bingo field

I have put together a couple of planes in the past, and done a good number of patch and recover jobs with Ultracoat. I feel that Ultracoat has a wider range of installation temps, until today. I have been covering a TF P-47 with Monocote, and I just discovered that you really need to turn the heat up, and move slowly, and it seems to work better for me that way. It seems that I am getting it just almost to the point where it wants to melt, but it gets kind of stretchy, and conforms. My only problem is that is seems to take like an hour to do the underside of 1/2 of the wing. That seems kind of slow, maybe not.. I would like to hear from anyone who uses Monocote and get their experience.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I'm in the process of covering A 4* right now using white and black Ultra with green Mono. Monocote, How I hate Thee!!! You are correct in finding that mono will strech at very high heats but it also tends to seperate the color base at that heat too. Set mono out in the sun or heat and wrinkle & sag brings on A new meaning. The reason for the green mono on this 4* is my student just had to have it and Mono is the only one that makes this color.
The Old, very old CG Extra was done all in Mono back in the days when it was good stuff and nice to work with. Back then we didn't have to heat it to the point of melting and it went around curves very well.
It took me longer to do the green on the tail feathers then it did to do both the black and white on the rest of the fuse. I still have half of the wing top to finish before I can get to the trim to finish up the 4*. Someday soon I'm going to have to recover the Extra but you can bet it will be with Ultra.
One thing I have found is that the mono flat silver goes on and stays on way better then the Ultra silver??? It takes some time to cover A P-51 but the mono is worth the trouble then..
I can still work with the Mono but it's more work then I want to do.

bingo field

Knock on wood, I have been turning up the heat a very little a time to find out what I have so far. I havent' run into any kind of separation. I was just wondering if anyone else would verify what I seem to find.

Off topic.. I have found Lustercote paint to give me pretty varied results. I am using flat Olive Drab, and sometimes it is flat, sometimes glossy, and sometimes hazy. Don't know what to think about that, but I am getting ready to order paint from Warbird Colors....

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Be very careful using A heat gun on Mono, you can blow A hole in it quick, I just turn up an iron and go over it to do the final shrink but some of the high pigment colors are just tricky to work with.
I haven't used there flat paints but I have had mixed results in both color match and running. It seems like it will be thicker or thinner from can to can. I have learned to just be careful and just very thin coats no mater what.
There is A paint company like Klass Kote that makes up war bird colors, I haven't tried them but I was impressed with the Klass Kote. The price wasn't right but it was good stuff to work with.

KitBuilder

Ultracote fan... shrinks easier, easier to wrinkle free finish with less heat. It does have some sort of clear plastic covering on top of it but seems just a puncture proof as mono. I also love how easy it is to seperate the backing..... which is also great fort template making too.

Bozarth

My Feedback: (15)

Monokote fan - superior finish. Bought my first role in 1977. But more difficult to apply. It will not distort as easily as Ultracoat/Oracover at the higher temps. I use an iron turned up as high as it will go with a home made sock and another iron at about 75% without a sock. I have had to learn what settings work with the many different irons on the market. Stay away from Monokote flourescents and go with Ultracote. Monokote seams are less noticable. I would not cover a pattern plane with Ultracoat - only my sport planes. But to each his own!!!!!

Kurt

Alex7403

Im using monokote for several reasons,
• I have monokote leftovers so the new roll should be monokote too in order to be attached, if I would have start with ultracoat I would probably use it still.
• Monokote comes from tower hobbies and im trying to keep only one account for RC supplies, and its cheaper.
• Monokote has a good trim solvent and matching spray paint.
• I tried aerokote on sig arfs and didn’t like it.
• Monokote has its disadvantages but im kind of learned to live with them.
• To buy now ultracote means to order some new rolls from new account.
• I broke my stab in flight and the only thing that held it togther to safe landing was monokote.
- monokote neon colors are useless as covering, didn’t try it as a trim on monokote.

I’m not saying that I’m not thinking about switching to ultracote...

da Rock

I'm an Ultracoat, Solartex, MonoKote fan (in that order).

Our hobby is great for one reason especially. There is often more than one BEST way to do lots of things. And covering really has more than two BEST ways to cover.

Lots of things in our hobby require technique. Each covering brand takes a bit different technique. But they almost all work great.

amdhotprocessor

My Feedback: (6)

I perfer ultra cote because most of my planes come with it.

But hey, as long as it stays on the airfame in a 100+ mph...... unlike cheapo chinacote......RIP lil extra

Jester241

Monokote is kinda like the wind...............It blows most of the time!

mikegordon10

Me thinks yer onto somthin', Jester. 'Cept in my opinion both the wind AND the Moneycoat SUCK![]

Bozarth

My Feedback: (15)

Operator error.

