squeakalong

My Feedback: (8)

Curious...I've been covering my kit and plan built models with Super Monokote for a looong time and this last covering job has to be the most frustrating use of this material I've ever experienced. Bought three new rolls of Monokote: one Pearl Green and two rolls of White. Build was sanded as usual and wiped down to remove as much dust as possible. Applied a thin coat of Balsarite for Film (as I always have done) and poked the usual many tiny pin holes for the air to escape into all the wood surfaces. I was ready to go!! Right from the get-go this Monokote was an absolute bear to apply without LOTS of puffing and bubbling. I knocked the heat down to 225 and it still went on badly. Used the wadded sock method, the sock on the iron method, the stretch and heat and press down method. What a mess!! The Super Monokote was new, the Balsarite was new, and even the heating irons (Coverite) were new. I've been using this product for many years and this is by far the first time I ever considered throwing the fuselage away and building another because it looks so bad; thankfully I haven't done the wing yet. I've always enjoyed the covering before and am at an absolute loss here. Any ideas or comments?

Stripes

My Feedback: (19)

You're not going crazy. Long time users of MonoKote like myself have migrated to UltraKote because of these problems. If you search you will find several long threads on this subject.

tschuy

My Feedback: (1)

It would be interesting to follow-up with TopFlight and see if they had changed the composition of the film. Given the economic times that all companies are dealing with right now, it wouldn't surprise me if they went to a cheaper manufacturing source for the film. If it were me I'd send a complaint letter and blog about your experience. Enough customers do this and go to alternative sources for covering materials and they'll feel the heat.

Cheers,

dbacque

My Feedback: (3)

Have you tried it without the Balsarite? MonoKote works fine by itself for me but I've had huge problems when I add Balsarite. I only use it on and around firewalls, inside wing saddles and other are problem areas.

Dave

Campgems

Ineglected to take my Ruperts out of the car Friday when I got back from the field, and when I went out yesterday, it's skin was about a saggy and baggy as mine. It was covered a couple months back with a fresh batch of Monokote and trimed out in four colors of fresh monokone. In the couple months since I covered and trimmed it out, Ihad to iron down a number of edges where the covering was lifting. Then the D.S. move of leaving it in the car over the week end. I was able to heat gun out most of the issues on the fuselage, but it's not quite back up to par. I havent't tackled the wings yet.

Another plane Icovered a few months back, again with fresh Monokote, has enough patches on it that I've lost count. That covering was so brittle that I expected to see the plane come back looking liked a plucked bird.

I bought a bunch of stuf from a guy a couple years back, and he had a lot of light weight covering material for gliders. Man, Iwish I knew what that covering was, I love it. I conforms to curves much better that even Ultrakote. It is a bit heat sensitive, I blew through five wing tip covers before I got the second one down, the first was a piece of cake and three and four went very well also. I think it is some Balsa USA stuff. The only down side is the if you have a piece that doesn't have the edge showing, there is not trick that I can find to get the backing off.

I'm about ready to start recovering a 1/3 scale Laser 200, and I'm thinking I may try to find the orgin of my covering and get some more for it. Gotta love the trim work with the Monokote though. Even with the saggs and puckers, the vertical and horziontal feathers came right back, both layers.

Don

ww2birds

My Feedback: (14)

Agree with your frustration. Apparently they have changed the formulation, and it is not longer a good material. Hard to work with in the application stage, and wrinkes and sags after application.

I thought I was going nuts and maybe losing it while doing my last MK job .. then needed a little extra material and found some (very) old stuff .. it went on like I remembered, and made me sure this is not the same stuff. I managed to get two half-way decent covering jobs with the new MK, but both planes require occasional reshrinking in hot weather, and I will never ever use it again.

I will be going to Ultracote. Had used it in the past and found it easier to work with (compounding, etc) than MK, but the seams did not stay down as well as MK and it was a little duller sheen. No contest now, I'll do the next heatshrink job with UC, unless some other recommendations come along.

Disappointed .. very disappointed .. MK was a fine product. Now it's junk. Sigh.

Dave

huck1199

I bought some covering from HobbyCity.com and was surpised at how good it is. It has wider, longer rolls for less money. Use lower heat setting like you would for UltraKote.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Mono changed something about 10 years ago and long time users started having problems but it was a hit or miss thing?? They said they had changed nothing but I tried the same color from two different batches and one worked and one didn't. I went over to Ultracote and unless I have to I haven't bothered with Mono ever again. Last year I was forced into using some of there Floresent green and it was a total nightmare!!! Wouldn't shrink, sags and bubbles in the sun!! It did stick very well though.
After all these years they know they have a problem but as long as people still use it they will keep on making it without fixing the problem.[>:]

tschuy

My Feedback: (1)

It seems to be confirmed by many that Top Flight has lowered the quality of the film used to formulate Monokote. That's too bad as I bought a lot of film from them over the 20+ years of modeling and building kits and never had an issue until recently. I'm switching to Ultracoat on my Ultra Sport 1000. Good Bye Top Flight. Ya did it to yourself....

