Help required about tools
 

Hi,

I'm build a West Wings Orion E kit which has the new brushless motor on it. I've bought my covering for it which is Profilm and my question relates to whether I need to buy a hobby iron or whether I can use a travel iron?

I don't have much money as I've already paid out about £140 on the kit and parts I need to adapt/complete it including the covering and an aileronconversion.

The power setup is a 60 amp speed controller (over kill as the motor only draws 12 amp however my money is limited and I had this for another aircraft with a Scorpion 2212/26 from Micron with a 2200mah 3 cell lipo. The motor will spin a 10x5 folding prop. Again something I bought for another aircraft.

My style consultant left me alone in the model shop for five minutes and before she knew it I was walking out with fluorescent pink and fluorescent blue.

I hope to do a build log when I start building it.

Anyway if anyone can answer the question whether I need to buy a hobby iron or if a travel iron will do please let me know.

Thank you.<br type="_moz" />

RE: Help required about tools
 

Go with the travel iron.

I saw a video of a Chinese Arf factory, the use regular irons, it said they use them because the irons maintain the proper temperature better than the hobby irons.

RE: Help required about tools
 

When Mono first hit the market there wasn't a lot of info about it or how it worked. As a kid money was just one of those things we heard rumors about. I used my mothers iron, it worked pretty well. Then she caught me!!!:eek: The covering irons are smaller and easier to handle but an iron works very well. You just need to play with it to get the temps correct.

RE: Help required about tools
 

Hi guys,<div>
</div><div>Thank you for the information. After I posted this I dug out the really old travel iron I acquired when my parents got divorced. It's got a variable tempurature dial on it. I was going to check it with a cheap thermometer to check if I had the right temperature when applying the profilm. I'm actually quite excited about building my first aircraft. I've had a ready to fly trainer, a almost ready to fly (which crashed) and now my first kit.</div><div>
</div><div>Thank you again for the info.</div>

RE: Help required about tools
 

I've used a regular size clothes iron with great success. The smaller irons really make it nice... but its very possible to do a great job with a standard size clothes iron.

RE: Help required about tools
 

"I was going to check it with a cheap thermometer "

If you start with a low temperature, try to iron down a sample, and pull it up. If it brings wood with it, it is fine; if not increase the temperature slightly, and try again. When you can bring wood up with the sample, you are good to go. Make note of the setting, and never look back. For shrinking the material, turn to heat up to full, and move quickly.

Les

RE: Help required about tools
 

Never once have I checked the temp. I do test strips until it is set where I want it. Start low and go a bit higher as Les mentioned. I never shrink on high either. I just do the same thing and start a little higher then it required to tack the covering down.