Cutting out main pilot chutes?

[hackish 8]

I replaced a pilot chute and the review of the jumper brought to everyone's attention the fact that a series of really worn out ratty pilot chutes are in need of replacement!

Now I have orders for 8 of them and I'm wondering what innovative ways people have developed for cutting out the circles?

Since I like to play around with the process I've tried a few things. I tried attaching the iron to peg and rotating it around but the netting doesn't stay put well enough. I tried quartering it and as expected it did a nice job of basting the edges together.

Cheap 30" pizza pans?
A laser? Yes Mr. Bond, a LASER! That would be fun.

Cardboard with aluminum tape around the edge...

What do other people do?

-Michael

[peek 21]

hackish

... I'm wondering what innovative ways people have developed for cutting out the circles [patterns of the pilot chute material]?

I made a pattern with pieces of poster board (cardboard) taped together with a circle drawn using a string on a pencil with the string anchored in the middle. Then I cut out the circle.

[RiggerLee 61]

you can make it last longer is you tape the edge of the patern with aluminum tape. You can get it at the hardware store. It's for air ducts or some thing.

Lee
lee@velocitysportswear.com
www.velocitysportswear.com

[hackish 8]

Here is what I've been using. The slots are to mark where the 3/8 tape goes and the square is for marking the top layer and cutting the hole in the mesh.

I was hoping that someone had found some nifty toy or tool so they could cut and mark arbitrary sizes rather than needing a stack of templates to do the different sizes.



Don't you just know that the 30" template is about 2" bigger than my cutting mirror??? ;)

-Michael

[indyz 1]

I used some scrap wood to make a really basic adjustable circle-cutting jig for my band saw. I used that to cut patterns out of 1/8" hardboard in 2" increments from 24"-32". The hardboard was about $15, and making the jig and cutting the patterns only took a couple hours of my time.

[crapflinger2000 1]

It helps when one of the plane owners/mechanics/pilots is also a skydiver. With a lot of lightweight sheet aluminum lying around.

Had him cut me 2 patterns, one for the mesh, one for the zero p. If memory serves I have him a free repack plus one of the first PCs off the assembly line in return.

I took care of drilling and cutting holes and notches for marking up tape locations and so forth.

__________________________________________________
What would Vic Mackey do?

[hackish 8]

That is a good idea. I wonder how well the aluminum works compared to the cardboard method. Specifically does it pull too much heat out of your hot knife ? I just wish I still had my plasma cutter. I guess I could get some cut on a water jet. I could try a series of rings so the seam allowance could be marked as well...

[riggerrob 643]

Thin aluminum only pulls a little heat from hot knives.
Alternately, you can make patterns from the galvanized sheet steel .... used for making ventilation ducts.

Most factories use "tin" patterns.

[Gene03 0]

I've always used a sheet of Formica (used to cover tables, shelves etc.) to make a long lasting pattern.

If you cut a 6 inch hole in the mesh after sewing on the tape it will make it easier to attach the hackey or other handle.

The 6 inch circle on the canopy fabric is a great guide for sewing on the parapack reinforcement.

“The only fool bigger than the person who knows it all is the person who argues with him.

Stanislaw Jerzy Lec quotes (Polish writer, poet and satirist 1906-1966)

[hackish 8]

Duct work... Good idea. The thickness they use these days I wonder if it's possible to get rid of the sharp edges... If I still had my metal shop I would have cut one out with the plasma cutter in about 10 minutes...

I did find a good source for matboard which is about 3/32" thick used in picture framing. Turns out they sell the defective 40" sheets for about $5ea. They're reasonably easy to cut. In fact if I had a lot of patterns to do some framing companies have CnC cutters for them that will do any arbitrary shape.

-Michael