Campgems

I've been lurking on their site, waiting for some feed back. You have to love the price compaired to either monkkote or ultrakote. Like Ultarkote, the colors selection isn't as good as monokote, but if I'm going todo a wrap on my next one, A white base coat is a white base coat..

Don

tschuy

My Feedback: (1)

What kind of feedback do folks on this forum think about Coverite 21st Century plastic film? I've never used the stuff myself is why I ask....

sensei

I have had the best covering results without the use of Balsarite. We are still using Monokote for our 40%ers here in San Antonio, but we use the buddy system when covering. Two guys get together and stretch the covering tight enough during application that there is rarely need for shrinking in the open bay areas when we are finished. It sounds strange I know, but just try it, and you will see.

Bob

squeakalong

My Feedback: (8)

Thanks to all for the comments and suggestions. As for the Balsarite...it only goes on the "Trouble" areas and around the engine and fuel tank locations. Actually, most of it gets sanded back off prior to covering with 400 grit prior to applying the covering material. I agree that something has surely changed. I still have about 15 rolls of various colors and thought about taking it all out to the flying field today to give it away. I'd probably get some people upset with me... Bottom line is the Monokote product that I so enjoyed over the years will no longer be purchased if this is what I get as a result. It takes a whole lot of time and effort to create a real nice looking model today from a kit or plans and to have all that nice work botched by a product that no longer works is frustrating to say the least. I, too, would be interested in a nice alternative covering product. It's either that or back to paint.

Soft landings.

Joe

Stripes

My Feedback: (19)

I find that older modelers selling old Monokote cheaply provide a great bargain. I regularly am getting unopened rolls for about $6. If it's over ten years old I'm interested, but not the newer stuff.

Look in this fairly long thread and go down to post 22 where an employee of Hobbico concedes that the EPA forced changes in formulation.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_39...tm.htm#3966929

.

Nergall

I recently finished up a project I started in the early eighties. I still had the monokote stored away I had bought for it then. Now I didn't do a chemical analysis, but I swear to you you can't tell the difference between rolls I bought recently and that 25+ year old roll.

I have heard from other builders in the club that some of the newer colors like the pearls and the neons do not work as well. That may be an issue?

andrew66

I used the maroon and white on my SSE. I found that it doesnt shrink as well as ultracote and it doesnt go over sheeted areas as well. The open bays turned out alright but it was a chore to apply without any wrinkles.

tschuy

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks for the post Stripes.

Mr. Baxter does a good job of explaining the reasons for the minor changes...

Cheers,

DreamingTree1027

My Feedback: (5)

I'll take all of that monokote and pay for shipping if you are trying to get rid of it. I am close in IL so it shouldn't be too bad!

Top_Gunn

My Feedback: (6)

I've had the same experience as many others: the old stuff worked fine, new rolls don't. One rumor is that they changed the formula to remove trace amounts of lead. Under the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, practically any product aimed at children is illegal to sell if it has even tiny amounts of lead. The act also bars some additives to plastic. I wouldn't think this would affect Monokote, as most planes are built by people older than 12, but perhaps they're being cautious.

louu

My Feedback: (11)

whats Balsarite? whats it do? ive been flyin about a year now and want to learn how to build and cover. for now i want to change the color scheme on my yak, it has an all white base and the guy i got it off of put covering on top of it. any tips or suggestions or links to how toos?

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Check out the neon green, my student just had to have this plane covered like this in these colors. There is more of the green on the bottom. Yuck, Monocote, didn't go on very well, didn't shrink at all, the bottom was worse yet. Once it hit the heat and sun it got worse. However, the rest of the covering, Ultra went down nice and shrunk up very well and doesn't sag in the sun. I don't need help from friends when I cover big planes either when I use Ultra. About a decade ago Mono was pretty good stuff but even back then if you got it just a little too hot you blew a hole in it, odd, I have never had that problem with Ultra??
I have also never had anyone tell me I didn't know how to put on covering or I was going to have to addapt to there product. CRAPISCRAP and Mono has turned to CRAPO!!

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

RC Ken has a pretty good thread on covering, not sure if he has anything on removing covering. BR is just a brush on product that helps covering stick better to the balsa wood. Not really needed unless you run into some spots that have old oil or fuel soaked into the wood.
To remove old covering using a heat gun to warm it up before trying to lift it helps out a lot. Sometimes it is harder to remove then to put on.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Forgot, Kens thread is over in the beginners forum!!

louu

My Feedback: (11)

thanks gary

rcfunflyer

My Feedback: (72)

The new monokote is junk. It even smells different. Its also not as opaque as it used to be.