Q-Tips
Q-Tips will offer suggestions, insights and tricks for
the Quicksilver line of ultralight. Over the years, I've been involved
with the Quicksilver ultralights as a full time business and have
developed many small but time saving methods of doing things to speed
up repairs. This section will cover as many as I can think of and
I will add them as I remember them.
One difficult problem which is easily solved is the changing of the
front and rear batten tips in the ribs. The factory assembles the
tips, front and back and punches two small dimples into the rib to
secure the tips. This can complicate removal and replacement. A fast
and simple way to swap the tips requires the use of a propane torch.
I use one with the built-in igniter. Set the torch on the bench facing
away from you and hold the rib in the flame and heat the aluminum
end until the tip pulls out. Reheat the rib end and push the new tip
into the rib. I suggest rotating the tip prior to insertion by about
90 degrees. As the tip bottoms out, rotate it back into proper alignment.
This keeps the small grooves from allowing the tip to be pulled back
out easily. A whole set of ribs can have the tips replaced in just
a few minutes.
The original factory tips from years back were rather poor quality
material. I pursued the injection molding people to come up with a
better grade of material. While the tips are not really expensive,
the quantity and the difficulty of removing them may make swapping
the entire set at one time a better choice.