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Fabric Covering Comments Appreciated - 1/19/2003 5:12 PM   
kajunkane


 

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From: New Iberia, LA, USA
Status: offline 		Building my first true scale model. Balsa USA / 1/4 scale / J3 Cub. Looking for the real thing in realizm. What is the best fabric covering to use, ie Sig Coverall , Solartex, Worldtex, etc. Plan to paint and stitch after applied. I just am not familiar with fabrics. Looking for some of your wisdom.
Gary Manuel
New Iberia, LA

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fabric - 1/19/2003 7:01 PM   
rcalfred



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From: Elk Grove Village, IL, USA
Status: offline 		Go to a fabric store and ask to see polyester dress lining. This is about the same as Sig 's koverite and F&M's poly-fabric. Much cheaper! Heat shrinks and takes various finishes, dope, poly-tone, etc. Also, much cheaper than silk and comes in any length you want. Am using it to cover a Cessna UC-78 Bamboo Bomber. Attaches to the framework with dope or poly-tack or Sig stik-it. Cost was about $3.65 per yard for 50" wide. Regards.


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Fabric Covering Comments Appreciated - 1/19/2003 8:07 PM   
LesUyeda



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From: San Diego, CA, USA
Status: online 		Solartex is easy to use, goes around corners nicely. All the pre-colored fabrics are heavy. Sig Koverall is a pain to use. You have to paint a heat sensitive glue to the frame, then iron on the material.

Les

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Fabric Covering Comments Appreciated - 1/19/2003 10:16 PM   
MikeS


 

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From: Cincinnati, OH,
Status: offline 		Solartex = Worldtex = Colortex, all the same thing. It is great stuff, and I would recommend it over 21st century. It stretches. shrinks and adheres better. 21st Century has a more painted and finished look. Solar has an open weave that must be filled with a clear overspray or the weave fills in with exhaust junk.
21st will crack over time on an open bay surface, but I have a 9 yr old Sopwith that has 21st on it. Started to replace with solartex, the color is better, it is lighter and goes on much better.
Reason to use silkspan: If you want a lighter finish and a color that does not come in the ready to iron on. In that case, the extra glue or doping needed to install the fabric is very small compared to the time spent on painting.
Good luck,

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Mike

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Fabric Covering Comments Appreciated - 1/19/2003 10:27 PM   
Mr_Scale



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From: Seymour, IN, USA
Status: offline 		You guys that have used the "Tex's" have you ever used Nelson's Lite Fab and if so how do they compare? I have used Lite Fab, it is good covering but would not consider it great.

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Fabric Covering Comments Appreciated - 1/20/2003 11:18 PM   
Bison



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From: Mobile, AL, USA
Status: offline 		I have covered two planes with fabric.

The first plane (sopwith Pup) was covered with Sig Koverall and painted with Sig dope. I liked the way the Koverall worked and and finished. The weight of the finish was pretty light but not as light as a film covering. What I don't like about the Koverall and dope finish is that is not resistant to a fuel with over a 10% nitro content and the finish tends to "splotch" with time. However, it doesn't wrinkle at all.

The second plane (CG Super Chipmunk) was covered using the F&M S**** polyester system. It was a little more difficult to cover with the S**** polyester cloth but the other products - polyseal, polytone paints were premixed for spraying and worked very well. The completed s**** finish is heavier than the Koverall & dope finish but stands up to the nitro in fuel very well ,and doesn't splotch or dull with age or wrinkle. Blemishes are very easy to repair.

I think my 60 size Chipmunk picked up a little too much weight from the finish for its size. But for 120 size planes and larger, I recommend the F&M S**** product. They have a good instructional video on how to do the whole process including rib stitching.

If you don't like using solvent based products, then neither of these finishes is for you.

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Silk and Dope - 1/22/2003 5:47 PM   
Mike Denest



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Status: offline 		Much has been written about fabric covering over the years. It comes down to what you want for a finish. Spend the money on the iron on type coverings or spend the hours on a fabric and dope (or any other system) finish. Work with what you can use in your shop environment. You may not have the equipment required (sprayer, compressor, protective clothing) to do a dope and fabric job, not to mention stinking your family out of the house for that super finish. Rule of thumb; try a system and select one that works for you.

I grew up with silk and dope; the techniques I learned I now apply to aircraft fabric covering (cotton, ceconite, Poly Fiber). I've done silk and dope, coverall and dope, glass cloth and resin, Money, er, Monocote and still prefer the good old silk and dope job. Iron on finishes are ok but to do a super trim job requires templates and a good eye with the scissors.

