ORIGINAL: cutaway
I prep plastic coverings with acetone thinned nitrate dope. It sticks to everything, and everything sticks to it, and it does a dandy job of encapsulating microscopic balsa dust from prior sanding operations.
The only thing that sticks to exposed dust is ummm...more dust.
The nitrate dope is also an effective wood hardener. I use it a lot during ARF repairs for other people when the original plane's wood selection was dubious.
cutaway.
I just have to back up your posting because genuine dope has wondeful characteristics and usage.
I mean by "genuine dope" the undiluted dope obtained from the same sources as the full size airplane rebuilders are using; Dope like Randolh or Brodak.
My models all had carved wood cowlings before I built my Skybolt which has a plastic cowling and wheel pants.
After removing the G90 engine which was mounted sideways and patching the big holeI had to paint that cowling and I simply doped it. That was over a year ago and it is just fine.
To my knowledge dope is basically an acetate or cellulose like a celluloid.
As you imply, dope willt grab to anythng and anything will grab to dope.
Women use it to color their finger and toe nails. A different brand name and much more expensive but basically the same.
Diluted nitrate dope penetrates deeply into the wood, seals it and reinforce it.
I even enjoy the smell of aircraft dope. To me it is a perfume but always use it with good forced ventilation.
Thanks for your posting. I would hope that many modelers take notice.
Regards from Zor.