crooked stripe

This Super Decathlon Iam building calls for Corvette fabric covering. Is there a special place to look to find tips and tricks on this material? I have covered a few planes with material like Monokote with pretty good success. I would like this plane to be something special. Like a once ina life time project. My major problems is sealing one layeron top of another. Monokote bubbleson the secondlayer and the edges delaminate. Iwould like to find cures to these problems. Any help would be appreciated. I was hoping there was a special forum onthis skill. John

DavidAgar

My Feedback: (108)

I use Worldtex and use it just like any other covering. It is a bit thicker than other coverings so straight lines for your edges are a must. I have never had any issue's with the seams coming apart at all. You need to be careful with the heat gun, as if you use it to much, it will start to pull the seams apart. This really is a problem if you paint the covering as you will get stripes on the seams. Good luck, Dave

jester_s1

Fabric doesn't generally have the bubbling problem that plastic coatings have. To handle it on plastic though, woodpecker the lower layer with holes to let the gasses escape, then use the lowest possible heat to get it to stick.

tacx

My Feedback: (1)

I quit using the wood pecker for putting film over film. The wood pecker tears the holes into the film, and I have found that they are to big of holes and show through the film. I mark off the trim film area and use a sewing needle to poke the holes into the underlying film. It takes allot longer but will give you much better results. After spending hundreds of hours on an airframe the extra time it takes to use a sewing needle is worth it. I punch the holes about every 1/16th to 1/8th inches apart.

I have had many complements on my coverings.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I use mono for trim work and just add more ammonia into my Windex then spray it over the area where the trim is going to go then lay the trim on and remove the bubbles with an old plastic credit card. 24 hours later I go about 1/4 inch around the trim with a trim iron. No bubbles and the trim is down tight. Very easy to do.

acerc

I use the windex method for application. Then the next day I go around the perimeter with Monocoat trim solvent. It will not come loose. The following is one done with this method.

Bozarth

My Feedback: (15)

Just put the woodpecker down and walkaway!

Kurt

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I don't use the trim solvent but have been told it is just Acetone. Do you know if this is true or not?

tacx

My Feedback: (1)

Yes it is,

I use the same method to lay down the trim. When dry, I use a small artists brush to apply acetone to the edges. If the trim has sharp points I use the same small brush to apply fingernail polish to the points. I fly fuel and have never had anything come up.

crooked stripe

After reading this I assume Monokote Trim Solvent will only work on  polymer type material. I am covering the Decathlon with fabric. Anyone have a overlap treatment for this material? Another problem I have is using automotive trim tape. With nitro just a few flights that stuff turns into a mess. I was wandering if there was a clear polyurethane that one could spray the finished plane with that would seal everything?

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Yes, ammonia and solvent activates the glue on MONO, not ULTRA.
Trim tape is just a plastic with glue and other then getting it down then using some clear lacquer over the edges I know of no way to keep the oil from the fuel from lifting it. The planes I have it on I have the exhaust pointing away from it so there isn't any problems. It still lifts over time from the sun/heat and cleaning. The mono covering works over TEX coverings for trim but I usually get vinyl sticky back trim or decals made for me and glue the edges down so fuel doesn't get under it. These are more decals like star and dot type of things, roundels and what not. Not really trim. TEX over tex doesn't gas up and bubble very much. You just iron it over the base covering with as little temp as you can use to get it to stick. If it bubbles a small sharp pin to poke a couple holes in it will remove the air. When done I use the trim iron around the edges. It doesn't lift.
If you want something like the auto trim lines that doesn't lift then get a great planes trim cutter and cut your own. I can cut covering into strips under 1/16 with mine. I also use it to cut masking tape into lines strips before I paint a plane. It's one of the tools that really works and is worth having.