Champ Widow felt/paint on rubber?

[JackC]

Apologies for asking so many questions lol

On all the champs I’ve seen the left side sliding window is always scratched, first off can it be buffed with polywatch or a 3M solution?


The other one is stopping the damn scratches in the first place, are these windows sposed to have a felt track in it?

Other idea was masking a painting the inner metal edge of the forward window with that rubber tool grip paint?

Thoughts?

 

[Rickw]

I wouldn't paint if you want to open that window with rubber grip paint

 

[JackC]

I wouldn't paint if you want to open that window with rubber grip paint

Any good recommend to keep it from rattling and scratching the other window?

 

[Rickw]

Any good recommend to keep it from rattling and scratching the other window?

mine just has the felt

 

[JackC]

mine just has the felt

Thanks for the reply

So felt in the upper and lowers tracks on both sides? (4 strips of felts top and 4 bottom)?

 

[JackC]

will something like this work?

Amazon US made felt strip

vs spruce

Adhesive-Backed Felt 1-1/2 X 1/16 (By The Foot) | Aircraft Spruce

Adhesive-Backed Felt 1-1/2 X 1/16 (By The Foot) Sold by the foot.

www.aircraftspruce.com

At almost $9 per foot!

I figure if I felt both sides of both tracks, upper and lower, that’s 3’2” x 8, plus that’s not counting the vertical part

Anyone have any tips?

Thanks!

 

[Champdriver]

I ordered some felt for my fuel tank straps at Graingers last winter. They have various thicknesses, widths and densities. I believe it was 1/8" by 1" and about 10', came to roughly a $10.00 order, no shipping, picked it up at one of their stores.
The problem is it took almost 3 months to get it, I think they didn't want to cut such a small order.
I just kept renewing the order when they asked if I wanted to cancell it via e-mail.
I worked perfectly and I used some 3M spray adhesive to glue it on the straps.

 

[JackC]

I ordered some felt for my fuel tank straps at Graingers last winter. They have various thicknesses, widths and densities. I believe it was 1/8" by 1" and about 10', came to roughly a $10.00 order, no shipping, picked it up at one of their stores.
The problem is it took almost 3 months to get it, I think they didn't want to cut such a small order.
I just kept renewing the order when they asked if I wanted to cancell it via e-mail.
I worked perfectly and I used some 3M spray adhesive to glue it on the straps.

Did you also felt your window tracks?

 

[Champdriver]

No. I'm not that far yet. I do have an original aluminum top and bottom tracks when that time comes.
Yes, my champ had scratched windows too from rubbing together. I'll have to think of using felt on the vertical pieces to try and prevent that.

 

[JackC]

Found this stuff,

So does the felt go on the window or in the tracks? I was thinking of getting the 1” wide and folding it over the top & bottom edge of the window

https://www.thefeltcompany.com/black-felt-stripping-1-wide-adhesive-backed/

 

[Champdriver]

On my very original Champ I believe there was felt sandwiched in between just the plexi and aluminum vertical ends of each window. There was no felt in the tracks, at least on mine. Over the years I had an area of scratches mid window from the prop wash/wind pushing the outer against the inner one.
I know some guys use either felt or the one side of velcro in the tracks, I believe that's to hold it in place so they don't slide by themselves.
My bottom track has the two panes separated by about 3/16", still that's not enough. I'm not sure what you guys do without any kind of track at all.

I realize you are asking about scrathes and not tracks. Whatever you do like adding extra felt on the window frames to prevent sliding against each other is up to you. I'm not sure what others have done if anything at all.