Unfortunately, because of political correctness and environmental issues, most dope formulas today ( Sig , Brodak/ Randolph) do not have the ability to resist higher nitro fuels. I'd love to find a warehouse full of that good old Aerogloss dope. Now that was fuelproof!

Mike

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Fabric Covering Comments Appreciated - 1/22/2003 6:50 PM   
MikeS


 

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From: Cincinnati, OH,
Status: offline 		Bison, is F&M S**** the real name of the system you refer to? Couldn't find a thing searching for that.

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Mike

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"s****" - 1/22/2003 7:14 PM   
rcalfred



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From: Elk Grove Village, IL, USA
Status: offline 		The site for F & M Enterprises is: [url]www.s****.com.[/url] They used to be in California, now located in Texas. (The RCU system blocks the word and inserts s****. Just type it in it correctly and you will get to the site.) Regards.


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S**** - 1/23/2003 5:23 PM   
Mike Denest



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From: Newark, DE, USA
Status: offline 		To quote Groucho Marx,

"Say the secret word and win a $100"

S*T*I*T*S


Just watch out for overflying ducks.

Mike

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Paxaero - 1/23/2003 6:18 PM   
vinnie



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From: hollywood, MD, USA
Status: offline 		Hey Mikey,
How you doin'? How is that Pa. winter treating you? When are you coming back to Maryland? I need to fondle that Kraft single stick once more before drifting off into senility.

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Regards,
vinnie
AMA 680367

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Fabric Covering Comments Appreciated - 1/23/2003 7:24 PM   
Mike Denest



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From: Newark, DE, USA
Status: offline 		Egads,
Is it as cold down there as it is up here? Cripes, I never know when I get the call to spend time in Southern MD. Don't worry about that Kraft, if I make it back down, I two more for you to fondle. Say hi to the folks at Doug's for me.

Best regards,

Mike

< Message edited by Mike Denest -- Jan 23 2003 2:35PM >

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Fabric Covering Comments Appreciated - 1/23/2003 8:25 PM   
vinnie



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From: hollywood, MD, USA
Status: offline 		Yeah Mike it's cold. About 15 right now and 20mph winds. Managed to sneak a flifgt in on Monday afternoon, but it was so windy that it wasn't much fun.

But, the days are getting longer and before you know it...spring will be here.

Take Care.

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Regards,
vinnie
AMA 680367

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Fabric Covering Comments Appreciated - 1/24/2003 12:26 AM   
DMyer


 

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From: Potomac, MD, USA
Status: offline 		The S*T*I*T*S Poly-Fabric is excellent stuff, but too heavy for my taste. I would not use it on anything less than 1/4 scale 90 -100" span. I loved the entire S*T*I*T*S process and would substitiute another lighter polyester material the next time I use it.

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Fabric Covering Comments Appreciated - 1/24/2003 7:41 PM   
Bish Wheeler


 

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From: Boise, ID, USA
Status: offline 		The easiest way to cover with fabric is to use any one of the "bare" fabrics on the market, like Sig Koverite, S T I T S fabric or as some one said above, polyester dress lining (It really works) and Nitrate dope. Brush on a couple of coats of dope on the structure then lay on the fabric in "blankets" and tack it down with more nitrate dope. Once the structure is covered, shrink it with an iron, not a gun, until it is about where you want it. Then brush on 2 or 3 coats of thinned dope to seal the weave, then reshrink a bit and you are ready to move on. You can add more dope to fill the weave or use any number of other products.

S T I T S offers "pinked" tape in various scales which will add a lot to the rib stitching.

Of course you can't use dope on some materials like plastics and foam. Those materials need to be sealed with some thing like epoxy and glass to protect them

In my opinion, the only way you can have a truly authentic look to a fabric model is to use real fabric and dope/paint. The prefinished fabrics just never seem to look right and the plastic coverings are horrid.

Good luck

Bish

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S**** - 5/27/2003 12:25 PM   
zoomzoooie



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From: Osoyoos, BC, CANADA
Status: offline 		Bish Wheeler

I had emailed S**** for info and never got a reply.
You say they have pinked tape in various scales.
Can you give me a little info on what scales they do have and what is the thickness of the tape for each scale, say compared to using J&J 1/2" pinked medical tape for 1/4 scale. Are the widths of each scale, scale?

ZZ

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Fabric Covering Comments Appreciated - 5/27/2003 3:39 PM   
Bish Wheeler


 

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From: Boise, ID, USA
Status: offline 		ZZ,

I'm surprized that you didn't hear from F&M enterprizes, Chip has always gotten right back to me.

