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How bad was your first covering job?

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How bad was your first covering job?

Old 01-25-2004, 04:40 PM
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bzpond
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Default How bad was your first covering job?

I am covering my first plane, and the results could be better. I was wondering how everyone elses first plane turned out.
Old 01-25-2004, 05:38 PM
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hookedonrc
 
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Default RE: How bad was your first covering job?

I will let you know when I do. I have been in the hobby for a little over a year now and have had good intentions to build a kit. I had a fun summer, and didn't build much. I lost 4 planes and have been just building ARF's in order to keep flying. Well I did start my Something Extra last year before all of the carnage and spent the last 2 days catching up. I should be covering in about 2 weeks depending on my work time. After all, next Sunday is Super Bowl ....
Old 01-25-2004, 05:48 PM
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nedyob
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Default RE: How bad was your first covering job?

Mine was pretty good concidering I only had a covering iron to do it with at the time. I just took my time and did the best I could. I think I went threw one more roll then what was needed. The plane is still flying and hasn't been recovered since.
Since then over the years I've bought other tools to make coving easier, but it all comes down to taking your time.
NEDYOB
Old 01-25-2004, 06:39 PM
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Default RE: How bad was your first covering job?

My first covering job was with silkspan and dope. It was awful! It took a few trips around the block to learn how to do it, but it was worth it. Harry Higley has a pretty good book out on how to cover with shrink film. It's old, but the basics of how to approach the process and what to expect are very good. Maybe someone you know has one gathering dust on his shelf. Good luck, Dzl
Old 01-25-2004, 09:23 PM
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ben flyn
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Default RE: How bad was your first covering job?

My first was to repair a tail. Bought a iron, but no one told me to remove the backing from the monocote! I thought it would never stick. You know, It's still on my plane that way for the last 4 years!
Old 01-26-2004, 03:27 AM
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rclooney
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Default RE: How bad was your first covering job?

the first covering i did was a mess. a hole in the wing (it is a hollow wooden wing) the whole side ripped when i heated it too much. aaaahhhhhwwwww. the second one was a lot better.
Old 01-26-2004, 08:38 AM
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Mike in DC
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Default RE: How bad was your first covering job?

I was fortunate that I had an experienced modeler to give advice, plus loan me tools. Also, I spent a bit of time watching the Monokote video and practicing on scraps. Still, the covering job was rough, crooked seams, wrinkles, etc. My advice is to do a very simple design on your first covering, essentially one color all over, then apply trim for effect and to distinguish top and bottom.
Old 01-26-2004, 09:01 AM
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Kaos Rulz
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Default RE: How bad was your first covering job?

My first coverings were prior to Monokote being sold. My first silkspan was tight but very heavy. I used a lot of thick dope.

My first Monokote was while I was stationed at Thule, Greenland and I had a lot of time on my hands. The final job was OK, but would have been better if Top Flight sold irons to apply the covering with. At that time it was common to use a regular clothes iron, which is what I wrestled with. (sure got heavy after an hour, or so) A gun - not even on the drawing boards at that time. []
Old 01-26-2004, 10:51 AM
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P-51B
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Default RE: How bad was your first covering job?

Other than a few wrinkles on the wingtips, it came out pretty good. Wish I had heat gun back then!
Old 01-26-2004, 11:39 AM
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Default RE: How bad was your first covering job?

first one was AWFUL

the plane was an Olympic 650 2M sailplane which I scratchbuilt using 1/4" balsa sticks and 1/8" balsa sheet.

I must have used 24 oz. of epoxy while building it 'cause it weighed a TON.

The covering job? At first I did it 100% in navy-blue monokote. Fuse, wing, tail, etc.

Brought it out to the field, the instructor told me that the top and bottom of the wing needed to be different colors.

Went home, cut the covering off the bottom of the wing and replaced it with WHITE monokote

I didn't know any better.

It was a moot point anyway, as that heavy SOB never made it more than 50' in the air.
Old 01-26-2004, 12:07 PM
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scottrc
 
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Default RE: How bad was your first covering job?

