I am finishing up covering my airplane. I am using 100% polyester dress lining. Fuse and wing came out great. Tail feathers are looking good. Even the rudder. But dang it, the stupid ailerons, flaps and especially the elevator are giving me fits. I have recovered the elevator twice now. And it looks like a rumpled bed. I am getting that shovel ready feeling. Bury them or smack them like a rattle snake. Dang it, now I need to use a solvent of some kind to release the fabric and start over. I just asked my wife if she had an embroidery hoop of that size. I was going to stretch the fabric out and the stick the edges down, then heat shrink. She does not have one that big.The technique I am using is to cut the fabric oversize paying attention to the weave direction (making sure I am parallel or at right angle to it). I apply a coat of MINWAX water based Polycrylic around the edges, and let that dry. I then iron down a corner of fabric to the surface and then move to the far end, stretching lightly and iron that corner down. I repeat all the way around then tack along the length on one side. Then I iron that side down and do the opposite. Only when it has cooled I then iron the whole thing. At first it looks good then it relaxes and nothing I do at that point helps. But for the life of me I can’t figure out why the rudder is so taught and the others look like heck.Now were did I put that shovel?

I noticed that there are several types of dress lining sold and only one that I have seen works - Sunline from JoAnn's. I bought the Sunline and was happy with it, but when I went back to JoAnn's for more they had a different brand that was softer texture. I bought the softer one and tried it. It didn't shrink up like the stiffer bodied Sunline. The softer stuff seemed to have a looser weave when pulled in my hands. The Sunline feels like the Koverall from Sig. Did you use a heat gun? This works well if you have good matterial.

I ended up ordering from Sig; it is about the same price.

Well darn I covered the fuse with fabric from Joan's the wing with fabric from Hancock's It was cheaper and wider. I beleave i covered the rudder with Joan material and was useing Hancocks material for the other sufaces. Looking at some scraps it is hard to see a difference.
I had never thought about those kinds of defferences.

The softer stuff seems strechier and lighter than the stuff that works. Also make sure the matterial is 100% polyester.

I used a iron on the edges then a heat gun for overall shrinking. I even trired wetting the fabrice and ironing that. Lots of stem and sizzel, shrunk nice and then relaxed.

<span class="Apple-style-span">The lable on the bolts of fabric DID say</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(251, 252, 255); ">100% polyester.</span><span class="Apple-style-span"></span>

Changeing my tactic slightly.
I recovered the elevator, really snuging the fabric as I tacked it down, pulling and tacking oposite corners, and then doing the middle, I worked it almost like tourqing a V8 head. It looked real good once I sealed the edges. Then I damped the fabric and used my heat gun. It shrank real nice then relaxed. you good actually watch it relax. Heat will shrink, but heat will also loosen. The fabric is not shifting or slidding at the edges. It is loosening in the middle.
OK then.
Now I did a flap. All control surfaces are the same width except for the rudder (2") wich is 3". I put the fabric on the same way as before. I am really being patient to evenly snug, as taughtly as I can by hand.
Then I very thouroghly damped the fabric. It seemed to tighten up, but as it futher dries I can see a loss of taughtness.
I think I will dampen again and gently heat with the heat gun holding it much futher away.
I also have cut another swath of fabric, but at a right angle to the first cuts. The first cuts were across the salvage (length). This cut is with the salvage (length).
If all of this fails I will go to Joann's and look for some with the lable ofSunline on it.
Thanks for the inputshuck1199

I did not wet the fabric. It shrank very well with a heat gun at 6". Keep the gun moving of cousre, just like monokote. See my build thread here, I think there are some pics of the tail parts being covered.<a href="http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_10296548/mpage_9/key_/tm.htm">


http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_10296548/mpage_9/key_/tm.htm</a>

On the Spacewalker I am using dope after shrinking. On a Beaver I used wbp.

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: tahoma, verdana, arial; font-size: 11px; background-color: rgb(251, 252, 255); ">huck1199 that is some good looking work on that thread and Space Walkers are just really nice looking.
</span>OK
I changed to useing fabric cut along the salvage. Helped a small amount. But what really did it was LOWER TEMP. I turned the iron down to just barely enough to attach the fabric. And that is the same temp I am shrinking with. Now it is working good. For future projects I will continue to use the dress linning. But I may use a purpose made fabric on small surfaces, especially solid ones.
That would be a good way to control covering cost.
Now I can once again move ahead on this thing. <a href="http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/forumid_96/tt.htm">http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/forumid_96/tt.htm
</a>Thanks again for your help, you naild it on the head about temp.

Thanks for the compliment.  The Spacewalker is a nice kit.  Glad you solved your problem. The rebuild your are doing looks very nice. I like your approach to molding a cowl.

