alpinestar

I'm ready to put the top skins on my ziroli p47 wings; and am thinking of trying the 'heat 'em & sheet 'em" method. I read about it somewhere on RCU within some unrelated thread & can't find it.. So; for those who haven't heard of it, it goes like this...
using regular wood glue (titebond, etc), put a fairly heavy coat on all the rib/spar/etc surfaces which will be in contact with the skin. Do the same for the sheeting (creativity, luck, or a big brush needed for this part).
Now, let both parts dry. Place the sheeting where you want it, and heat an area with your covering iron. Pull the iron away & let it cool for a few seconds. Ta-da! It's stuck!
I have tried this on some small scraps and it does in fact stick.

Before I commit to a huge wing I wanted to seek the input of those who may have used this technique before.
For those who are veterans of this process, does it hold up long term??? sounds a lot more practical than trying to CA it all, or using a slower glue & 1 million pins & weights.

saramos

I've used this method on a couple of planes, one sport, one scale. They were sheeted with 1/16" skins I've read of other who have done it with 3/32" but it may not work so well when you start getting much thicker. I'll often go back and hit the leading edge and trailing edge with CA for a little extra asurance. To determine where to put the glue on the skin, apply the glue to the ribs/spars, the place the skin in position with the glue wet. This will transfer some glue to the skin. Now you can apply a coat to the proper areas on the skin, and add a little more to the ribs and spars where needed.

I like the method and will use it again (unless I switch from balsa skins to skining with G10).

Scott

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

I may try this too in a little while. Heard of it awhile back. Let us know how you do.
Edwin

SitNFly

My Feedback: (54)

I used it on an 86" Pica P-40. You don't need a lot of glue. Just a thin coat on each surface. The balsa on the Pica was 3/32". Method worked very well; not near as messy as CA and allows you some time to properly position the skin before you apply the heat and nail it down. I first got the idea from a 'tips' book I bought from MAN. Good luck; I think you will like the method.

carlgrover

I've used this technique for years. It works well. I've used it for sheeting thicknesses to 1/8". 1/8" can be done, but it is slower than 3/32". I learned the technique from Tim Batts old "Scratchin RC" column in RC Report years ago. Some tips:

1. Don't let the glue dry. Force it dry with a heat gun. You want it dry but "rubbery" when you heat the parts together. Whatever you do, don't let the glue dry overnight then try and heat the parts together. The glue must be freshly dried but not cured.

2. Put the glue (Titebond is my favorite) down on the ribs/spars only. Press the sheeting over them and then pull it back off. This ensures perfect placement of glue over the sheeting. You can put extra glue down as needed. Experience will tell you how much glue to use. It usually helps to make some alignment marks with a pencil.

3. I sometimes wet the sheeting to help the heat go thru it when bonding to the ribs. Usually only needed for 1/8" thick balsa.

It does hold up long term. It is a slow process but the final outcome is of a higher quality than CA which can make messy, concrete smears all over balsa. I hate pinning also. The balsa always wants to pull away from the pins.