I am covering my Guillow converted kit with lightweight silkspan, and my PT20 with heayyweight silkspan. Both are electric power.

Is there an adhesive I can get at my local Carr Hardware that can replace the traditional dope? I want it to stretch neatly, as well as with dope, but it don't need to be fuelproof.

I used to apply my silkspan on with elmers white glue when i was a kid, only because it was easily available to me. ( my father was a carpenter) It can be cut with water & brushed on, then apply the silkspan, & let dry. I have not tried what i'm about to suggest to you next, but Minwax polycrylic is water based & you might try brushing it on over your silkspan. Once it dries it i would think it be tight as a drum & should be available at a hardware store or Lowes. I use it on Koverall & it seals it up nicely......Gene

I use Deft Sanding Lacquer Sealer to lay on my fiber glass cloth and see no reason it couldn't work on silk span. Do all the edges first then add a few coats then spritz the span to shrink then slather the deft on just like dope. I buy the Deft at Lowe's.

Gene is slather a NV word[X(]

Nearly forty years ago when I was a preteen there was no LHS where I lived. In building my first real flying kit, A Midwest Jetstream glider, I resorted to using shellac. As I recall the model was covered with tissue. If I recall correctly I adhered the covering with the shellac and shrunk it with a spray bottle of water, then gave it a coat of shellac. As I recall it shrank up nicely and had a semigloss finish. Shellac is nice in that it has relatively low toxicity and easy cleanup. Since it was such a long time ago I would suggest that you get a pint can and dry it on some scrap material just to be sure. All that being said, everyone ought to build at least one doped model.

It's a word with a lot of descriptive power. Deft is a lot thinner then dope or resin and I cover the glass in a hurry with it so tend to slather it on. Good stuff!! With about 80% of it gassing off it is also very light weight. I just never have used it to cover with silk span.

I'm interested to hear replies. Adhering the tissue (I use silk span on many models) is easy. Many good options have been suggested. I am looking forward to seeing what folks use to protect the tissue after it has shrunk. Even if fuel proofing is not a necessity, protecting the tissue is. The traditional 50/50 dope to thinner has always worked well for me.