Kurt

bingo field

Seems I keep forgetting that whenever I get to feeling like I am on top of something, that little rabid Chihuaua gets ahold of my ankle to let me know otherwise. Doing the belly pan I really fell on my face. I got wrinkly wazoo. It may be that I should put that piece on with the gun, and not the iron? Or break it up into several sections to keep from getting too much slack to try and shrink out? Any suggestions?

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Without A photo it's hard to figure how far into the covering you are and what is needed. On the belly pan I would have started with A sheet of covering just over sized and done just the pan then come with the covering from the wing and have it butt up to the pan covering.
Does that make any sense?? I have A pan on A Kaos I'm starting to cover, I could take some shots and do A demo for you??

bingo field

Just a minute, I have pictures now. I am embarrased to show these, but maybe someone else can learn from my mistakes. I guess they are called growing pains for a reason....

Ok, I had covered the wings, and worked to the belly pan. I made it it's own section.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

No Problem!!!! Sometimes!! Heat up that iron to about 3/4 power, let it get good and hot. Hold the iron over the covering wrinkles for A few seconds, like A 10 or 20 count, then very LIGHTLY set the iron over the wrinkles and sort of roll it around, lift it and see what it's doing.
KEEP THE HOT IRON OFF AND AWAY from the bottom where it is going up from the flat to the side or the covering will shrink and pull away. It will give you A baloon effect.
If all else fails rip it off using A heat gun and finger power and switch over to some good Ultra!!

bingo field

Take the home made cover (old t-shirt) off the iron? Do I want the teflon surface on the Monocote? I was at about 75% of the heat setting of the iron when I got this far.

If I have to take it off and do it over, I think I will do it from the wing root up to a third, on both sides first, then the very top.

I probably would have this same or a very similar problem if I were using Ultracote, too. I believe my problem is related to the shape / curves of this part. At least this will be easier to work on than the Fuselage...[&:]

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Leave the sock on. I will try to go out right now and make some mone wrinkles and show you how to remove them.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

OK, I pulled out some old 1/4 inch wood, put on the monocrap at normal iron temp, put in A big ugly wrinkle. Now I turned up the iron to about 3/4 heat, let it get good and hot. Held the iron over the wrinkle, this is just getting the mono hot, then I rested the iron over the wrinkle, very lightly. I could smell the hot mono, at that point I lightly started working the iron over the mono to remove the nasty. My old camera doesn't show it but the wrinkle is perfectly smooth but you can see that the color was sort of melted/pulled away when the plastic shrunk.
That's how it's done. If you use A heat gun you can really mess things up.
Nuff said, that picture thousand words thing is now working!!

bingo field

Ok, I turned up the iron further. My t-shirt started smoking, so I figured that was hot enough. By George, over 50% of the wrinkles started to come out. I didn't want to start the shop on fire, so I shut the iron down. It burnt the string that I use to tie the sock / t-shirt to the iron with in half. Once it cooled down, I started it back up. The best setting to use is the one where the Monocote doesn't melt when you touch the iron to it. Truthfully, I didn't think that the stuff would hold up to that much heat. But, right up to where it starts to melt, it will keep shrinking. I may just cut out the worst parts and patch the gaps. I am going to shoot paint over it anyway, but I kind of wanted it to be as nice as I could get it before that. I really think that this piece should probably go on in 3 pieces anyway, in 1 piece, it has too much shape to go over as it has to shrink in too large an area.
I didn't want to fiberglass then paint. I felt that Monocote would be much lighter than fiberglass.



http://www.yamaha-motor.co.jp/global...aft/realistic/

http://jleslie48.com/gallery_models_real.html

Kimhoff

My Feedback: (22)

Does anybody know how to make a good home made sock?

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Sure, walk into any store that sells baby items and take A look at the baby socks. They even have them in different sizes and thicknesses!!! My goodness, I'm just A ball of information today. I was even correct once!
Each iron heat setting is different, my old one burnt out and I just happened to have gotten this one in A box full of stuff at auction. It wasn't my favorite but I'm getting used to it now.
I have A web site that gave me instructions for glassing with A new Poly-U method, I did A complete Extra 260 using it with 1/2 oz glass. I then used the Klass Kote paint and it really came out nice and smooth. A lot more work then covering though but worth it. Surprise, it came out lighter or about the same as if I would have covered it. About 80% of the weight of the Poly gasses off so no weight added, then A lot more is sanded off then I painted.
For war birds there is another paint company that makes up the two part paint in matches for war birds. Next time I see it I will post up the maker.
OK Bing, are you going to get your backside back in gear and get back to Ultra??

bingo field

I have a pattern I can scan in. My daughter made it when she made the socks. A single t-shirt would make about 30 socks.

I think the problem I have on this part is more the application on double outside curves at this point. I was able to make good headway getting the wrinkles out using the Ultra High Heat application method.

Jester241

I dont even try to get wrinkles and stuff like that out out with an iron........Heat guns provide exponetially better results. Knowing how to properly use a heat gun is a MUST for nice cover jobs.

bingo field

I thought I had it whipped when the wingtips came out nicely.....