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anti chafing tape

DJP

Well Known Member
I searched the Van's forum's to see if anyone had addressed this topic but could not find anything. I want to replace the Anti-Chafing Tape on my RV-10 cowling. The stuff that is on there now is dated and looks less than fantastic. Putting the tape on is no problem BUT cutting the holes for the Cam Locks is going to be. I have experimented trying to cut nice round holes in the tape and have had no success. Has anyone out there found a method to cut nice round holes in this tape?
 
For some larger holes, you can find gasket cutters at an automotive store.

Also, old trick from the model world-----find a piece of brass tubing the right diameter, file the end sharp and use it for cutting round holes.
 
Tubing or pipe nipple

I?ve had pretty good luck making punches out of tubing. Find a piece about 4? long and the same diameter size as the hole you need and sharpen one end of the tube making a bevel on the outside edge.
Lay the tape on a block of hardwood and punch out your hole with just a slight tap with a hammer
Copper tube works well.
 
Solution to making holes in Anti-Chaifing Tape

I was the one that posted the first thread and I appreciate the answers that I received. The one about a leather punch is good and would probably work BUT they just don't make them for 1/2" to 5/8" holes, not that I have seen. I tried copper pipe that I sharpened but it did not do the job.

I searched for the answer to this on other forums and someone came up with a cheap and easy solution, but would it work? They said the Harbor Freight tools had a nine open punch set that would do the job. I purchased the set over the weekend and waited for the new anti-chaifing material to arrive.

Today it did and I tried out the punches on the anti-chaifing material. The first hole was OK but took several hits with the Hammer. I was doing it on my bench and decided to move the operation to the shop concrete floor. All it took was one hit when doing it on the concrete floor. https://photos.app.goo.gl/geVm6W5fCAHqCyZu7

The top picture is when I did it on my bench and the second is when I did it on the concrete floor. In both cases I used a hardwood stop piece but apparently there bench had enough "give" in it that it did not cut properly.

By the way the Harbor Freight tool punch set is a: https://www.harborfreight.com/9-piece-hollow-punch-set-3838.html
 
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