RCU Forums - View Single Post - Ailerons/hinge gapes covered, one piece.
Old 08-26-2010 | 12:05 PM
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Gray Beard
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From: Hemderson, NV
Default RE: Ailerons/hinge gapes covered, one piece.

After I have the complete base coat on the plane I take the plane out in the sun and leave it for about an hour. It will shrink and sag. Then I take it back into the shop and tighten it up again. I do this sometimes several times until the covering no longer sags, I just call it curing the covering. Then I start adding the trim colors. I also juice up the windex with a bit more ammonia. Fact is it's the ammonia that actavates the monos backing so it can be done with just water and ammonia. After getting all the air bubbles out of the covering with a card I let it sit over night, sometimes longer, then I just use a trim iron around about 1/4 inch of the outside of the trim.
Because of the heat we get here the curing is the trick. My planes can sit out in the hot sun for days without the covering getting nasty looking.
What I learned yesterday, the black Ultra goes on at a lower temp then the yellow. I have always used the Mono black for patching and trim so it was a bit os a surprise to me. I tend to run my iron on the hot side anyway. I have also used the trick Ken used in his instruction video. There is no right or wrong way to cover, you do what works best for you. Not all planes lend themselves to the way I do things so I really have no set rule how to cover. This is just a way I have done it a lot so I'm used to it, may not be easy for others but it works for me.