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Silk - 4/21/2008 2:40:53 AM   
billmod12


 

Posts: 123
Joined: 12/17/2007
From: Wilmington, NC, USA
Status: offline 		Can anyone recommend a source for good silk? Thanks Bill
       Post #: 1

RE: Silk - 4/21/2008 3:43:55 AM   
build light


 

Posts: 1313
Joined: 11/30/2005
From: Crete, NE, USA
Status: offline 		Yep!
http://www.dharmatrading.com/silk_fabrics.html

You want the Silk Habotai 5mm.

Robert


_____________________________

Keep'er light, and she will treat you right!

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RE: Silk - 4/21/2008 3:47:07 PM   
LesUyeda



Posts: 910
Joined: 10/10/2002
From: San Diego, CA, USA
Status: offline 		Looks good, but I'm a little concerned about their use of the term "China Silk". What is sold as China Silk at my local fabric shop is 100% polyester. If it is indeed Hobotai silk, 5mm, you are good to go.

Les

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       Post #: 3

RE: Silk - 5/17/2008 1:13:13 AM   
billmod12


 

Posts: 123
Joined: 12/17/2007
From: Wilmington, NC, USA
Status: offline 		build light and others! I got my silk today from dharma trading. Very good stuff! Thanks Robert, Cheers Bill

(in reply to LesUyeda)
       Post #: 4

RE: Silk - 5/17/2008 3:52:58 AM   
build light


 

Posts: 1313
Joined: 11/30/2005
From: Crete, NE, USA
Status: offline 		I've never heard a bad word about Dharmatrading.
The fact that they sell silk so cheap compared with some others tends to make the unknowing some doubt whether it is silk or not.
Caresss it. You will know!

Now, lets see some pics of the covering process!

Robert


_____________________________

Keep'er light, and she will treat you right!

(in reply to billmod12)
       Post #: 5

RE: Silk - 5/17/2008 3:59:14 AM   
billmod12


 

Posts: 123
Joined: 12/17/2007
From: Wilmington, NC, USA
Status: offline 		Robert, since you turned me on to Dharma here are some other comments I have run across for all to read. Thanks again Bill http://www.clstunt.com/htdocs/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=306078&mesg_id=306078&page=3

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RE: Silk - 5/17/2008 11:47:54 PM   
John 38


 

Posts: 88
Joined: 12/21/2006
From: not applicable, UNITED KINGDOM
Status: offline 		I think I have seen references to china silk on this or another forum which indicated you can buy it at Walmarts - stocked as dress lining - at about $2/yard cut to length.

I'm from UK and visited florida recently and checked this out - the super walmarts didn't have it, but the other walmarts did - various colors ( I bought 20 yds for $20 of ivory to simulate cream for vintage ) and widths of either 45" or 60". prices seemed to vary from one store to another.

I understand there is minimal shrinkage as dress lining supplied preshrunk, but as one of above refernces indicate - put it on tight.

this will be my first attempt at "silk" so here's hoping all goes well - destined for a 72" scaled up Southerner. If Ok then going on to a 120" version

John

(in reply to billmod12)
       Post #: 7

RE: Silk - 5/18/2008 12:23:47 AM   
billmod12


 

Posts: 123
Joined: 12/17/2007
From: Wilmington, NC, USA
Status: offline 		John, Often the term " China Silk" is used in dress making and is a light weight polyester lining (organza,etc)used in wedding apparal, curtains and many other sewing crafts. It looks like it would be perfect but it is stiff, very hard to work with, does not have a good shrink factor and is hard to trim. The stuff Dharma sells is REAL Chinese Silk very soft and cuddly and comes in different weights and as Robert "build light" said, the 5mm is what we need. I also found out the "mm" is a term used in measureing the weight of the silk and has nothing to do with millimeters. It only comes in white but the price is RIGHT!!!Cheers Bill

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       Post #: 8

RE: Silk - 5/18/2008 6:42:04 PM   
5487


 

Posts: 251
Joined: 12/5/2005
From: Houston, TX, USA
Status: offline 		Another source for real silk is Thai Silks in Los Altos, CA (www.thaisilks.com). Great prices ($2.50/yd for Habotai 5mm) and superfast/supercheap delivery to Texas.

