PilotJunky

My Feedback: (2)

I did some experimenting tonight and bought white Ultracote. I had already covered my ailerons and empennage with white Monokote and was terribly disappointed thinking I had lost any touch I ever had with the stuff. Tonight on the same airplane, using a matching white Ultracote I applied the material to the wing which has rounded tips and some compound curves and I am thrilled with the results... same idiot with the iron and heat gun (me), same color, I can only conclude something is up with the Monokote, at least the white Monokote for sure.

My big dilemma now is pulling off all of the white Monokote... or do I just live with it... is there therapy for this airplane addiction :-)

For what it's worth....
Rich.

Bass1

Seems like I'm having a bit more trouble than normal covering my wing with white Mono. It took me an hour an a half to cover the bottom right wing panel. It kind of looked like I was having a wrestling match with my wing. I 'm getting ready to cover the left bottom and will see if it goes a lttle better. I have some great looking airplanes that I've Monokoted over the years and I'm wondering if I'm just out of practice!

Bass1

Well, It's going better! I finished the other three wing panels and they came out fine. Probably a rust factor on my part. It still took some effort though.[sm=confused.gif] I'm still happy with the Monokote

bclark

I recently purchased and started flying a Top Flite Giant Scale P51, which is covered, of course, with Aluminum Monokote. I bought a roll of Al Monokote to fix /patch things. I took a small sample from the P51. Both seem to shrink in the same way, but the material from the roll is nearly transparent, (you can see light through it and some features of the structure show through the covering) while the material from the P51 is essentially completely opaque. In addition, the roll is noticeably lighter in color, so my patches look terrible. I sent an email to the service contact for Top Flite, and they told me to send a sample of the "defective" roll, that they would send a replacement. I did that, and also included a sample from the plane to show the difference. That was 3 weeks ago, no response yet. Yesterday I spoke with another modeler with the same plane who had exactly the same problem. Does anyone know if there is another brand with an opaque Aluminum color that might match Top Flite material reasonably well?

Larry D.

My Feedback: (2)

I have been bulding for 10 years or more, and started out with Monokote then switched to Utracoat. Last summer I bought my first ARF a U-CAN DO. No mater what I tried I could nt get some of the Monokote to shrink up , and even burnt a hole in it trying to get to tighten up. I called Great Planes and they sent me 8x8 piece to repair the spot. That was my last Monocote plane for me.

Larry D.

fishmissile2000

I RECENTLY BOUGHT SOME OF THE 21ST CENTURY COVERING AND ITS NOT WORTH A DARN. IT DOES NOT SHRINK VERY WELL AT ALL AND BECOMES BRITTLE AFTER HEATING AND ATTEMPTED STRETCHING I TRIED TO SEND IT BACK TO TOWER I HAD 3 ROLLS UNOPENED THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO PAY SHIPPING BOTH WAYS IT WOULD BE EASIER JUST TO SELL IT OR USE FOR A PATCH ANYBODY ELSE SEEN THE SAME RESULTS?[][:@]

Cyberwolf

My Feedback: (4)

I have used Monokote for well over 30 yrs ,the white was always a issue with me ,it started out as a good opaque product that would cover over other colors without bleeding thru ,then went to almost transparent when the wood even showed thru.Now its thicker and more opaque again but its harder to shrink a person needs to take there time and do parts a little at a time or a burn hole will happen. I just finished a 51 using Platinum since I hate the Alum .This has the same probs as the white does very hard to shrink.
I have used Ultra coat or oracover and in some cases it will go on easier ,but whack it one with the heat gun and it will pull off the plane .or let it set out in the sun for a while .Looks like a prune from all the wrinkles ,I'll keep using monokote even though it has changed in time but what hasnt .

zx32tt

My Feedback: (9)

I've used 21st Century Coverite film several times. It is a totally different animal than anthing else on the market. For me, it seems to be the most difficult of all the coverings to work with. You will have the best results with the coverite films if you follow the instructions on the roll and pay careful attention to the temperatures.
Z

aviti

My Feedback: (54)

This is just the thread I was looking for. I just finished covering some bipe wings with tranparent Monokote. I used Monokote 10 plus years ago and always liked it but in the last 5 or 6 years I have been using Ultracote. I am trying Monokote again because while Ultracote goes on easy, it wrinkles too easy in the sun as others have mentioned.