My attempt at molding a cowl was just as much a learning expearance as much of this plane has been. What you see is the result of FOUR attempts. Was not willing to accept only good enough. For a darn arf I would not have thought it would have been such a back to school expearance. But then I really wanted to push myself. I have some future projects in mind that the wife is looking foward to me doing that I know at this time are a push in my skill and building cababillites.
This morning when I got up and looked at the control surfaces, the fabric had relaxed overnight (we do look to have rain on the way). Oh well.
I am off to Joann's to try and find some linning by<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(251, 252, 255); ">Sunline. Only a mile.
I do intend to order some Sig</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 16px; font-size: small; ">Koverall and use it for the small areas.
The price is not bad particularly if you get the longer amount
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: normal; font-size: medium; "><table align="center" width="623" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="4" style="line-height: 16px; "> <table width="605" bgcolor="#20548A" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="2" border="0"> <tbody> <tr bgcolor="#EFEFEF"> <td style="line-height: 16px; "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#20548A"> <form name="order1" action="http://sigmfg.com/cgi-bin/dpsmart.exe/ProductsV6.html?Z+Sig+szat9320" method="POST"> <font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#000077">Product Code</font> </form> </font></td> <td colspan="2" style="line-height: 16px; "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#20548A">Description</font></td> <td align="center" colspan="2" style="line-height: 16px; "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#20548A">Price</font></td> <td colspan="2" align="center" style="line-height: 16px; "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#20548A">Type Order
Quantity</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" style="line-height: 16px; "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#414141">SIGKV001</font></td> <td valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" style="line-height: 16px; "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#414141">SIG KOVERALL 67 X 26 WHITE</font></td> <td valign="top" align="left" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" style="line-height: 16px; "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#414141">EACH</font></td> <td valign="top" colspan="2" align="right" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" style="line-height: 16px; "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#414141">$5.49</font></td> <td valign="top" colspan="2" bgcolor="#EFEFEF" style="line-height: 16px; "><input name="dp_qty1" value="" size="4" maxlength="5" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold; " /></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" style="line-height: 16px; "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#414141">SIGKV002</font></td> <td valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" style="line-height: 16px; "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#414141">SIG KOVERALL 67 X 52 WHITE</font></td> <td valign="top" align="left" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" style="line-height: 16px; "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#414141">EACH</font></td> <td valign="top" colspan="2" align="right" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" style="line-height: 16px; "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#414141">$8.19</font></td> <td valign="top" colspan="2" bgcolor="#EFEFEF" style="line-height: 16px; "><input name="dp_qty2" value="" size="4" maxlength="5" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold; " /></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" style="line-height: 16px; "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#414141">SIGKV003</font></td> <td valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" style="line-height: 16px; "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#414141">SIG KOVERALL 67 X 129 WHITE</font></td> <td valign="top" align="left" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" style="line-height: 16px; "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#414141">EACH</font></td> <td valign="top" colspan="2" align="right" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" style="line-height: 16px; "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#414141">$18.99</font></td> <td valign="top" colspan="2" bgcolor="#EFEFEF" style="line-height: 16px; "><input name="dp_qty3" value="" size="4" maxlength="5" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold; " />
</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table>I think that works out to about 6$ a running yard versus 4$ for linning. Not bad. And if used just areas that really need the extra shrink, will in the long run be cheap.
I went out and looked at some coverite at the LHS and needed to put burn salve on my fingers $$$.OUCH!
So remove frabric and clean up wood, and try again, and if I need to again.
And thanks for the compliment. I am following your Space walker thread. I have already learned from it.

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For your cowl molding you may want to cover the plug with some of that bad lining matterial and wb poly. Then smear some vasaline on it as a mold release before your glassing procedure. This would save having to carve out the pink foam. Some guys spray with Pam as a mold release.

If you pm me your address I'll send your a scrap of Koverall that you can use to compare to the dress lining at JoAnn's. Another point - The Sunline comes in colors someofwhich are dark enough to eliminate the need to paint. I bought some dark blue for my Beaver wing.

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(251, 252, 255); ">I went to Joann's to try and find some linning by<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(251, 252, 255); ">Sunline. It was not Sunline, but was stiffer and maybe a little heavier, so I bought a yard.
I covered a scrap piece of stock that was actually a little more narrow than the control surfaces. Looks good so far, but will let it be for awile, maybe throw it some place much more humid or something, sort of a worst case test.
Pm on the way.</span></span>

My mama always said I was the most stuborn mule she had ever met.

Neat idea. Your suggestion to smear with some vasaline is funny. I used Lard (yep cooking LARD) just behind the fire wall so I could pop the whole affair off the fuse.
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I'll get the scrap off to you tomorrow.  Moisture should not affect the matterial - the polyester fibers will not absorb water.

Again thank you for the sample.
You have provived some key insights.

Ken

The samples are on the way -

1. sample labled sig is Koverall
2. sample labeled bad is stuff from JoAnn's  that won't shrink
3. sample labled Sunline is good stuff
4. blue sample is Sunline and good.

The bad stuff is probably pre-shrunk so that it won't shrink in the drier when in a garment.  Notice that it is softer and kinda strechy. If you are in a club this may be usefull to other members.

MAN are you awsome
Again Thanks so much.
Did not work on today. Expearmented with a few test surfaces.
Be back at it in 2 or 3 days

My experience with trying to use dress lining, is that the majority of it is pre-shrunk deliberately, so that it will not do that when sewn into a dress, and so will NOT shrink again.

Les

Samples arrived. The ones labledSunline is just like the last piece I got fromJoAnn's.
It worked for me. So the airplane is now fully covered.
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