sugarfox

My Feedback: (1)

I am in the middle of covering my Banshee and thought I would try something I read about in another forum. That Is using hairspray to seal the wood before covering. I'm using monocoat for the first time in a lot of years because the color(metallic platinum) isn't available in ultracote. I can't get the stuff to seal down to the wood in spots. I wish I would have tested on some scrap. I stopped and covered everything else with a lite coat of balsarite like I always have. I can't decide whether its the monocoat or the hairspray, or both. What do you guys think? Anyway, a heads up.

regards Sugarfox

s. wallace

My Feedback: (24)

I do a lot more work with glass cloth & paint than film coverings but the metallics do seem to act differently when I've tried them. I've not heard of using hairspray before using iron on covering. Anyway, hope the model turns out well, post some photos when its done; Banshee is neat airplane.

The only modeling use I recall for hairspray is to spray balsa sheeting used for sheeting a foam wing with hairspray prior to applying expoxy for skinning the wing. The theory was the hairspray prevented excess epoxy from soaking into the wood so less would be used, and create a lighter wing panel. This was from the days of 800 sq in pattern models with 10cc 2 strokes where every gram saved (in theory) counted.

crankpin

My Feedback: (15)

Hairspray. I use it to stiffen glass cloth for cutting. Never heard of the method you are going to try. The MK will stick and seal, it takes practice. You may try a woodpecker from Top Flite. It aeroates the wood, allowing the gas to escape down into the surface. I am not sure if that is a correct, I cannot think of anything else it is good for. If you are using a cheap iron, replace it with the best one you can afford, 21st Century has a good iron. Are you following the basic instruction's on the MK roll? You can cover with MK and it can be hard to tell from a good paint job. On wingtip's, you have to pull and seal, pull and seal, almost melting the Mk to the surface in some area's. You may not be using enough heat, altho when using the higher temp's to apply MK, it is best to have some experience with it. My suggestion is to get someone in your area or club to show how it is done, then learn from that. Hairspray may have some glue in it's formula, better try it out on something first.
Crank

Reading RamJet's post for BalsaRite. Best method for me.

dhal22

i agree crank, i've never heard of this.

RCBruski65

My Feedback: (44)

We used to use hairspray to seal the skins before sheeting foam core wings to get a better bond and to use less glue. That's all I ever used it for.

Tim

Ram Jet

I would use only Balsa Rite. Hairspray on a Viva or Bounty paper towel makes a great tack cloth prior to painting. Let the hair spray dry fo 30 minutes before useing. Do not use hair spray on wood prior to covering. Balsa Rite only.

Bill

crankpin

My Feedback: (15)

BalsaRite - I agree

sugarfox

My Feedback: (1)

Hey guys, thanks for all the suggestions. I have all those bases covered that have been mentioned.. I had just covered one panel on the bottom of the wing when this showed up. I've used balsarite for years and thought I'd try this idea. Hairspray is basically laquer if you'd believe it, so I thought it would act like balsarite and seal the wood and give a slight adheseive (sp) effect. I've had a bad attitude towards monocoat so I'm basically blaming it! Although I really can't complain about anything else so far though. After over 35 years you'd think I would have it figured out by now. The biggest thing I'm kicking myself over is not testing the idea on a piece of scrap. If I can't get it to seal down in those spots I'll just strip it off and start over, not the end of the world. Just wanted to give a "heads up' incase anyone else had read the same thread. I've forgottten where it was now.

Thanks again for the suggestions, Sugarfox

Ed Lyerly

sugarfox,
I had a discussion with Ed Hartley about his Curare this weekend at a SPA contest in Greensboro (Randleman, NC). Ed said that he used hairspray on the bare balsa (followed by a light sanding with 600 grit sandpaper) before applying Monokote.
Ed

sugarfox

My Feedback: (1)

Ed, glad to hear I'm not the only one to have tried this hair brained idea, (pun intended). I have covered the rest of the wing after a coat of balsarite and I'm having the same problem in spots. It's like the monocote doesn't have a consistant amt of glue on it. I thought the balsarite would cure the problem. I worked on this off and on all day today and am about fed up with it. I'm dreading taking it to the field on a hot sunny day. I expect it to wrinkle up like a prune. Anyway I an done with monocote, again. I will say that the seams dissapear better than with ultracote, assuming because it is a thinner film. I know that others have good luck with this stuff but I'm not happy with it at all. I've been modeling for 35 years or more so I do have some experience. Not that I know it all, maybe I'm doing something wrong.......................anyway, it is what it is.

Thanks for talking to Ed H. about it. He must have had some success. I really don't think the hairspray has anything at all to do with the problem

regards sugarfox

RCPAUL

My Feedback: (1)

The hairspray method is well known. I have not tried it.

Paul

Ed Lyerly

sf,
Ed said that there is a particular brand of hairspray that he and others use. He could not recall the brand name but said it has a pink top. He also said that it improved the adhesion of MonoKote ..... plus ...... Ed said he uses a "LOT" of heat and really works at fusing the Monokote adhesive to the surface and the "lacquer"left there from the hairspray.
Like you, I have not developed the proper application technique ..... and am always disappointed by my results with film covering. I will also say that even the guys who apply it with impressive results have wrinkles appear after their models sit in the sun for a while.
Ed

crankpin

My Feedback: (15)

I was anti-monokote for years. Then, I made up my mind to try it. You have to think positive on this stuff, I know that may sound elementary, but it can be done. A good iron with a sock cover. You can get your wife or someone to buy baby cotton socks for the iron. Learn how to regulate the heat, you will find that after you get it, you will be using more hot iron then cool iron. Use pin's to punch the bubbles, where needed, they will be un-seen after the job is done. You can overlap, color separation is clean and crisp when cutting, you can MK over paint, fiber-glas cloth, etc. On wing tips, pull and seal, pull and seal, it can be done. I am getting repetitive here, but where there is a will, there is a way. The attached picture is one side mono-koted, center section has been sprayed over glass.
Crank

anuthabubba

My Feedback: (102)

Vince speaks the truth.

The surface must be smooth, clean and dust free and the iron must be HOT. The iron must be HOT enough to momentarily discolor the Monokote when it passes over it. It helps to 'rub' the MK down with a folded cloth or oven mitt (immediately after the iron) while it is still HOT. Some irons don't get HOT enough. The MK will contour to most shapes, if the iron is HOT enough, by stretching and ironing. Otherwise (wing saddles, etc.) the MK can be 'finger cut' and each 'finger' ironed down over the previous one for concave and beside the next one on convex surfaces. I've had to do this on wing tips before.

Terry in LP

sugarfox

My Feedback: (1)

Guys, a big thank you to Anuthabubba as he may have saved the day. Following his suggestion I turned my coverite iron way up and went over the wing again. It went nutts with bubbles and wrinkles but finally cooled and shrunk tite. I also as befor rubbed it down with my mit. It now looks good and hopefully will stay that way. I had my iron set to 350. I don't know what the monocote instructions said because as the experienced modeler that I am, promply thru that in the trash, Don't need no freekin inst. I did notice that they had taken the clothing iron off the inst finally. We'll see what this lokis like in the morning but I think anuthabubba has the answer. Maybe my old buddy Ralph knew more than I gave him credit for.

Anyway, hats off to anuthabubba, and thanks. Sugarfox

anuthabubba

My Feedback: (102)

sugarfox,

Glad to be able to help. Also, the only time I use a heat gun is on open structures. Anywhere there is sheet balsa/ply gets the HOT iron and rub.

Terry in LP