I'm new to koverall and dope and I'm doing a kadet Senior...how much dope and thinner will I need...i have 2 pints nitrate, 1 pint black and a half pint of red...is this enough?? I also have thinner and some clear dope

How important is the use of nitrate on the frame before covering, when stix-it is used?

Thanks in advance

I.F.

If you use Stixit to fasten the fabric , you should not need to Dope the airframe.
I really can't recall how much Nitrate I used on mine . but the two pints should be very close.
What you want to do with the Mitrate is seal the fabric weave before paint or other color coats "FUEL PROOF" as Nitrate is not fuel proof.
I have thinned 50/50 60/40 thinner to seal the weave most times two to three coats are needed and brush in one direction one time for each brush stroke.
Wait a while for the first coat to dry and repeat try not to apply too much dope per coat or it will pool thru the fabric and leave a dimple in the cloth.
I use a 1" Sable mop type brush to apply my dope, Don't go cheap on your brush as it will show in the final finnsh later even if you spray the color coat.


Den

I'm doing an LT-40 with koverall and dope now. I've use about half a quart of nitrate dope and still have to brush on the second coat of thinned nitrate dope. So your two pints of nitrate sounds about right. I asked how much butyrate I would need and William Robinson kindly suggested a pint... which I have waiting for the two sprayed color coats.

thankyou both for your inputs

What's the deal on raised grain and fuzz? I find if i brush on stix-it onto the wood without having prepared it first with dope, that I get raised grain.
i reluctant to sand tis as this would remove some of my nice brushed on stix-it...and since its gummy, it doesn't like the sand paper.[]
Any opinions...

I.F.

Don't know about the Stix-it.....

Told you not to use that stuff, in the RCGroups thread.....[sm=wink.gif][sm=wink.gif]

I am using stix-it with my polyester material (Koverall material) and you will find out that when you apply heat to your fabric using your iron the material will be very smooth. The raised fibers on the balsa seem to just vanish. I am covering a 4 * 60 right now using Stix-it and the polyester material is coming out very smooth.

I am sealing the fabric using Nitrate dope. Two or three coats seems to be just right. I am then going to use Rustoleum spray paint to paint my 4 * 60. Rustoleum is full proof up to 15% nitro fuel.. I have tested 4 different types of Rustoleum and all 4 types where fuel proof using 15% fuel.

I have chosen to us Rustoleum because of the ease of use and of all the colors avalible. I am painting mine as a German ME-109f in desert camoflage.

I hope this helps