It was terrible![:@]
My parents didn't know I bought an ACE wizzard and a roll of covering through mail order. All for $21.00, took me four months to save for it.
I was 10 yrs old and didn't have anyone to help me. Got a lot of burns, and forgot to remove the backing a couple of times. Did it on the livingroom floor while mom was at work and burned a hole in the carpet. Even the cat had Monokote stuck to it. Since it was a foam wing, I had a lot of melted spots and the whole house stunk. It was all one color (Navy blue Monokote), and I ended up cutting many strips to patch up the missed spots that later peeled right off. I flew the plane after getting an .049 and an old cox radio at a garage sale . A few years later, I found a club and a few members took pity on me and showed me how to cover it the right way. It was a nice looking plane after that. I left it in the rafters in my first house and we forgot to pack it when we moved. I guess it still might be there.
Scott
Old 01-26-2004, 02:10 PM
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ballgunner
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Default RE: How bad was your first covering job?

First covering was a Monarch Combat (rubber power) and it turned out super. The main problem was it generated overconfidence and some pretty awful results followed. That took place in 1934 and I have learned a lot since. Used a lot of Japanese silk pre and post WWII. My thoughts at the appearance of Monokote was OH BOY !! First with Mono was a sailplane and I used the wife's best iron. The new one didn't cost that much and covering became almost fun.
I've since used all kinds of fabric and film covering. I enjoy it because that's usually the end of the building cycle.
Old 01-26-2004, 03:17 PM
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Default RE: How bad was your first covering job?

My first, second, third, fourth and fifth plane were all pretty good. The one I'm doing right now sucks. I must be getting lazy in my old age. Actually, I think I'm just rushing it so I can start the one I really want to build.
Old 01-26-2004, 05:51 PM
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Default RE: How bad was your first covering job?

In 1972 my first covering job LOOKED excellent. It was a Thermic 36" I did such a fine job of covering with tissue and dope and then trimming it out with contrasting colors that when I finished I had the heaviest Thermic 36" ever seen in Riverside CA. It flew so bad that it consistently got beat by a dime store 'foamy". Very humiliating. Felt so bad that I gave it to a kid that happened to be on the hill with a promise not to tell anyone where he got it
Old 01-26-2004, 07:39 PM
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bzpond
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Default RE: How bad was your first covering job?

I'm going slowly, I just have a covering iron. Is a heat gun necessary, or just convenient? I'm covering a Taco II (fat free). It has a lot of open spaces, and that is where the wrinkles are. I also covered one side of the horizontal stab with the backing on, was hard to get it to stick. I then tried to use my wife's hair dryer on it with no results.
Old 01-26-2004, 08:12 PM
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Default RE: How bad was your first covering job?

A covering iron will do all you need, but with a little less convenience.

As far as the stab is concerned, try taking off the covering that has the backing still on and recovering with fresh covering (take the backingoff! .

To get the wrinkles out on the open structure, just slowly run the iron over the open areas and you'll find that the wrinkles will stretch out and dissappear. That is assuming they are not too many.. The hair dryer is too cool to do the job. Heat guns will go at 300-400 degrees F

Did you try some dry runs? Covering gets easy after a few tries, but at first it is a foreign language.

Lots of threads to help you out.

Cafeenman has a great site for methods you could try got to: http://www.airfieldmodels.com/ and check out his modeling tips. Good stuff!

Also look for the manufacturer's website--- http://www.monokote.com/monoinst1.html should help
Old 01-26-2004, 08:39 PM
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cary c.
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Default RE: How bad was your first covering job?

my first covering job was tissue on a FF plane. after it dried the fuse looked like a banana. it was really funny, needless to say. it never left the ground.

Cary C.
Old 01-27-2004, 01:33 PM
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ballgunner
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Default RE: How bad was your first covering job?

Breathes there a man with soul so dead, who never to himself has said - Why in the world didn't I take the backing off the Monokote ? I actually get occasional compliments on my covering but I never tell all the goofs that went into the process and how I've learned to "cover up" (pun intended) my mistakes.
Old 01-27-2004, 04:47 PM
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bzpond
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Default RE: How bad was your first covering job?

I did take the covering off and remove the backing once I realized what I had done. Thanks for the links Grandpa.
Old 01-28-2004, 08:05 AM
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jettstarblue
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Default RE: How bad was your first covering job?

Not bad.
I used "Black Baron" low temp film over foam wings, and balsa fuse. I was stunned really, but not that I did such a good job. (it was pretty good, even for a rank beginner) I couldn't believe how bad a job I did next with Monocote over liteply/balsa!
I have used silkspan, or regular aircraft cloth ever since........

Jetts

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