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mats for protecting wing finish during fueling.


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Just finished a multi-day job of polishing up the airplane.  It'll always be a workhorse rather than a beauty queen, but polish and wax still make a difference.  One of the high-elbow-grease parts of the job was polishing all the marks and scratches around the fuel caps from the fuel nozzle, and from laying the caps themselves on the wing.  I'm thinking about carrying a fueling mat in the future to reduce this.  Ideally something small and lightweight - just big enough to shield the tank opening a few inches on all sides, with enough spare room to set the cap on.

Spruce has some fueling mats, but the high-end model is expensive and seems designed for commercial use; and the low-end model gets poor reviews.  Both look heavy.  I've seen much smaller/thinner mats that look more appropriate for personal use, but after searching for them online to no avail, I'm thinking they were probably DIY jobs.

For those of you that use fueling mats, any suggestions?

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When I was a line boy, 50 years ago, no commercial product existed. I used rubber backed outdoor carpet. It is heavy and bulky but for constant use works great.  Now I keep one in the airplane and like you want light weight. I find silicon baking mat the perforated type work very good. You can also use perforated tool box drawer liner. All of these work good.

 

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54 minutes ago, Vance Harral said:

Silicone baking mats sound like  a great idea.  Thinking something like this would fit the bill with a DIY hole cut out: https://www.amazon.com/gasare-Silicone-Countertop-Protection-Resistant/dp/B07K6YZY21

These look like a great idea, i wonder how they would fare with 100LL spilled on them?

 

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I use these, simple, cheap, cut to size wanted, then cut a circle for the fuel caps, throw away when dirty, did I mention cheap also.

Smart Design Shelf Liner Classic Grip - (18 Inch x 5 Feet) - Drawer Cabinet Non Adhesive Protection - Home & Kitchen  from Amazon, of course isn't everything? Multiple color choice to match your paint scheme, wardrobe, etc..                                                                                                                        

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When I saw this post I thought, why not simply purchase a flat mat (about 1/8" thick) and cut a hole in it.  Roll it up when finished.  

I thought a little further however and recognized tht you are creating some friction laying down and taking up the mat, which, depending upon the material, can generate static electricity.  yes the plane is grounded, but there are also fuel vapors nearby.  Some commercial fuel mats are made of silicone, some polyurethane.  What properties are needed when one buys the raw material to use for this purpose?

John Breda

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A low dielectric strength...?

Kind of like low electrical resistance...

Something that doesn’t block electrons flowing through it...

If given the opportunity, you can probably look this fact up for each material considered....

High dielectric strength materials are used in capacitors to separate the large surface areas of very thin metal foils...

 

Marking it clearly with 100LL only is probably a good idea as well... :)

See if that stands out... Because the label on the wing will get hidden by the mat...

Best regards,

-a-

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24 minutes ago, M20F-1968 said:

I thought a little further however and recognized tht you are creating some friction laying down and taking up the mat, which, depending upon the material, can generate static electricity.  yes the plane is grounded, but there are also fuel vapors nearby.  Some commercial fuel mats are made of silicone, some polyurethane.  What properties are needed when one buys the raw material to use for this purpose?

This is an interesting question.

The fueling mats for sale at Spruce are made of polyurethane.  My understanding is the electrical properties of silicone and polyurethane are similar.  I think the silicone baking mats we're discussing here are probably "fine" vs. purpose-designed choices in terms of risk.  But now that I think about it... regardless of the material used, I'm thinking you probably want to ground the airplane before laying down the mat, and (perhaps more importantly) remove the mats before you disconnect the ground.  That would seem to be the lowest-risk procedure.

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Is this because your caps are tethered/chained and need a place to sit during filling?  The caps on mine are not attached so maybe that's why I haven't needed a pad.  Color me confused, until I considered the tether issue.  :D

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25 minutes ago, gsxrpilot said:

come in a 2-pack from Amazon. So if you want one, I'll have an extra by tomorrow.

That's a kind offer, Paul, and a good excuse to get together.

How 'bout you evaluate them and post a PIREP here?  I'll buy the spare from you - and lunch - if it goes well.  If it doesn't, I'll fund a follow-on experiment and give you one of whatever we try next.

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21 minutes ago, Ross Taylor said:

Is this because your caps are tethered/chained and need a place to sit during filling?  The caps on mine are not attached so maybe that's why I haven't needed a pad.  Color me confused, until I considered the tether issue.  :D

My caps are not tethered.  However, if you place them somewhere other than right next to the hole while fueling, you are more likely to forget to put them back on.  Ask me how I know.  :wacko:

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30 minutes ago, Ross Taylor said:

Is this because your caps are tethered/chained and need a place to sit during filling?  The caps on mine are not attached so maybe that's why I haven't needed a pad.  Color me confused, until I considered the tether issue.  :D

Yep, mine are tethered.

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7 minutes ago, Vance Harral said:

That's a kind offer, Paul, and a good excuse to get together.

How 'bout you evaluate them and post a PIREP here?  I'll buy the spare from you - and lunch - if it goes well.  If it doesn't, I'll fund a follow-on experiment and give you one of whatever we try next.

Deal... except it's my turn to buy lunch. I hear the food truck is still serving at LMO.

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Somebody posted where to buy the rubber tethers around here as well...

The caps can get unruly When not connected...

They are not Mooney specific so their price seemed near reasonable...

Best regards,

-a-

Since @OSUAV8TER is our go to guy for fuel caps... an invite for him to see this thread...

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27 minutes ago, PJClark said:

Received 2 pack from Amazon yesterday.  How did you cut the hole, Paul?

Flip the fuel cap over on a piece of cardboard and traced around it with a sharpie. I then transferred that to the mat and cut the circle with a box cutter. I did it on a cutting board to keep from damaging anything under the knife.

Happy to say after one flight and two trips to the pump, I'm happy with the solution. 

Thanks @Vance Harral for the idea. I've got yours in the hangar at BJC.

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