I started covering my latest project with iron-on covering and I decided to tear what I had started off. I just can't bring myself to covering another nicely built model with iron-on film.
I am tired of hiding my models in the shade for fear they will develop "sun warts" or spend more time re-ironing my planes than I iron my clothes. This does not mean I will never use "film" again but just NOT this time. Iron on films are convenient and less work and mess but I have decided to endure the extra work and go with the old style of covering with fabric, primer, and paint. I'm actually looking forward to it.

Try solartex you will like it

what covering film are you using? give us a point of reference so that we may be able to offer better help. For me, Iwas a die hard Topflight Monokote user until about 3 years ago. They changed the formula on the film which made it terrible to use. It didn't stick like it use too. Ironing it on took a lot more effort and it didn't shrink down like it did several years ago. Iswitched to UltraCote and been having decent success with it. Here is a link with some helpful info on how to apply the covering material: http://www.horizonhobby.com/products...t-blue-HANU954

Patience is the key and have some very sharp blades. It is common for me to have three Xacto knives out. First being the most dull which is used to cut the material from the roll. Many times I'll have the covering material rolled out on the building bench and will just cut what Ineed from the roll while it is laying flat on the table. This dulls the blade pretty quick. The second knife is used for cutting the excess material from the surface that is being covered. This is generally done to lop off the excess without too much concern about the seems. Then finally my third knife which is usually a brand new blade and as about as sharp as it comes out of the wrapper. This knife is used to trim the covering down to its final clean edges. having a very sharp blade makes all the difference. Cutting the material should happen without any drag being felt from the blade. if there is drag will cutting the material, then the blade is actually tearing the covering rather then slicing. When I cover a plane Iwill usually go through about 10 to 15 blades. But I rotate them through... going from the third knife always being the sharpest and rotate 3 to 2 and 2 to 1.

You just can't beat a good fabric finish.

I am finishing up a 1/3 Waco rebuild. Poly-Fiber Lite fabric, Klass Kote primer and paint. You never have to worry about this stuff developing wrinkles or blisters.

I will still use iron on covering for small sport models but anything of any size or a scale plane gets fabric.
Later!!
Anthony

Sweeeeeet

I have been through the gammit with covering techniques, materials, and application. I started with tissue and dope, went to silkspan and dope, went to silk and dope, went to Monocote, and then Ultracote. Recently I have found that Monokote and Ultracote have changed their formulas and their coverings have shown regression in quality and adhesion. I am a firm believer in a balsa prep such as Balsarite.

Sig Koverall is a superior material but my all time favorite is still silk and dope. Ounce for ounce, silk is still the strongest fabric compared to all others.
I have covered many of my birds with glass and resin. I have a new proposal that I believe will save considerable weight but still retain strength and that is....
.06 ounce poly cloth (SIG Koverall) and nitrate dope. I realize nitrate is not fuel proof but my final primer and paint will be a 2 part urethane and poly is shrinkable with heat.

There is one other new method on the market and that is a water based finish called EZE-Kote sold by Horizon Hobbies but I am not going that route since I have reservations about warpage using water based materails.

Look closely at this airplane. You cannot do this with film covering. This is the way it was done 'back in the day' for this particular glider. You are in for a lot of fun when working with fabric coverings that require finishing with paint. You will start having a craving to build older type airplanes just to cover them. Covering is the part I enjoy the most!

Absolutely beautiful work!!

Anthony,
Who do you buy your poly lite from?

I buy it from Aircraft Spruce. I also buy the dope from their as well. The fabric is the uncertified lite used for ultra lights. I believe it is 1.7oz per yd but it takes fewer coats of dope to fill the weave. I actually use Minwax Polycrylic ( water based) to fill the weave. I then add the stitching and tapes then a few more coats of Polycrylic then sand and primer and paint.

I have used Sig Koverall on several builds and I prefer this fabric.
Later!!
Anthony

Anthony,

What did you use to mask the paint lines on your waco wings?

Looks awesome...

Gordon

Anthony and ARUP, That's some outstanding craftsmanship. I hope a few others will post photos of their painted handy work.

Iron on films are good for a somewhat quick and easy covering job. But nothing beats the workmanship of a good fabric and paint job or a good paint job.
I played around with fabric and dope back in the 70's. Was getting kind of good with the clear dope/baby powder filler and brushed on aero gloss but later
on living accommodations dictated the use of iron on film.

Here is my "floorboard aeroplane"..

I'm using a product called Litespan. It's like a tough tissue... heatshrinks, but is not self-adhesive. Needs a few coats of thin dope to finish. Very nice to work with and quite economical, too.

Not as tough as Solartex, of course; When doped, it's comparable, in toughness, to a film covering... maybe a little more fragile. Suitable for this type of "light weather" model, or the free-flight type.


.

