Anyone run into this? I'm just starting to cover the wing of my Extra with white Monokote. No big deal ironing on the film but when I go to shrink it with the heat gun - nothing!! The covering is nice and smooth with no wrinkles between the ribs before I start to shrink but when I apply heat with the gun the Monokote just puckers. I've been covering for a long time and have never run into this before. The more heat I apply the more "rubbery" the coating becomes, just like normal but when you would normally see the covering tighten up it just remains puckered. Aghhhhh!!!!

Dan

This happened to me ONLY when one or more edges was not taken around a corner and well sealed with the iron, When this happens, the monokote "slides" because it is not fully anchored at the edges. Also I get better shrinking over open framework with a heat gun.

I had the same problem on my last wing, open rib bays of a profile wing, the monokote would tighten somewhat along the chord dimension, but no tightening whatsoever along the span. This was with a hot-air gun, which in the past has always worked beautifully for me. Normally I warm the covering from several inches away, then come in closer with a constant eye on the surface so I can remove the heat as soon as I see the film tighten up. This time I got the film going loose and floppy with the first warming up, but no amount of hot air would get it tight. I finally pulled the monokote off and did it over with some Econokote I had in my stash. The Econokote worked pretty well. Monokote quality these days does not impress me at all.

That is exactly what is going on with me. I always use the hot air gun to shrink over the span and can watch the covering tighten up as I move but now it justs waves around under the air blast like ripples on a pond. I think I have some Econokote as well somewhere in my shop but if memory serves me right it isn't as bright of a white. Maybe it's time to try something else but the local hobby shops only stock the Monokote.

Dan

Hate ask stupid questions but you didnt forget to pull the backing? (dont ask if I might have tried this once myself)

This may be a dumb question but did you remove the clear backing?

No offense taken. Yes, I took the clear backing off.

The problem is that they changed the formula/material they use.

If you try some Moneykote from 5 -6 years ago you will be amazed at how well it goes on and shrinks up, especially compared to the new stuff.

Topflight needs to remember a very true saying: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

It wasn't broke, but they decided to cheapen it up so it would be "New and Improved".

If you want a film covering that actually does what it is supposed to do AND has paint that ACTUALLY MATCHES (or is extremely close) go to Ultracote/Oracover.

I've had this problem too. Very inconsistent, very disappointing. I'm a big Monokote fan, but I'm about to give up on it.

geh3 makes a good point about the film sliding off the peripheral frame when you don't wrap it around a corner and seal it down well. It used to be that Monokote would stick tight without needing to wrap around the corner, much better than Ultracote in that regard. There are some sections where you don't have a corner to go around, and that was one reason I always preferred Monokote over Ultracote. For instance, where you have a stick-built, unsheeted horzontal stab with the covering removed from the center to allow gluing to the fuselage framing. If the covering has only a narrow edge to cling to, the Ultracote will slide off when you apply heat to tighten it up. As it stands now, my solution is to balsa sheet such areas, and adhere the Ultracote to the full sheeted surface. I just warm the covering up to sticking temperature, then wipe it down with a soft glove.

I found my roll of Econokote in the shop. Went on like a dream - no problems with the shrinking at all. Quite a bit more transparent then the Monokote though. Can't say I've ever had a problem with Monokote sliding around, adhesion of the Monokote I was having the shrinking problem with seemed to be great. When I pulled it up to replace it there was a very good track of surface wood on the piece. I tried some of the problem roll on a mock up frame I threw together quick and had the same issue. As best as I can describe it the Monokote would swell over the open span just as it does normally right before it begins to shrink tight except that in this case it never shrinks. It just maintains a rippled appearance. I kept adding heat with the gun to see just how much it would take which only resulted in a burn through without any further tightening.

Dan

White, Silver, and some other real light colors reflect the heat. I've found that White especially needs to get a really hot blast of air or super hot iron to shrink it.

I have quit using Monokote after more years than I care to think about for just this reason. I have been using Ultracoat and just love it. Ultracoat does not offer as many colors, but when the heat is applied it shrinks drum tight and does not get loose when the sun shines. My last couple of planes have been done with Ultracoat and I could not be happier. Good Luck, Dave

Monokote has to be almost on fire to shrink it seems like. Went to Ultracote and never looked back. It's soooooooooooo much easier to work with.

