blu4ski

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I want to cover my flyer with a colored silkspan or colored silk. A search of the net did not show any being sold nowadays. I hate to mess with dye to apply to white silkspan.

Can anyone stear me to a source of this product?

ffkiwi

Do a google search on (1) 5-Star products. They are UK based and do 'Starspan' tissue (which I think they source from the Czech Republic-but that's by the by) their tissue has a range of colours and available in light and heavyweight grades.

(2) Do a Google search on 'Thai Silks' -IIRC these are US based, and have a huge range og weights grades and colours of silk. Equally ask on the SAM website, or if you can access the ffml archives, the question has come up there in the past, along with the contact details

(3) check out Peck Polymers: www.Peck-Polymers.com This is now owned by Tim Goldstein in Colorado and you can certainly get coloured domestic and Jap tissue from that source-plus oddities such as checkerboard pattern Jap and silver Jap. Remember that if you need a heavier grade of tissue, often two layers of lightweight will produce a better job than a single heavyweight grade of tissue-and usually take less dope!

I doubt that silkspan has been available in colours for years and years. I've seen adverts for OO, O and SG grades over the years-but only in white.

If you haven't caught up with it-learn about ToM-'tissue over mylar' which has had a revolutionary effect on covering techniques on smaller, lighter models-and alows you to do all sorts of clever stuff you couldn't with tissue alone.

Silk-in the classic modelling package of 1 or 2 square yards-of various colours-is still available-but a dwindling resource-largely I suspect because of laclk of demand for it. Again the SAM people are the main users, so again their website is likely to have sources.

ChrisM
'ffkiwi'

Jim Thomerson

Campbells Custom Kits, Penn Valley Hobby, Micro-X, Peck Polymers, FAI Supply, Aerodyne, etc. What colors do you want? I may have more than I need.

Gollywock

Aerodyne still lists colored silk. http://www.freeflightmodels.com/ I would email before ordering, just to be sure. Colored silkspan, to my knowledge, hasn't been available for several years. One option would be tissue over silkspah or polyspan.

blu4ski

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You guys are fantastic! I'll follow up on the info you've kindly given me and see what i can come up with. At 77 years of age I can really appreciate the access of this on-line searching. THANKS, Gary

Jim Thomerson

Sig has a colored silkspan-like product called plyspan. I've used it like silkspan with good results.

Gollywock

Jim- Do you use plyspan wet or dry? I've never used it. Thanks

alcarafa

You can find coverlite & silk both @ towerhobbies

link for silk, they sale white only []

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXR756&P=ML.

link for coverlite in many colors, very good option:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...ARCH=coverlite

hope it helps.

Jim Thomerson

I do plyspan wet, like silkspan. It is like silkspan but seems to be a little stiffer. It is more dificult to get an edge to stick down over a sharp curve than with silkspan.

supagloo

I'd choose Litespan (http://www.solarfilm.co.uk/litespan.html) or Airspan (http://www.solarfilm.co.uk/airspan.html). Light, very strong and the authentic look of the paper stuff.

blu4ski

I've sent for some white silkspan which I will dye yellow. It's been many years since I've covered a bird. The eyes are not as good, but my patience is perhaps a bit better.

Thanks for all the good replies. Gary

somiss1

My Feedback: (5)

Anybody ever try colored tissue over Doculam?
Frank

StarLoc

StarSpan is 100% manufactured in the UK by Five Star Products and it has no links to the czechs in any way! , it was designed/formulated by myself in 1992 and full production started in 1994, we manufacture from a specific blend of fibers ( we buy the fibers in to our spec ) the fibers are then `glued` together using a specialy formulated adhesive formulated and manufactured by our company , initialy it was made only in white but then in many colours as we just add a colourant to the adhesive base before milling the paper, its 100% made for modeling (unlike a lot of other products)

At present we have very low levels of stock as we do not have time to make it ( the adhesive company takes up most of our time ) , we do have most colours and white in the 9gsm , and very low levels of stock on the 21gsm, 40gsm is available , just the 21 gsm that isnt.

Over the years there have been many stories about starspan being the same as polyspan, some say its from the USA some say czechs make it , its not related in any way to any other product available on the market and comes from our factory in Runcorn , UK

We are just finalising plans on a way of putting the machines in the factory to make some more ( they dont fit in this unit ), we still have lots of the lightweight and manufacture all the various cellulose dopes under the StarSpan brand, so it will be fully available again soon in all weights

TrafconKnight

ffkiwi

See reply I made to your private email.

ChrisM
'ffkiwi'

buzzard bait

Is there a U.S. source for Starspan?

Jim