tmac48

Bill I have the solution, you pay my air ticket and I drive you to top gun no charge, what you say!!!
tmac48.

Stickbuilder

I'll have your shelving tubes and your Titebond glue with me.

Bill, Waco Brother #1

Stickbuilder

Hmmm.....doesn't sound like a great deal for me. I could get a taxi back and forth and save a ton. Nice try though....������

Bill, Waco Brother #1

tmac48

Cant blame a brother from trying!!!
tmac48.

tih

My Feedback: (1)

Just gotta share this with someone: I've always used heat shrink film materials to cover planes, but now that I've got a Pica WACO kit on my schedule, I decided to check out better options. I bought SIG Koverall by mail order from SIG, and nitrate dope from a British company, and today I used it for the first time, on a small "wing" I put together just as a test vehicle.

I'll never use anything else again!

Seriously: this material is so easy to use, so easy to work around compound curves, and the result just so much prettier than I'm used to! My WACO will most definitely be covered with SIG Koverall -- I just have to finish a couple of other planes first, including a Lanyu 1:4 scale Schempp-Hirth Minimoa that I'm refurbishing after a previous owner damaged it. I've stripped off all the plastic, and after I've repaired the damage and rebuilt it slightly more to scale than the original, it's definitely getting Koveralled!

mrdhud

My Feedback: (48)

tih I've never used SIG koverall Solartex also works quite well although it will loosen up some in the heat. Good luck with the Waco I'll be watching when you start your build.

tih

My Feedback: (1)

That sucks, Bill. Good thing you've got Janelle, though. Hope your health improves!

drice45

My Feedback: (23)

I too am a huge fan of Solartex. It goes around corners MUCH better than Monokote, for instance.

Once you shrink it, if you brush on a couple heavy coats of clear dope, it locks the shrink into the fibers, and it will NEVER loosen up in the heat.

mrdhud

My Feedback: (48)

Don that's good to know about the dope I will sure try it the next time I use Solartex. What kind of dope do you use?

ctflyboy

My Feedback: (3)

Dan,(mrhud)
I've been using Solartex for years, so when you find out about the clear dope Please pass it along,
I'll be covering soon.

Dash7ATP

I used Koverall on my Waco, and it does look great. I used the Coverite on the frame and ironed it down first. It does do compound curves great. My only complaint it that it takes a LOT of dope to fill the weave prior to your color. Someone on this forum (it may have been Bill, I'm not sure about that) suggested using water based Poly to fill the fabric, as it fills much faster.

It does that very well, but has one drawback. You can't put dope over the Poly. I solved that by giving the model a light coat of Klass Kote epoxy primer. Then I used Klass Kote for my colors, which are red, and cream. I'm not completely satisfied with the results, which are my fault. Depending on your colors, you should make sure you have a good base coat that blocks sunlight from coming through the open framed areas. By trying to keep the weight down on my finish, I didn't use enough of the primer to block the light as I was just trying to use enough to have good adhesion for my color. Second, I didn't use enough red or cream either. It looks great until it out in the sun, and then you can see the framework through the finish,

My next project that has a fabric covering will be covered with silver Solartex and doped after it is heat shrunk. THEN I'll take it outdoors to see if the frame shows thru in the sun. If it does I'll use a coat or two of silver. As you know, silver is used on all (I think) full scale fabric covered planes to block the UV from the fabric. Hey, i guess it works.

You can see what I mean in the verticle Stab in my photo.

Stickbuilder

It was me. I use the polyacrylic to fill the weave. I don't use dope after that. I apply primer and after sanding, automotive finishes. Normally single stage acrylic enamel but I've also used base coat/clear coat. Adds weight quickly though.

Thanks Dan for making my tip bows and cutting the dihedral braces/wing joiners.

Bill, Waco Brother #1

drice45

My Feedback: (23)

I use Randolph "Non-shrink" clear Nitrate from Aircraft Spruce. Non-Shrink is a bit of a misnomer. It does shrink. But just a little. Especially compared with how much nitrate dopes used to shrink.
This is a great product, and it's the same clear Nitrate they use on full scale.

mrdhud

My Feedback: (48)

Bill it was good to see you and Janelle Saturday your vary welcome for the bow tip keep up posted when you get started on your wings

Stickbuilder

Dan, I only got 4 dihedral braces/joiners from you. They are the tall ones. Aren't there supposed to be 4 that are shorter in height?

Bill, Waco Brother #1

mrdhud

My Feedback: (48)

Bill look around your shop I thought I gave them to you with the ribs if not I will get them cut and put im the mail

Stickbuilder

Found them. Hiding in plain sight.

Bill, Waco Brother #1

ctflyboy

My Feedback: (3)

Finall got the hatch done for the tank, its 4"x 5" in size and the hatch cover is 1/8" balsa with a 1/64" plywood skin,

my previous Waco didn't have anything in the way of an access, and wouldn't you know I'd have a tank issue, ready to final sand, and onto covering,

I guess its safe to say I can see light at the end of the tunnel.

acerc

I have found that when I note I can see light someone or something collapses the tunnel....Just sayin....

mrdhud

My Feedback: (48)

Robert not sure I know what you mean

acerc

When I get comfortable enough to say I am near done, something beyond my control adds more to it.

Stickbuilder

And you gotta be careful that the light isn't an oncoming train.

Bill, Waco Brother #1

tmac48

That light at the end of the tunnel always looks a long way off to me !! Decided to put a bit of extra detail in the big yellow bird.
tmac48.

mrdhud

My Feedback: (48)

Keep up the good work George you'll be fly her before you know.

mrdhud

My Feedback: (48)

Looking good tmac. Hows your new landing gear doing?