Hand-me-down trainer
First off, I've lurked for a while and it seems like a dedicated group on here! Glad to be a part of the forums!
I've got a good friend who has been flying for many years. I myself have about 6 years of RC car racing and building experience and I'm a self proclaimed flight sim junkie. My buddy gave me his first plane, a 20+ year old top wing triketrainer along with many of the tools and parts to get it air worthy. (monokote, iron, hinges, balsa elevator etc)
The horizontal stabilizer and elevator sustaned damage some time ago. The stab needs recoated and elevator needs replaced entirely. I've removed the elevator and hinges and removed the monokote from the stab. Today I formed the elevator and covered with monokote. The process was fairly straightforward yet still a learning experience. I carefully applied acetone to the stab to remove old adhesive, sanded down to 600 grit, and cleaned up with a tack cloth. I cut the film and applied it to the underside of the stabilizer doing a thorough job removing bubbles and wrinkles. I righted the plane and the monokote fell off like there was no adhesive at all. (yes, I did remove the clear film coating lol!) I'm thinking there's most likely fuel and oil permeation in the wood which brings me to my question....what on earth do I have to do to get this monokote to stick to the stabilizer? I've read about hair spray, applying thin films of glue, and a product called balsarite which seems like a logical solution to this problem but has mixed reviews.
Any suggestions whether they be a product or a technique would be greatly appreciated!