gr8johnson3

my dragon lady arf covering is really wrinkled. i used a heat gun and an iron. the problem is that on surfaces where the covering is against something solid( not hollow like the wing) it bubbles up using the heat gun. is this normal. someone told me to just flatten it with my hand after is is hot. any tips would help. thanks

tiggerinmk

On ARF's I only use the iron to seal down edges, on the rest I just go over it with the heat gun. As you go over the wrinkles you may see some other areas bubble up but the surface tends to even out as the covering shrinks.

LenLee

My Feedback: (1)

The bubbles that form between the covering and the solid balsa surfaces when you use a heat gun should go away as the covering cools and the trapped air goes into the wood. Make sure not to get the heat gun too close to the covering and don't try to go too quickly. If the covering is on top of another layer of covering like a trim piece, use a low iron heat setting to iron out the wrinkles. You may need to use a very small needle to allow any trapped air to escape before re-ironing. Also be careful around decals, since they can melt or distort if they get too hot.

Good Luck...Len

Crash Master

I am/was having the same problem with mine so I emailed hobbypeople about it and this is what I got back:

The covering is Solarfilm. The technique we find that works best to remove bubbles is to heat the covering and get as many small bubbles as possible into a big bubble, then pop the edge of the bubble to let the trapped air escape. Now, the covering can be rubbed smooth with a rag or iron if needed.

--
Kyle Gittins, Manager

Customer Service
18480 Bandilier Cir
Fountain Valley CA 92708


I haven't tried it yet - working on a VF 66" Edge 540 - but hopefully this will take care of the problem. Otherwise maybe when (and if) the weather out here ever warms up just having it out in the heat of the sun will help it.

Hope this helps,

gr8johnson3

thanks alot. i did try that. i got the small bubbles into big ones. i didnt poke it i just smoothed it out. it works pretty good. i will try the other way on the wing when i get to it. i am sure it is faster.

BasinBum

My Feedback: (2)

Get an iron sock on the iron and over sheeted surfaces apply firm pressure while making small circles. Be patient and start at the outside of the wrinkle, it will suddenly start to stick and you keep moving toward the center. You can use the pin method if needed but usually this will work on it's own. The gun should be reserved for open areas like wing bays. If you do use the gun for curved surfaces like wing tips have a cotton glove on your hand to press the covering down as you go.

Born to Fly

I have another question related to ARF covering......

I don't like the covering scheme on one of my ARFs and I am thinking of stripping the covering off the plane and re-do a new color scheme.

May I know if this is commonly done and what is the best method of removing the covering without damaging any parts of the balsa ?

[sm=confused.gif]

Texas 3D

My Feedback: (16)

Just start pulling it off, and if it doesn't want to come off just apply some heat with a heat gun and keep pulling. If it is covered in a heatshrink type covering it should come right off.
Now that sticky shelfpaper type covering is a different story. I wouldn't mess with that. Leaves some nasty glue on the wood [:@]

doctorgo

My Feedback: (5)

In regard to re-covering ARFs, here are my experiences...I do it regularly (re-cover, that is.):

To avoid breaking the edges of the balsa beneath, strip the covering in the direction of the wood grain.

In the case of some models such as WM, ESM, Global and the like, the film will peel readily, leaving the colored adhesive behind. In this case, the adhesive can be removed by rubbing, using an acetone soaked cloth. Rubber gloves and LOTS of ventilation are required.

In the case of the Dragon Lady: The wings, ailerons and fusilage are not balsa! The wood is native to southern China and is similar to Obeche, found in western Africa. Covering the DL will be difficult at best, especially with Monokote because it will not easily adhere to this wood. This wood retains the heat for comparatively long periods, not allowing the film to shrink. When sitting in the summer sun for a while, some of the bubbles will smooth out only to re-appear in the shade. I spoke with the product manager at Global about this condition and all he could do was make a suggestion. He couldn't provide a viable answer. Incidently, the wing of my DL weighs 2 1/2 pounds!! It will be replaced with a GP Big Stik 60 wing (same design) which weighs 1 1/2- pounds and will monokote nicely.

Regards,

DrGO