It passed the "cuddly test".

Harvey

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       Post #: 9

RE: Silk - 5/18/2008 9:45:47 PM   
buzzard bait


 

Posts: 982
Joined: 1/1/2003
From: Ithaca, NY, USA
Status: offline 		Yes, Thai Silks also has the real deal, and prices are great. They carry beautiful colors in 8mm, which is still lighter than Sig Koverall.

I had trouble getting enough shrink. I did it, but it was difficult. Put it on wet and get it as tight as you can. Make sure your dope is not plasticized - you need it to cause more shrinkage.

Jim

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       Post #: 10

RE: Silk - 5/18/2008 10:17:05 PM   
5487


 

Posts: 251
Joined: 12/5/2005
From: Houston, TX, USA
Status: offline 		Jim,

I'm not sure what you mean when you say not to use "plasticized" dope. What is that?

I know that when covering full-sized aircraft to use nitrate dope for the first coupla coats to both shrink the fabric and provide a base for the follow-on butyrate dope coats to stick to? (Nitrate dope is highly flammable, even after curing, so it is used as little as possible. Unfortunately, the nonflammable butyrate won't adhere to fabric very well but it WILL stick to a nitrate layer. Nitrate also has better shrinking qualities.)

Because it is a fire hazzard, nitrate dope is rarely carried by hobby shops these days - only the safer butyrate is (when dope is carried at all!) You can still find nitrate at suppliers such as Aircraft Spruce and Specialty but the unavoidable hazmat shipping fees cost more than the dope itself!

Harvey

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RE: Silk - 5/18/2008 11:33:02 PM   
John 38


 

Posts: 88
Joined: 12/21/2006
From: not applicable, UNITED KINGDOM
Status: offline 		billmod
thanks - the earlier references appear to approve of the polyester covering - if I had known of the real silk referred to above and at similar price, I would have gone that route. however having got some polyester- I will give it a try

John

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       Post #: 12

RE: Silk - 5/18/2008 11:59:10 PM   
billmod12


 

Posts: 123
Joined: 12/17/2007
From: Wilmington, NC, USA
Status: offline 		John, Don't get me wrong it works, just a pain to work with. You may have to glue the edges to get started so you can pull it tight. I have been told that if you wash it and FLUFF it in the dryer it will take some of the stiffness out. I have never tried the washer/dryer trick. I did cover my Lil esquire with it when I recently restored it and converted it to electric. When it is sitting in a 60 degree enviroment it will look slack and terrible but as soon as the sun hits it it will tighten up. Here is a pic in the house at 70 degerees.

Attachments
Click to see fullsize image.
Click for fullsize

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RE: Silk - 5/19/2008 1:49:57 AM   
buzzard bait


 

Posts: 982
Joined: 1/1/2003
From: Ithaca, NY, USA
Status: offline 		Harvey, dope usually has a plasticizer that keeps it from shrinking a lot, and also keeps it more flexible. Unfortunately, in model sizes the suppliers don't do a very good job of telling us what's what.

If you buy from the full scale places, like Wick's or Aircraft Spruce, they will specify "tautening" or "non-tautening" (plasticized) for clear nitrate, and probably clear butyrate too. Colored dopes are always plasticized.

Sig Nitrate is plasticized, and Brodak nitrate is too, even more than Sig's. In butyrate, Sig Lite-Kote is plasticized, but Superkote is not. The "Rejuvenator" that Brodak sells is butyrate with a lot of plasticizer.

I've never worried about flammability, with the models. I use about three or four coats of nitrate, followed by butyrate, for glow engines. For diesels I use only nitrate.

To do the Habotai China silk I started with tautening nitrate from Wicks, then followed with butyrate. I think that just using Sig Superkote would probably work too. You really need to get it tight while it is wet, and keep it wet while you stick it down around the edges.

For those using polyester - can you heat-shrink it? If so, I would give up silk and use polyester instead.

Jim

< Message edited by buzzard bait -- 5/19/2008 1:51:33 AM >

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RE: Silk - 5/19/2008 2:13:25 AM   
5487


 

Posts: 251
Joined: 12/5/2005
From: Houston, TX, USA
Status: offline 		Thanks, Jim, that cleared it up nicely.

Harvey

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       Post #: 15