tarvma02

My Feedback: (3)

Hi,

Has anyone ordered a roll of white Monokote lately from Tower and had any luck getting it to shrink like it did 10 years ago?

Thanks,

Mike

davidgeorge212

I have ordered a number of rolls in different colors and they have all worked out fine for me.

Love To build

My Feedback: (30)

It's not the same. I had used an old roll recently and it worked great and bought a new roll to finish and was not satisfied with the results .I don't know what they did. I'm trying Ultracote for the first time with decent results but it doesn't compare to the old Monokote.

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

I'm with DavidGeorge, I've not had any problems. I've been using Monokote for about 15 years now and I've never had any issues with it. However, in fairness. I have a small plane I'm getting ready to recover for a friend and I have brand spanking new roll of Monokote that I will be using on it. I will report my results with it. I'll try to shoot some video that I can post to show it if I can.

Ken

bullseye000

I used yellow and sapphire blue with good results. Problem colors for me have been black, white and red. I did a plane in a 2 color red and white scheme last year and it turned out beautiful. A year later and I have huge wrinkles everywhere in the red. Even with an iron set as high as it will go I can't get it to shrink or stick to the wood underneath. The yellow and sapphire developed some wrinkles but I can iron them out. There are definitely problems because too many people are complaining, but it seems to me that some colors can be worse than others. I also peeled some white off an ARF that is supposed to be covered in genuine monokote, it jushert doesn't look like the other white I have. Much more milky in color. Good luck.

Ram-bro

My Feedback: (101)

do you guys use balsarite prior to puttig on your monokote

Quigleywins

Now Ken I need to see some one using this product so I'm waiting with baited breath to see the production,of your little home movie. Please post if it works or not. Yours Paul. (some one that Can't)

Top_Gunn

My Feedback: (6)

I think Monokote's main problem is quality control. I've had some perfectly good results (including with white) and some awful ones (including yellow and red). Lots of other people seem to have had problems with white. Now I've switched to Ultracote and Coverite 21st Century film. Why take the chance?

airbusdrvr

Ultracote solved my Monokote problems several years ago

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Ditto!

blueapplepaste

My Feedback: (5)

When I did my Ultra Sport two years back, I used a roll of yellow that was prob 15-20 years a go I picked up in a big monokot lot at a swap meet. It was a joy to work with, perfect in every way. When I ran out of it and had to finish with a roll of new monokote, big difference. That stuff didn't tack very well, wrinkled a ton, and didn't shrink very well. In other words it was junk. Same with rolls of black and red I used on that plane that were purchased brand new for it.

Nowadays I keep my eyes open for old rolls of the stuff on ebay, swap meets, etc. I won't touch the new stuff. Absolute junk IMO, at least compared to Ultracote and other iron coverings.

I know they say nothing has changed, but I'm not buying it for one minute.

MILDBILL-RCU

My Feedback: (6)

I still have a few rolls from back in the mid 80's. I just got done covering a 1/6 size Waco with a brand new roll & i had no problems at all. I have built 7 planes this year alone & have used Monokote on all of them & have had no problems with it. I have tried Ultra coat, but I just dont like it as much as Monokote.

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

MILDBILL, those are some good looking birds. Some great jobs. What is the gray bipe?

davidgeorge212

I believe thats his 1/6th scale waco

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

It solved mine about 12 years ago. Mono is pretty good stuff for trim though!!!

MILDBILL-RCU

My Feedback: (6)

The "gray" one is the 1/6th Waco I built in Nov. It is all white. (poor lighting) That was a new 6 ft. roll of Monokote from Tower for it. Thank you kind words. bill

cubfloater

My Feedback: (5)

Wow, nice planes MildBill and lots of them. You obviously are retired or if not I'm really impressed. Where do you fly? I spend lots of time south of Albemarle and wouldn't mind somewhere close to fly from there. Especially someone with a new Waco 1/6 to fly. I have an old one I'm trying to refurbish and get back in the air plus a new kit to build. If any of your flying buddies have many kits like you do that's a great place to fly. All my local fields fly ARF's or foamies. Not many kits. except for fly-ins.

Jim

357ross

I have used Monokote for many years, and there is a huge difference in the new stuff compared to the old. I no longer use it at all. I just keep wondering how long before Top Flite can't GIVE this junk away and they decide to FIX the problem.

vasek

My Feedback: (4)

That's a Nice Waco! are going to paint the trim or cover over? if u paint what kind of paint do you use?

thanks
V.

tarvma02

My Feedback: (3)

That 1/6 Waco is promising evidence that white Monokote is shrinking OK. Anything funky applying it like lots of stretching or really high temps needed to apply or shrink it?

Thanks, this is the sort of reply I wanted.

Mike

NM2K

My Feedback: (14)

I might today, if I absolutely HAD to use Monokote.

The Seventies iterations of Top Flite Super Monokote were easy to apply, supple, would stretch around compound curves without wrinkling and would stick ridiculously well to itself without having heat applied, as many of we old farts know all too well.

I remained loyal to Top Flite Super Monokote for quite a while, but, over time, they have changed the formulation and it has become useless. I'm still in love with their copper metallic red and white (old smoky style), but you can't buy that any longer new. So, I'm with Oracover and its derivatives. Maybe I'll try some Chinakote. It can't be any worse than Monokote.


Ed Cregger

gmohr

Balsarite isn't worth while. The worst part of it is that it doesn't sand well, so it stinks as a sealer. It pills up under the sandpaper. I've been told that thinned dope works well, but really you only need to sand up to 600 and cover.

And yes, use Ultracote, unless you enjoy the monokote lottery.

-G

tarvma02

My Feedback: (3)

I'm currently using Ultracote and getting nice finishes. It shrinks well, looks nice, and is easy to apply. The downside is that the seams come up easier and the overlaps are more noticeable. Ultracote is currently the best covering BUT it still not as good as pre-messed up Monokote.

Balsarite does nothing for me and I see no reason to use it other than fuel soaked balsa...even then its not so great.

Mike

NM2K

My Feedback: (14)

Many folks aren't aware of it, but Coverite sold Balsarite in two thicknesses; regular & plastic film. The plastic film Balsarite was much thinner. Coverite also sold a thinner and cleaner for their products named Ironex, which was basically Xylene. One could thin Balsarite with Ironex to the point where it would not clump under film covering.


Ed Cregger

FlyingPilgrim

My Feedback: (26)

I have used Balsarite on areas that need extra adhesion, like plywood, where Monokote does not stick well. It is also good when you don't have a large surface area of balsa to adhere the covering to and need extra bite to hold it in place. It is thinner than Sig Stixit. I think Stixit sold one for film and one for fabric.