I am putting the finishing touches on my TF piper arrow. I am not very good covering. Acutally I suck at it (i know practice makes perfect) but I really want this model to turn out great, I dont want wrinkles, bubbles ect. I read awhile back about someone sanding the plane down really good, than covering with some substance, than airbrushing. Any suggestions?

You might be referring to [link=http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXB355&P=7]Balsarite[/link]. It helps covering stick better and can also be used for fuelproofing. I have used it before with good results. And yes, sanding the entire airframe with progressively finer sandpaper will help ensure a smoother final product. Also, do your best to remove all sanding dust from the airframe and finally, try to cover in a clean, dust-free environment.

Hope this helps....

If the plane is fully sheeted, you can sand it, then you can use 3/4 oz fiberglass cloth and epoxy to "glass" it, then paint the fiberglass. You could also just paint the sheeting directly, but it won't be as strong. This will probably be a little heavier than just straight monokote. You'll need to make sure you use fuel proof paint.

If its not fully sheeted, there's the old school method of "silk and dope", but if you thought monokote was hard....!

Try using Ultracote. I've never used it since my LHS only carries Monokote, but those that use it claim its easier to work with.

For me, Monokote has taken some time to learn, and each job has turned out better than the last. Monokote is also pretty durable, and I like being able to use Windex to stick down stripes and other details, so I'll probably stick with it.

Brad

Have you viewed MinnFlyer's covering tutorial videos? If you are new at this they may help.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/a...?article_id=67
http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/a...article_id=726

My covering videos are helpful, but one aspect I DIDN'T go into was surface prep.

So here are a few tips:

First, Use Ultracote. You'll find that it is much more user-friendly

Second, If you use Ultracote, they recommend that you DO NOT use balsarite or any other heat-activated adhesive

Third, like JustErik said, sand the entire structure (My least-favorite part) but most importantly, get all of the dust off! The way I do this is to hold the part (Like a wing) in one hand while I beat the heck out of it with the other. Obviously try not to break anything, but give it a few good whacks to get most of the loose stuff off. I will often combine this with blowing on it till the room starts to spin.

Next, take a tack cloth (Which you can easily make by spraying a rag with spray adhesive) and wipe the entire surface down. If you use a dark cloth, you will be amazed at how must dust you'll see on it.

One other little trick I do is (And I don't always do this, but in the few times I've done it, I really liked the results) before the final sanding, coat the wood with a mixture of white glue and water. I don't know the exact ratio off the top of my head, but you don't need much glue! It should be very watery. It will dry clear, but the wood fibers will become stiff and sand much easier. It will also leave a VERY smooth surface.

I would advise any of you to try it on a piece of scrap sheeting and see what kind of results you get. I was really impressed. This also works extremely well in those areas where the woodgrain gets "fuzzy" and you just can't sand it smooth.

Try it. You'll like it!

Thank you guys! I will try some of these tips out very soon. I'll post some pics of the finished project which shouldnt be too much longer because I am on winter break from college and have a good month off to finish this baby off and get her up in the air.

My TiteBond II is yellow. Is that close enough or do I need to bleach it first?

Smart*****

Ok, change "White Glue" to "Any water-soluble alphatic resin glue"

MinnFlyer, what temperature do you set the iron and the heat gun to while working with Ultracote?
Thanks,
Paul.

if your not good at covering you might find painting/fiberglassing even worse. find /pay someone to do it first time. watching can give you some good tips.Ultra cote/OrRacover is a thicker material , creates less bubbling, generally goes on smoother.Model Airplane news library has books on covering by Faye Stiley which are EXCELLENT. HIGLY RECOMMEND them. at the next swap you can pick up some busted airframes, wings etc , cheap or give aways. same for covering material. color does not matter, & practice. on them.

Utracote. Much more forgiving than Monokote, if not as shiny.

Xman, I wish I could give you a better reply, but the fact of the matter is - I don't know.

I set the iron in the 180 -200 area, and then I will slightly raise or lower the temp according to what I need for whatever specific operation I'm doing.

As far as the heat gun goes, the gun I use has no "Heat setting", there is an air regulator in the back of the gun which I have in it's most closed position. This still gives me a little less heat than I would like, but it also probably keep me from burning holes in the covering