I've only used Ultracote, only becaue that what my ARF's came with. Is there a big diffrence in all these ? One thing that really annoys me is placing Ultracote over Ultracote. I put a checkerboard ultracote over the bottom of my red ultracote wing. It does not look good with all sorts of little bubbles. I made lots of holes to let the air out and pin *****ed others but I'll be there till christmas by the time I get them all !! Does monocote have the same problem ?

Yep, same problem.

I use a special elixir of trim solvent. I lay down the covering and have plenty of time to position it. I then use a squeegee (credit card) to work all the trapped air out, then go over it with an iron.

Don't have the recipe handy, but will post it tomorrow if you're interested.

Windex works really well for positioning film over film. Spray on the windex, apply the film,squeegee it smooth and let dry. You can also use a warm iron also. Start from the middle and work outward, takes some patience but is works.

You can also use vinyl from a sign shop (ask for scraps) or from places like Harbor Sales. It's the same stuff as monokote trim sheets, a sticky-backed plastic film. Apply using windex or simular to allow you to move it around and keep it smooth.

I've done plastic-over-plastic iron on, it's a pain. As was said, work from the center out if possible. Also, really turn the iron way way down. Some of the bubbles are from gass released by the glue as it heats up. Less heat, less gas, less bubbles.

So what you guys are saying is that windex works as an activator for the glue on the monocoat, allowing you to tack it down, then go over it with a low temp iron to seal it?

I'm also confused. Can you use the iron at low heat along with the Windex?

I remember many years ago, on my 1/4 scale Decathlon with the red and white sunburst design, I painted the airplane red (fabric and dope), the paint was acrylic enamel and the surface was very slick, all the white trims (and there was a lot ot them) was done by using Monokote cut to size, water with a tad of soap mixed was sprayed, lay the monokote down, the soapy water allows you some time to either move it around a bit or just to lift it up completely, once in place, squegee all the water from under the trim, from the center out, using your free hand to keep it still, not an ait bubble is left under the material, next day, after the water and soap have dried out, clean the edges, and in this particular case black 1/4 inch trim tape was applied all around the perimeter of the white trims, thus sealing the edges, the entire finish was afterward completely sealed with clear urethane, but if some monokote sealant is applied, that should keep those edges from lifting up under use, or just seal it with a good trim tape, like Goldberg's, the problem is that if you use heat, whatever air might be trapped under the covering is going to expand creating a very ugly bubble.

I'm glad this is beginners forum, because I'm obviously missing some fundamentals, is monocote sticky on the back or only sticky with you put windex on it (or Steve's magic formula) ? Ultracote is not sticky it only sticks when its heated with an iron. Can I use your monocote techniques to place it over the ultracote with no bubbles ?

Regular monokote(not trim sheets) do not have a sticky back. The adhesive is activated with heat or trim solvent(acetone). If you are good you can apply trim with trim solvent, but use very sparingly and work quickly. You can use the windex or ammonia/water to apply the monokote. Some people also use a warm iron to lightly go over the trim piece to make sure all the seams are adhered.
When I apply a multi color pattern to a plane I usually make a skin with all the patterns before I apply it to the plane. For small trim pieces such as stars or stripes I just run the piece down with a soft cloth(to get rid of trapped air) and then apply with a warm iron.

The windex does not activate the glue on the covering (whatever brand) it allows you to easily move it around and, more imporantly, squegee out all the air. I acutally don't use any water or windex when doing heat-shink over heat-shrink. When doing vinyel (or trim sheet), the windex keeps it from sticking to soon, and allows you to move it around, then squegee out the liquid to make it stick in place.

Interesting, lets see if I have this right:
To apply a covering on top of another covering and get no bubbles, do the following:

1) Use trim solvent to activate the glue on the back of the monocote (works also with Ultracote?)
2) spray windex on the plane where you want to apply the second cote.
3) apply the second cote where the windex is, then squeegee out the windex, and it should now stick.
4) you can go over lightly with a hot iron

Sound right ?

Thanks for your help and patience
Mike

Keep the iron and cool as possible. Too much heat will cause gas to form from the glue and solvents and create bubbles. Use the higher heat only on the very edges if necessary.

Attach Monokote Trim (or Ultracote)

You can easily mix up a brew that will allow you to use the "wet" method to attach your Monokote trim that is very easy to do and will not require any sealing with the iron when it's dry:

In an old Windex or other spray bottle mix up about 4 oz. water

2 or 3 oz. of denatured alcohol

a small amount of dishwashing liquid (about 8 or 10 drops)

about 1 to 1-1/2 oz of Trim Solvent.

Shake it up good and spray it on the base covering, getting a even thin coat.

Lay your Monokote trim (be sure to remove the clear plastic) onto the sprayed area and slide it around until it's in exactly the right position.

Take a soft rubber squeegee (get these at the car parts place) and working from the center in all directions squeegee the liquid out until there are no bubbles or creases.

Use paper towels to sop up the excess and then allow to dry at least four hours (depends on temp and humidity).

The trim will be fastened to the base Monokote as if it were ironed on and won't come off. It's pretty easy to do but if you have an old wing you might experiment a little to get the hang of it. Oh yes, this method also works on Monokote trim over painted surfaces and does not harm the paint (Rustoleum in this case).

Ultracote will not work with the windex method. It will not adhere. Only Ultracote plus would work, but that one is discontinued.
You can lay monokote over ultracote with no problem. after letting dry over night, the next morning just go over it with a iron or trim solvent if over open areas. I use a q-tip qith trim solvent and just go around the edges. Does not come loose.
For more info just do a search for "windex method". You should find plenty of info.

OK..here is what I do with ultra cote. I use the windex method, and squeegie out the extra liquid to remove as many bubbles as possible. HOWEVER, I read in a thread on RCU some time ago that said to put some holes in the covering under where you are doing your overlay. These allow the gasses that are created to escape into open areas under the first covering. I have a 4*60 and added wide stripes under the wing to help tell top from bottom. I put several pin holes in the RED (original covering) between the ribs. I was attaching the wide stripes from rib to rib. By having the holes under the top covering, the gas escaped and left a real smooth surface. I haven't seen any trouble with this method yet. I have attached a picture, all of the yellow that you see is the added part.

Sorry, also meant to post the wing bottom pic.

Hook, are your yellow stripes make of ulwracote, or are they sticky trim stripes ? From what I've read here so far, I don't understand how your stripes are sticking if they are ultra cote. When I put ultra cote over ultracote, I made many holes, maybe 1 inch apart or less, and still had many bubbles on low heat. Maybe I just dont have the touch, I think I'll switch to monocote next time.

elevator_up: It is pearl yellow ultracote and I use the iron at about 210*. It seems to activate the glue without heating it up too much. I did have problems when I first started, but have gotten better, not perfect, just better.