I cover mostly with MonoKote for weight reasons, but nothing is better then a cloth covered painted airplane...

Bob

For some things the fabric is too heavy. For the models I like, fabric is ideal. Nobody mentioned 21 Century fabric. It is pre-painted, and goes on much easier then Monocote. I used it in a lot of models w/very good results. Monocote is lighter, then Ultracote, then 21 Century Fabric, then painted whatever. Paint is not light, of course it all depends on how you apply it.

I have a friend that painted his 1/3 scale BALSA USA bipe with a foam roller and latex. Perfect for the application, it looked great:-)

Good luck

Gerry

Sun warts, nice way to put it

Outstanding work Anthony!!!

I can't agree with you more on the choice of fabric when working on the larger models. I infact had planned to use Sig Koveral to cover a 1/3rd scal Spacewalker. But after seeing the results of what your wings look like I may switch over to Poly-Fiber Lite. the fabric width is a plus and the price seems to be better. But when contemplating the covering of models that are smaller its a tough choice to go with using the iron fabric or taking the extra amount of time to go with the traditional covering materials. The good quality paints are hard to come by these days due to environmental reasons and the extra added cost of shipping a "hazardous" chemical via USPS or UPS. Okay I sometimes can be cheep and yes my time is limited these days for what I'm able to break free from the career and family. I have built many airplanes that turned out really clean and pretty when Iused MonoKote. But when they changed the formula of the material (the company has stated it was for environmental reasons) it is not suff Iwould chose to work with these days. I broke my traditional use of that material after using it for 20+ years which is a shame on their part.

Again the covering and paint job look fantastic. I'd like to hear how you got the paint seams so clean.

Stits poly fiber fabric and finishing materials are another alternative
http://www.polyfiber.com

I have found that, for prepainted or colored material, Solartex (or any of the fabrics ending in tex such as Worldtex, colortex, etc.) is the easiest to work with. For unpainted, Ceconite (the lightest grade) from Aircraft Spruce and Specialities, is the easiest to work with but you have to provide the adhesive for the Ceconite.

Poly-Span (similar to medium silkspan) and Poly-Span Lite (tissue like) take my vote. They need a balsa prep step with something like Balsarite (org solvent)or Balsalock (water based). They are then ironed on.

Take 3 coats nitrate or butyrate to fill and are ready for primer. I supposed the water based polyU could also be used to fill, but can't vouch for that method

Some free-flighters will cover with PolySpan tissue and come back witha layer of Esaki Tissue (rice husk paper) for a pretty tuff super light covering. Great thing about Esaki is the full assortment of dyed colors available. Great for open bay wings, stabs or stringered fuselages.....

Here are a couple of my fabric coverings, both Koverall. I am currently working on a Pitts and went with the Polylite instead of the Koverall. And it is a much better fabric, I can see it will not require anywhere near the weave filler the Koverall needed.

Stits Poly Fiber and Poly Fiber Lite is one and the same, in either case if you use the non certified thin covering from Aircraft Spruce, it's all light.

Bob

I prefer paint.

Krylon "Short Cuts" over EPS or glass cloth: http://www.krylon.com/products/short...erosol_paints/

Rattle cans are so convenient, andcreate a custom color scheme.

Good prices, too.

I'm an old glass cloth/epoxy paint builder. I started using that for the very reason mentioned at the start of this thread. I couldn't stand putting in all that work on a warbird kit, doing the wrinkle-free monokote job, hanging it up over the Winter and then coming back in the Spring to find a prune where I had left my warbird. My wife wanted to build a plane, so recently I let her put together an old Goldberg Anniversary Cub kit. She did an exceptional job on the airframe! As an experiment, I decided to try Solartex for the first time. I don't have a lot of experience with other shrinkable fabrics, but that stuff is FANTASTIC! Not a wrinkle in sight around the wing tips and looks great. Did the whole thing with an iron. I also thought that since I was experimenting, I'd have a go at painting with latex paint. It's a lot different from the epoxies, but I got a very acceptable finish with very little added weight. No priming/sanding necessary, just spray it on and watch it dry. I paint with disposable Preval sprayers and I thinned the latex with water. One ounce of paint and 3/4 ounce of water. Tends to run a lot easier than epoxies, but if you're careful and spray a number of light coats, no issues. Cleans up with soap and water and if you run some water through the sprayer when you're done, you can re-use it! Great way to do open-bay wings and other areas that you can't glass. Give it a try, you'll like it! Dave

SIG Koverall is 1.25 ounces per square yard. That is lighter than Ceconite Uncertified at 1.87 ounces.

Pure Japanese silk is way less than both mentioned above.

What about applying .72 ounce FG cloth with dope instead of resin?

That would seem to be the lightest way to go other than silk.

I see no reason why glass cloth and dope will not work. It can not be shrunk but that is not an issue
on fully sheeted surfaces.