Another covering ?
 

How many of you covered a section of your build and didn't like the look? I recently covered my turtle deck on me se and I don't like it. Is it common to rip covering off an rework the wood to get a look you want? Just curious if this is common place.

Nick

RE: Another covering ?
 

It happens. This is one reason I like Ultracote, add a little heat and it pulls right off

RE: Another covering ?
 

If you are a member of the "I wanna do the best job" club - absolutely! Tear (carefully remove) the bad covering off and redo it.

When you initially apply film (yea, I'm an Ultracote guy too) like Mike said you use a low heat to just activate the adhesive.

Thing is you will know pretty quickly if you have screwed the pouch and will wrinkle the heck out of the section. Add a little heat and the Ultra peals off nicely. However, IF you have nuked the covering with hi heat to try to eliminate the problem by shrinking the heck out of it - you have fully activated the adhesive to its max stick. This is not so easy to remove. I have a yellow stained wing top as a result of the Ultra bright yellow separating from the clear top film and staying with the adhesive on the wood. Then, chemical means are necessary to remove the adhesive (and sometimes color).

RE: Another covering ?
 

Well after the third time attempting to cover the turtledeck, I decided to sheet in between the ribs. To no avail, the fourth time became a real wrinkled mess. My iron at 240° then heat gun on low heat. I just cannot get this td covering to look good. I'll make another atempt tomorrow.

RE: Another covering ?
 

What brand and color are you using? 240 degrees seems a bit high. Maybe you can post some pictures of the fuse prior to covering so we can generate more information for you.

RE: Another covering ?
 

I'll post picks tomorro, using ultracote,orange and smoke purple.

RE: Another covering ?
 

That's very LOWfor Ultracote. 240 will start activating the adhesive. Then there is a tightening phase (not full shrink)that comes in about 270. Full on shrinking of the field is over 300.

The SSEturtle deck (TD) is not tough if you are only doing the turtle deck. See pic 1. Lay out your film over the TD's spine. Tack it down just ahead of the fin then pull towards the front adding tension - then tack at the top of the head rest. Go ahead and finish tacking the TDspine by cutting the total length in half - tack the center - cut each segment in half and tack. Repeat until you have short 1" segments left. Then just finish sealing along the spine.

Assuming that you have ample excess covering pull down the sides at the center - not the head rest or F7 (if I remember correctly). Put tension on the film and tack it just below the top edge of the fuse side. Repeat on the opposite side. Move forward stretch and tack both sides - move backward and stretch and tack both sides.

After you tack the bottom edge then it's time to finish off around the head rest (again tacking in the middle) then the F7.

Now time to shrink with the heat gun. Use a piece of cardboard to cover and protect the seams. Ultracote will go through several phases before it's fully stretched. Initially you activate the adhesive. If you look at the surface you will definitely see an orange peel. The next phase is the inital shrink (I call it tightening) where the heat is upped and you apply it over the entire surface - starting in one point and radiate the heat away from it (like spray painting with overlaps). You'll see the surface transform from orange peel to a very glossy and smooth surface. Hopefully this is all you need to do. If more shrinking is necessary (you didn't pull-n-stretch the film before you tacked it initially) you can up the temp which will send the film into full on shrink mode - needs hi temp.



HTH

RE: Another covering ?
 

SeamusG

I see my problem now after looking at your pics. My stringers and gussets don't go all the way to the top of where the canopy former. I have it about a 1/2 inch down. I'm so stuck I don't know how to fix this to even look ok. Ugh, I'm sooo disgusted, but not giving up. Have alot of work ahead of me now. Grrrrr

RE: Another covering ?
 

Can ya post a picture? May not be that bad.

RE: Another covering ?
 

I'll post a pick tonight. It actually is only about a 1/16" down, but with the little lip there it won't cover right. I think i'm just gonna build it up a hair w/ 1/16-1/2 balsa strips. My td will have a ton of wood to it, but once sanded and covered might not look too bad.

RE: Another covering ?
 

The first pic is how I did the td wrong. The second and third is how it looks now that the stringers and gussets are flush w/ the former. I think I will have no problems covering now I hope.

RE: Another covering ?
 

A lot easier without the stab and fin installed! :)

It'll look and fly great.

RE: Another covering ?
 

Ya figured I'd build it the way an arf comes. I have alot of expeience putting them together. I didn't even hinge yet. Thanks for all the help and compliments!

RE: Another covering ?
 

Hey Crazy - just thinking - the only downside of covering before installing the stab & fin is that you cannot do a pre-covering assembly where you fit everything (correcting things as necessary), doing a lateral balance so that you can add wing tip weight before covering and doing an initial CG check to make sure that things are fairly close. Before you cover, you know that every control rod is already assembled and fitted to the servo & control surface, that you have full throw on all of your control surfaces and that you can have your ship inspected by an experienced builder. If anything needs adjusting it's a WHOLE lot simpler to fix before you cover. Don't ask how I know this. :)

RE: Another covering ?
 

I know what you mean, but patient I am not. I just couldn't wait to see it covered. Hope it does not come back to bite me in the ass.

RE: Another covering ?
 

All is good. This hobby has so many twists. If you build the same plane 5 times I'm guessing that you will build it 5 different ways. I've done 3 SSE - and I haven't learned a darn thing.