ORIGINAL: Frank Schwartz
I still use dope and silk on my 1/2A Texaco planes and tissue and dope on my rubber band stuff...for the R/C planes I use Monokote...and I was one of the last to give in and use Monokote...and as far as iron on plastic, it is, in my opinion, still the best of its type.
I am going to start building a GHQ Sportster and cover it with silk and dope....might even get my old GHQ to run, and if so will put it in the plane....
Also have a big Buccaneer covered in silk and dope...silk is expensive nowadays, but dope can be had in pints, quarts and gallons from Sig and Penn Hobby Center..who also carry lots of stick old time type kits...
Hi Frank,
Greetings from Sunny Florida. I just know you are freezing your Tookus off up off New Shackle Island Road.
Guys, if you have not tried rag and dope finishes, you don't know what you're missing. The plane in the photo is a 1/4 scale Corben Super Ace, and believe it or not, the finish is over 10 years old. It still looks and flies like new. The fabric is Sig Koverall (polyester woven cloth about .5oz/sq ft and it shrinks both machine direction and cross direction about equally using a heat gun. I stuck mine down using nitrate dope, but you can use stixit or perhaps another heat sensitive adhesive. The finish is Sig Butyrate dope, but andrews works as well. I have even used clear dope as a filler/primer and finished using automotive urethane color and clear with good results. This covering method gives a more, "Honest" effect than you can get with iron on films. Kind of like polished aluminum has more, "Character" than chrome. Frank, come see me, and bring planes.
Bill (AMA 4720)