rinoldi

Hello, all. I finally received the silk from Thaisilks, and from Brodak the Butyrate dope, butyrate thinner, white primer and Cub Yellow paint. almost ready to cover my Sig 1/6 Cub! I am not sure abot the steps I must follow...I understand that first I should dope the framework (where silk makes contact) with several coats of dope, however I would need to know if these coats need to be thinned, if so how much. Then, next step would be covering (wet silk), but once the silk dries, how many coats of dope should I put on? Again, must it be thinned? Then I'm not sure about the white primer, if it is applied pure or thinned, and how many coats, and then the butyrate yellow paint, how many coats? Thinned or pure?
Is it the final step or do I have to coat again with clear dope? Please help me, I am pretty confused since this is the first time i use other than plastic iron on film. Thanks!

LesUyeda

Search the AMA site for an article on silk by Robert H. Munn. It is much too involved to describe in a few words.

Here it is.

https://www.modelaircraft.org/Member...ge_article.htm

You need taughtening dope, it you have not already gotten it.

Les

optech

My Feedback: (9)

I think Butyrate dope is taughtening dope. Nitrate dope is supposed to be non-taughtening. I think you can add a couple drops of medical grade castor oil to the Butyrate to minimize the taughtening strength.

Mike

LesUyeda

Optech: Both nitrate and butyrate come in taughtening and non taughtening flavors.

Les

Bax

My Feedback: (11)

When filling silk, after it's been applied wet and allowed to dry, you add as many coats as you need to fill it. Usually 2-3 coats of dope thinned 50/50 with dope thinner. Let dry 24 hours between coats. Then you can apply it full strength. If you're going to paint the airplane with colored dope and not going to just use clear, then after the initial coats are applied, you can apply a filler coat. Balsa Fillercoat used to be made by Pactra and was basically clear dope with talc (or similar). You'd brush it on, let dry, and sand it all off. Eventually, only the low spots would be filled. Then you could apply the colors.

You can buy dope in almost any color from regular aircaft supply houses. Aircraft Spruce and Specialty, in Califoria, and Wicks Aircraft, in Illinois, both carry butyrate and nitrate dope. You may be limited in the minimum size of the container, though.

Midwest models still sells Aerogloss dope in several colors, as well as sanding sealer and balsa fillercoat.