She comes home tomorrow. Meanwhile, I tore my meniscus in my right knee running to her when she fell and broke her ankle. Boy does that one hurt. I had an MRI and the Ortho ,although is complete torn, it can be healed with time and PT. While she was convalescing my 17 year old basset hound became gravely ill and needed a pacemaker but I decided not to spend the $10K on a dog pacemaker. So, I had to euthanize the old guy. I hate getting old.

When things improve you might as well buy a new sewing machine. They are only a little more expensive than a Tru Turn spinner.

Bill

Any advice as to which Brother machine is best suited to the job? Amazon seems to show the CS6000i and XL2600l, but I have no idea if either one is really up to the task.

Making wing bags from Reflectix would be my primary use case, but I'd like to also be able to handle repairing backpacks, modifying a tablet sleeve, that sort of thing.

Originally Posted by Pretext

Any advice as to which Brother machine is best suited to the job? Amazon seems to show the CS6000i and XL2600l, but I have no idea if either one is really up to the task.

Making wing bags from Reflectix would be my primary use case, but I'd like to also be able to handle repairing backpacks, modifying a tablet sleeve, that sort of thing.

I can only recommend regarding the wing bags. You only need one that does a long, straight stitch. Mine is old enough that there is no electronic controls or LEDs. It is like my old Kenmore washer.

Bill