Hi All,
I've noticed that my Hangar 9 Alpha 40 and PTS Mustang are getting some wrinkles on the control surfaces, fuselage and wings. Got the Hangar 9 proseal iron with the sock and also a glove and I don't even have a clue how to use the iron.
What heat setting do i use, because the iron can be set between 150 to 425, I don't want to melt a hole in the material.
Thanks in advance,
Wayne

Hi Wayne,

The best you can do is start with a low setting, wait for 10 minutes and try, if you need more head advance 5-10%, wait another 10 minutes and try again.

Do this until you find the best setting.

As a reference, I use my iron (Top Flite Iron tool) at about 75% of the available heat and works good.

Good luck

I had the same problem with my P-51. I used the heat gun and then followed it up immediately with a soft cloth to push the covering down just in case it popped up (it didn't) . It's about 500 % faster than using the iron. I did the whole plane in about 15 minutes, and it had a fair amount of wrinkles. It would've taken me hours with the iron. Also, if you use the heat gun, those horrible manufacturer decals can be removed easily at the same time. It seems liek there's a million of 'em on that plane [&o]. The glue comes right off with acetone [8D].

Actually, I gotta vote for the heatgun too.

It's just about the perfect device for getting rid of wrinkles. It's safer than the iron. It's quicker by far. And it doesn't overheat or under heat.

If you hold it "too far" to remove the wrinkles, and slowly bring it closer until the wrinkles start to pull flat, you've just discovered the perfect "temperature". And it's dead easy to maintain that perfect temperature. And you see exactly how long it takes to remove each and every wrinkle. As soon as the wrinkle is shrinking up, move the heat and you've just used exactly the right amount necessary to do the job and no more than necessary. And since you're not wasting time on any wrinkle, ironing and ironing, you're taking only as long as necessary for each wrinkle.... win win win.........

The only problem with the gun is that you do need to use an iron at least once. You'd better run the iron around the outside edges of all the covering. ARF workers don't always get the monokote stuck down everywhere.

BTW, it's personal preference, but that silly looking thing that sticks on the front of the gun works better for me than just using the gun without. I find that it gives me a more easily controlled airflow "shape". I can work the air right up to tip ribs etc without going "overspray".

You're controlling the temperature the monokote feels by holding the gun a certain distance from the surface.
You're controlling how much heat the covering is subjected to by moving the airflow away as soon as the wrinkle shrinks.
You're not wasting any time at all.
The airflow can go around, under, or over anything like pushrods etc. The iron can't.
win win win win

Let me throw in a few pointers here that will help get your wrinkles out. First of all, and this was said above but I want to repeat it here, before you use the heat gun you need to use your covering iron to seal down the edges of the area you are working on. When these ARF's are put together they don't pay a lot of attention to sealing down the edges and if you use the heat gun before the edges are secured down the covering will shrink up and pull away from that edge. If that happens there is absolutely nothing you can do to fix it except pull the covering off and recover it.

I see a lot of people with ARF's try to take the wrinkles out of their covering only to have them reappear the first time they are out in the sun. Why does this happen? Because they don't shrink and tighten the ENTIRE area, but only hit the area with the wrinkles in it. If you do it this way you will never get it tight and keep it tight. Here's a description of what to do. For this I'll use a wing as an example, and let's assume that there are wrinkles at the wingtips and wing root where the wing meets the fuselage. When you are shrinking the covering you need to think about the entire area that is covered and not just the area with the wrinkles. When you start shrinking the covering you need to start in the middle of the area you have, not at the area with the wrinkles. I'll say that again. DO NOT START ON THE WRINKLES. You need to shrink the entire area of covering and to do this you need to start out in the middle and work in towards the end with the wrinkles. You do this because that covering has a lot of stretch and you need to work it out. As you work that stretch out it will tighten the covering and pull the wrinkles out as you work down. Think if it this way, think of the covering as a rubber band that is attached to a nail at one end. Which is going to have more stretch, pulling from the middle of the rubber band or pulling down near the nail? Of course it's when you pull from the middle that gives you more stretch. The same is true for the covering. When you start in the middle and work towards your wrinkles the material will shrink and pull your wrinkles out. And don't stop with just getting the wrinkles out. Keep heating and shrinking the entire area. If you do this and shrink the entire area you will be rewarded with a covering that is as tight as a drum and will stay that way even on sunny hot days at the field.

And lastly. If you are using your covering iron never EVER put a hot iron directly on top of wrinkles in the covering. If you do this will will crease down the wrinkles and then you will NEVER get them out again. If you are using an iron use the same technique that I described above. Start away from the wrinkles and slow move the iron towards the wrinkles, the covering will heat up and shrink as you move towards the wrinkles. When you get to the wrinkles if they have not pulled out yet don't the iron directly on the wrinkles. Instead lift the iron up a little bit and hold it above the wrinkles and let the heat stretch the covering and pull the wrinkles out. Once they are pulled out then you can use the iron to seal down the covering.

Hope this helps

Ken

The iron takes longer than a heat gun, however, with a heat gun you need to be VERY CAREFUL around seams and any overlays. If you are not careful the seams will pull and separate and the overlays will shrink and pull.

I suggest using a heat gun on a "non-favorite" plane first to get the "hang of it". That way when you mess up (not if, but when ) you won't be ruining the covering on a favorite plane.

Thanks to all of you for your help. I didn't know where to start. I thought I would ask questions first before I really made a mess.
Ken, I do have a heat gun from Sears that the heat can be controlled, used it to strip the paint from window frames. Would this be too strong to take out the wrinkles ?
Wayne

Cool pool,
It would work just as long as you don't get too close or too hot. Trust me, I know from experience that you can melt a hole in the covering if you get too close with the heat gun. The only you have is going to put out a lot of heat so be careful. If you say you can adjust the temp on it I would set it to the lowest temp and then adjust from there. Move it up if you can see the covering being affected by the heat. Monokote temperature is 250 degrees, so you want that to be your target temperature. Just start low and work up.

Hope this helps

Ken

Paint stripping guns usually get REALLLLLY hot. Be REALLLLLY careful if you use one.

I prefer the correct tool.
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXHZ16&P=7
There are cheaper ones available too, but cheaper is not always better.