Well I battled getting the Monokote down. I thought either I just gotten spoiled by the Ultracote or maybe transparent Mokokote is different. After reading this thread, I think what has happened is that Monokote is a bit thicker to solve the opaque being too transparent and is therefore harder to shrink.

Has anyone ever tried using Coverite's Balsarite on Ultracote to improve the adhesion? I used this product years ago with Monokote then quit using it because it was not needed.

I will say this. I have a Great Planes Super Decathalon that I covered 15 years ago. I took a look at the covering and it looks as good as the day I applied it. I think I'll keep working with Monokote but it sure is a lot more work to apply!

Bax

My Feedback: (11)

As has been stated several times in the past by us, the main problem we've seen in the application of Monokote is a sealing iron that's too cool. We've been doing quite a bit of testing in the past few days. Our sealing iron is set to about 335-340 degrees F. The Monokote tacks right down and easily shrinks as we carefully work the iron across the surface. A very light touch over open areas, and it shrinks taut.

Run the iron as hot as you can without dulling the finish. When Monokote first came out, the instructions actually had you set the iron to just below the melting point of the material. If the finish is dulled by the heat, you're starting to melt the material.

When we cover an area, we tack four corners, making sure to pull out as many wrinkles as possible. We tack between them, and then between those places. Eventually, we have a bunch of dots about 1-2 inches apart, and we then seal them into a continuous area. We just use heat and the touch of the iron...no pressure...many times, we don't even have the weight of the iron on the material, just letting it "kiss" the surface.

If the iron's too cool, you'll get bad adhesion, poor shrink, bagging, and so on. You have to work with the material where it's at its best.

aviti

My Feedback: (54)

Hi Bill. I do have better results with the higher iron temp. Using the transparent going over some of the balsa sheeting has been a real eye opener. It shows you where you get a good bond to the wood and it also shows dulling easier than opaque. My only trouble is the effect known as "elephant skin". I guess in years past I just worked that little wrinkles out with heat but on transparent covering the glue underneath still shows that "elephant skin" even after the surface is pretty smooth. I encountered the "elephant skin" at both lower temp (say 300) and also in the 350 range. Any ideas on how to eliminate this? It seems to happen most when in the tacking stage.

I have to admit that Monokote has a steeper learning curve than Ultracote, but the superior adhesion and better finish has me switched back now. Its a bit more work when building but in the long run you probably save time by not having to re-shrink your covering every time your plane is in the hot sun.

Bax

My Feedback: (11)

Usually, the only time we get such lines in the adhesive layer is if the material had to be stuck and re-lifted, or we've had to pull apart an area that we accidentally got stuck to itself. Of course when you separate such areas, you also usually wind up with some of the pigment removed.

Live Wire

Bax
I can not believe this stuff 4 rolls today and not a problem Iron on High,
and the heat gun was worthless untill it burned holes. I have found out that there is a grain to lay on the stucture and it will shrink more on one way than it does the other great stuff that other stuff But look at all the fun you miss out on

Zor

Sorry
I realized the dates after posting.

Top_Gunn

My Feedback: (6)

I'm convinced that their problem is quality control. I've had good results and awful results with the new stuff. Reports from others are all over the place, too. Ultracote or Coverite 21st Century film for me from now on. (I seem to be the only modeler using Coverite film. It's good stuff, though their advice to use Coverite Black Baron for trim over Coverite 21st Century film hasn't worked well for me.

Luchnia

My Feedback: (21)

I agree. Good and bad is the same experience I had for the past couple years, so due to the expense I finally had to cave in and give up on MK. Not a problem since I started using the other brands. I only use it when I am looking for a certain color nobody else has. The last rolls of white MK I bought were throwing $$$ down the drain and it just isn't worth the time shipping the stuff back.