The tapes I have used are for quarter scale. Full size would normally use 2" tape so quarter scale is 1/2". It is very light weight, I can't tell you the thickness, but it is about the same weight as the covering material. I have never used the Medical tape you refer to, but the S T I T S 1/2" tape is scale. I don't know if he has tapes for other scale sizes, but I would bet he does. You can always call down there 817 279 8045 and talk to Chip.

Bish

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Fabric Covering Comments Appreciated - 5/27/2003 7:00 PM   
bla bla


 

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From: Oslo, NORWAY
Status: offline 		I've used Solertex in the past...yep it's a neat dinky kinda product for sunday fun... but Scale S**** system is in a completly different class.
If you're going Scale, it's the only way to go.

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Fabric Covering Comments Appreciated - 5/27/2003 9:08 PM   
Cliff_h


 

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From: kentucky
Status: offline 		Haven't tried the F&M stuff but have used real stitts fabric for years. The lighter grade, 1.7 oz if I remember correctly, is what I use. Like the stitts glue to stick it down, finished with dope. Have used it on everything from 40 sized models to 1/4 and 1/3 scale.

You do have to watch and put in a little extra wood in places, the stitts fabric will shrink to the point where it warps or breaks balsa.

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Cliff

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Fabric Covering Comments Appreciated - 6/10/2003 1:45 AM   
iflewbayou-RCU


 

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From: Slaughter, LA, USA
Status: offline 		I think the nelsons litefab is the best i have ever used...., Covered my bristol M1 with it and im covering my Flair Dr1 with it next, ...

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Super Coverite Paintable - 6/11/2003 6:05 PM   
_jon_


 

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From: Fort Wayne, IN, USA
Status: offline 		I have just about finished up a DynaFlite Flybaby. I used SuperCoverite paintable fabric on it and painted it with exterior latex paint thinned with windshield washer fluid and sprayed through a detail gun and airbrush. I love the way the SuperCoverite goes on. It seems to stick very well to the airframe and to itself. It's got incredible shrink capabilities. I got 3 rolls of the 45" x 15' SuperCoverite in trades. I think it might be discontinued now in this size. The latex paint goes on real nice, too. I followed an article in MAN by Roy Vaillancourt to apply the paint. It's not stinky, so I was able to spray right in my basement shop.

Jon



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RE: Fabric Covering Comments Appreciated - 4/4/2005 3:52 AM   
RHarding


 

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From: Fayetteville, NC, USA
Status: offline 		Bought a slightly used (flown 5 times) Hanger 9 100" J-3 Cub covered with Cub Yellow WorldTex. Previous owner did not put a clear sealer on it before flying. What is the best way to clean dust and some exhaust residue from a gas engine. I would like to clean it good, seal a few seams, and spray a sealer on it. What sealer would you recommend? Also would like to change the "N" numbers. Can the ones on the plane be removed? I have been modeling for about 50 years. Have a lot of experience with silk and dope in years past and Monokote in past 35 years, but no experience with any of the heat type fabric covering. Help would be appreciated. Airplane is 2 years old.

Richard

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RE: Fabric Covering Comments Appreciated - 4/4/2005 10:59 PM   
kajunkane


 

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From: New Iberia, LA, USA
Status: offline 		I did it I think the hard way. I used coverall and dope with inking tape. Will try stits next time. No reply on cleaning prior to clear sealing. Good luck

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RE: Fabric Covering Comments Appreciated - 4/5/2005 12:39 PM   
Roby


 

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From: AMESBURY, MA,
Status: offline 		Over the years I've tried various fabric covering materials that
are currently available and have had good success with most.

Several years ago I tried Nelson's Lite-fab and now will use nothing else.

I have 3 large scale aircraft that are covered with the Lite-fab and are painted
with latex house paint. I am very satisfied with the results and will continue to
use this covering/paint combination in the future.

I am now finishing up the structure on a TF Stinson SR-9 . I will cover it with
the Nelson's Lite-Fab and continue with the latex.

Regards
Roby

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RE: Fabric Covering Comments Appreciated - 4/5/2005 5:23 PM   
GregG7


 

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From: Fremont, CA, USA
Status: offline 		If you have never covered with fabric before, you might want to consider getting the video from F&M enterprises. This video helped me out when I covered my Balsa USA 1/3 scale cub. It shows some tricks of the trade, like apply ing simulated rib stiching, finishing tape, etc. I think their web site is www.stits.com.
BTW, the stits products from F&M gave excellent results on my cub.

Greg

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