ORIGINAL: ratshooter
You know Mike all I did was post what I did to get a better covering job and you seemed to be offended by my extra effort to get a good covering job. If you don't like monokote then don't use it. I admit after a 10 year period away from the hobby I hadn't noticed it's not called ''Super Monokote'' anymore. This is the third plane I have built in the year and a half since I have been back. The first plane did have a small wrinkle problem. I figured it was my fault for being in a hurry to get a flying plane. The second plane turned out much better because I spent a little more time making sure it was dust free.
On the third and last plane I made a real effort to make sure I had a clean, smooth airframe to cover. Plus I made sure that I wasn't relying on the shrinkage to correct for my not getting it semi tight to start with. Sorry if spending a little time to make sure you are covering a clean piece of wood is offensive to you. But that is what I will do in the future.
I came here to post something positive for the OP in the hopes that he might read what I wrote and see if maybe part of his problem with MK might be his own doing. That was all.
You got it bud. Your own words.
I think it fair to recognize that not all of us that share their experiences with MK are somehow not being honest about it. I have actually done side-by-side test on some MK that I have and can show a difference. Does that mean that all of it is bad? No, not hardly. I have some good and some bad. Many of us understand surface preparation. I have even used adhesive with some of the bad MK just to be able to get some use out of it instead of throwing it away.
We share our experiences to help others. I think if you get bad MK then you should either contact the seller for a refund or return/replacement or just use it the best you can and you can choose whether you want to purchase more or not. I chose to keep the bad, but since I have been getting bad MK from my supplier I have refrained from purchasing as much of it. I usually on purchase it if there is a color I need that MK has. So far I have not gotten a bad role of other brands of covering.
I don't understand the sensitivity about coverings unless it is the fact that those of us that have spent quite a number of hours with MK and had to re-do our planes might be somewhat sensitive [X(]. You would think it is the classic Ford and Chevy argument
I believe our time is valuable and we pay premium prices for our products. When some of the veteran guys here say they have literally burned holes in the MK to attempt to get it to shrink then I do trust their honesty.
I have some MK that will not shrink nor will it adhere without putting adhesive on. I just took it and used it for small 6" patchs and I will eventually use the roll up. The thing that really strikes me as odd is how some are having absolutely no issues with new MK. I would wager this is because of the supplier and where it came from. Some get the good and some get the bad.