Paper tape discs

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Relative Dimensions

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I'm having a problem trying to find the right sized paper tape discs for Estes style plastic chutes, where I can I get some?I have a few old MPC kits and the included tape strips have gone dry.I also need to get heavy duty carpet thread for shroud lines.Also looking for reasonably priced florescent paint.
 
Estes uses Avery brand round labels (I found the brand label on some very old disks), you find them in office supply stores in the area where you'd buy price tags for things you'd sell in a garage sale. I used to buy them on a single width tape, but you can also find printable sheets of them out there too.

https://www.avery.com/blank/labels/94503
You can find the paper @$$holes with a search for "Reinforcement Labels", looks like the hole is 1/4", and the outer diameter is 9/32"

1650825353920.png
The best match to the heavy carpet thread they use is Coats & Clark Dual Duty thread, available at every US fabric store I've been to.

1650825001288.png
 
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Estes uses Avery brand round labels (I found the brand label on some very old disks), you find them in office supply stores in the area where you'd buy price tags for things you'd sell in a garage sale. I used to buy them on a single width tape, but you can also find printable sheets of them out there too.

https://www.avery.com/blank/labels/94503
You can find the paper @$$holes with a search for "Reinforcement Labels", looks like the hole is 1/4", and the outer diameter is 9/32"

View attachment 515724
The best match to the heavy carpet thread they use is Coats & Clark Dual Duty thread, available at every US fabric store I've been to.

View attachment 515722
I second this!!!
 
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09D6Z43H8/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_7KYAMA5N2G29RQ3GX3AH?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Stronger and better than the discs. Put either end on the parachute and the middle forms a loop for tying on the shroud lines.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DKA3BTO/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_3BKFPVSFY8VDM1R1ERNP
4 ply cotton string for shroud lines.

I like the idea of the jewelry tags. Have you tried them on Mylar? Seems like a pretty tough attachment point if the adhesive is compatible.

Sandy.
 
I like the idea of the jewelry tags. Have you tried them on Mylar? Seems like a pretty tough attachment point if the adhesive is compatible.

Sandy.
I haven't tried them on mylar. The adhesive is pretty strong, stronger than the paper discs from Avery, but not sure about compatability. The thin plastic parachutes you get from Estes and similar are compatible but I haven't tried anything else.
 
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I can’t seem to find the old 100% cotton thread of yesteryear, most of the current carpet or outdoor upholstery heavy duty thread is a polyester or cotton/poly blend, but it also works fine for shroud lines. You can find it at most fabric/craft stores.
B9D9780D-488C-45C7-92AE-CE72AFAB97FC.jpeg
I just fold over scotch tape at each corner of the chute, then trim the tape to the edge and punch a hole to tie the shroud lines:
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threa...apped-recycle-bin-rocket.169834/#post-2219938
f7abe716-87bc-4e05-946f-54b39434429b-jpeg.496669
 
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I haven't tried them on mylar. The adhesive is pretty strong, stronger than the paper discs from Avery, but not sure about compatability. The thin plastic parachutes you gey from Estes and similar are compatible but I haven't tried anything else.

Sounds like its worth giving it a try either way. Thanks for passing the tip along. I see you found it from Rick at Newway, so thanks to you both!!

Sandy.
 
I stopped using the paper way back when they were just dots without the holes as the idea of looping the line though a plastic chute never made sense to me. As my own experience proved when I was younger, this is a great way to have the line cut through the chute and have the parachute fail.

To attach the lines I create a small loop in the line then attach it with plain old scotch brand clear tape. Unless I really mess up the ejection timing (C6-3 in a Alpha) I've not had one fail.

The next issue I had to tackle was the lines breaking. Since they were now securely attached I started to see an issue with the lines breaking under load. A quick switch to 100lb kevlar fixed that issue.
 
The Avery label adhesive does not age well...in a lot of my vintage kits the paper labels are no longer even stuck to the backing sheet, and I've had the shrouds come off the canopy en masse when flying very old models. Mylar or kapton tape with good acrylic adhesive is a lot better from a functional and lifetime standpoint. For LPR I just use a bight (180 degree bent) of fly-tying poly shroud line under a square of 5/8" or 3/4" mylar tape; it even works for egglofter chutes. For extra security you can use a longer strip of tape with a "wavy" shroud line underneath. With this method you don't ever need to put a hole in the canopy (and I think that's almost always undesirable anyway). Heavy thread and Avery discs are vintage correct, but the modern options are technically superior.
 
I haven't tried them on mylar. The adhesive is pretty strong, stronger than the paper discs from Avery, but not sure about compatability. The thin plastic parachutes you get from Estes and similar are compatible but I haven't tried anything else.

The Avery plastic reinforcements for paper work well on space blanket type Mylar.
 
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