The oldest question, which came first, The chicken or the egg? Opps wrong forum.

I've seen a change in the way "monokote reacts lately, and I honestly believe there is a difference in the manufacture of the product.

for 31 years I've benn in the world of "shrink wrap", that clear plastic you find on "models", CD's, LP's, you get the idea. Over the years the method of manufacturing this hasn't really changed, but the materials from what they make the final product has.

This change has a lot to do with the EPA as to the chemicals used in the parent materials as well as the colors. Then again the cost of doing business is reflected in the product. Some purchasing agent buys what he thinks is the correct item from another supplier, and its close, but not the same. You end up with a product that has all the same charactoristics of what you were used to, but just doesn't work the same.

The material is mixed, heated and made into sheets by either casting or blowing a bubble. When it cools off in the sheets we get, the parent material, color, and adheasive are all in one sheet. When we heat it up, it relaxes back to its original pre-stretched format. No mystery here.

But with all different brand names, there is a difference as well, and when working monokote or ultrakote, you need to find the working envelope and stay within that to get a good finish.

The product has changed, maybe to meet EPA guidleines, or bottom line. The product works.

The biggest problem with any product change is the person that is using it. We want what we used to have, and stick to old habits. If one or ten people can get a good finish, we all can.