marine

What is the best way to attach two different pieces of film together pryer to attaching or sealing them to an open structure such as between ribs on a wing

BingoFlyer

Marine,

I have two ways that I have used both are started the same way.

First you must have a design or pattern place this under a piece of glass. Starting with the lightest color carefully cut so that it is about 3/16" larger than the pattern on any side that will have another color attached.

Spray the glass with water and lay the first piece of covering material on wet glass then squeegee out all the water that you can.

Now lay the next color over the first covering the 3/16" that you made 1st larger tape the 2nd color to the glass so it can not move but so you can have access to the 1st. color. You now have two choices 1.) you can lift the 2nd color and dampen the 1st with MonoKote Trim Solvent and place 2nd color back down and squeegee out any bubbles or 2.) the method I use most often just use a sealing iron to fasten the 2nd color down (use as much heat as you can without causing the covering to shrink.

Practice on something small, it is easier than I make it sound. The Bingo was done this way (the transparent orange was the first color and because it was under the white all the way around I used the sealing iron.

Good luck.

CafeenMan

Bingo - Thanks for that. I've always wondered how that would work. I've been wanting to cover a plane with all the scraps I have in a box. I'll call it something original like:

Das Ugly Collage Stik.

ysrcflyer

I've used both methods that Bingo Flyer has mentioned with fairly decent results. I now only use the trim iron on the seams. Using the MonoKote trim solvent I've had some of the seams start to let loose when shrinking with the heat gun. all of my covering jobs are put together on a sheet of glass before installing on the plane.

Lightfoot

My Feedback: (1)

I have an article on my web page that describes my method of doing this. I have had no problems joining the seams with acetone. I use a little more overlap, normally about 1/4", dark over light, but have gone as much as 1/2" in some cases.

BingoFlyer

One thing that I forgot was that when using a solvent you should wait for 24 hr. before trying to shrink (heat) I don't even remove it from glass. That was the way I was taught and not sure if it is required but I have never had a seam come apart or move when shrinking using either method and may be why ysrcflyer had a problem using solvent.