You are not alone, check out this thread in the Pattern forum:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3966929/tm.htm

Some of those guys are MASTERS at covering and finishing aircraft. If they can't make it work, no one will.


Mark

I have found that of late monokote has been much degressed in quality as it definitly does not shrink like the older stuff did. I have never been all that much impresed with moneykote anyway and as of my next project am switching to ultracote or something similare.

i only use Monkeycote for trim as it works well with the Windex technique... so its actually better that it doesnt shrink when sealing the edges with the iron once set

V.

You guys have no idea just how happy I am to hear about your current experiences with Monokote.

I have had a terrible time monokoting my last two planes and spent a fair amount of time trying to figure out just how I could loss my ability to do a decent job covering. I mean; I use to be pretty good at this job now I can’t get a over all smooth covering to save my life. I never for a moment considered that the Monokote itself may have changed.

I don’t do too much film covering now, but when I do I will take your suggestions and try Ultracote.

Thanks again.

Jim

I am not selling ultracote or monokote, and am not an expert at covering. I have used ultracote on repair jobs. My winter project is a GP cub and I decided to cover it with Monokote.
After reading the above I thought I better see if Monokote was going to work, and guess what, It does a great job. Granted, this is probably fresh material. But I really get tired of product bashing based on one experience.

A Cub really deserves a fabric covering.

I can highly recommend SolarTex. It is substantially lighter than Coverite fabric, does not require Balsarite (Solartex has excellent adhesive ), and any overlap seams are very difficult to see.

I also strongly suggest giving the finished plane a clearcoat. While the Solartex is fuel proof, contrary to what the instructions/manufacturer states, the covering will stain. The clear coat minimizes any staining and makes cleaning a lot easier.

After re-reading my posts on the subject, I can't find one line where I bashed anything - just asked a question concerning a problem I am currently having. The problem as it stands at the moment is with white purchased this past week. The blue I am using is fine - left over roll from other projects. By the way, I've been at this for 26 years and no, this isn't the only bad experience.

Dan

Go read the thread I posted the link to in the Pattern forum. It is anything but one experience. Many of the users have been at it for 20+ years and have a solid history with the product. The problems are only in the last year or two, not the entire time. It also seems to be only certain colors that give trouble. What is most troubling is the response given by the distributor. Many of the people posting took the time to talk to the distributor and show them what was happening and they got NOTHING in reply beyond empty words and being told they were applying it incorrectly. Not exactly solid PR...


Mark

There's apparently a misunderstanding somewhere. If people have a problem with ANY MonoKote, just send what you have left it to me with a note that explains your difficulty. My address is below. We will replace any material that is sub-standard with brand-new material. If you have any material that is deficient in finish, shrinkage, and so on, we want to see it.

The bottom line is this: WE WILL WORK WITH ANY MODELER WHO HAS MONOKOTE THAT THEY BELIEVE TO BE DEFECTIVE. JUST LET US KNOW. CALL US AT THE NUMBER BELOW OR SEND AN EMAIL TO THE ADDRESS BELOW. WE WILL GO FROM THERE TOGETHER.

I did receive a message from Bax that they would like to see the suspect roll of Monokote and would be happy to take care of any issues involved - very cool. It will be off to you in a couple of days.

Thanks much,
Dan

I just ordered a few rolls of Monocote, then read this thread... I was really concerned... I had purchased a few rolls of Metalic Red and some Metalic Platinum for my latest project.. I tried the Metalic Red and it went on beautifly... Same with the Platinum...
I have noticed that different colors require different iron temps etc and vary in degree of difficulty when it comes to application... White is IMHO is one of the more difficult ones to apply for me anyway.. I tried some Florescent Oragne I think was a copule years ago and never could get a decent application with that... Flat black seems like a hard one also
I hope you guys just happened to get a few defective rolls and it is not indicative of where Monocote is going.. I am lousy (too impatient) when it comes to painting