MonoKote trim sheets

[Viper Pilot]

Can the trim sheets (sticky-backed) be used on Coroplast??

If so, what is the technique to make it stick permanently?

Or can decal sheets (like the ones from Wattage MiG 15) be used?

I'm building (almost finished, actually) a MiG 7 SPAD (winter scheme white), and would like to place red Commie stars on the plane.

A club member said I had to use vinyl on it.

Any suggestions??

Viper

[TLAR]

Monocote sticky back trim sheets are vinyl. In fact, of you go to a local sign shop, you can get the exact same stuff in 30 foot rolls, in any color of the rainbow, including metal flake and floresents. The rolls are 15" wide and can be run through a computer lazer cutter. They range from $8-$12 a roll depending on color. It's what the sign makers use for letters on coroplast signs, and it's guarenteed to last for 5 years on a sign outside. The real cool part is that sign shops throw a ton of scraps away...and if they are cool, all you've got to do is ask...and you'll have more than enough to trim planes with for a long time! The only prep for the coroplast is making sure it's clean.

To make it REALLY stick, hit it with a heat gun or torch to seal the edges. Be carefull though...practice on scraps first.

[Viper Pilot]

TLR,

Great info ! ! !

I've already talked to a printer about doing some vinyl graphics for another plane, so when I order it, I'll ask if he's got scraps!!

How can he refuse a "paying customer", huh??

Thanks for the info.

Viper

[P-51 fan]

Are you sure those rolls are only $8-$12!? I checked a few places...even looked thru thier catalogs and they were closer to $100.

I have built and flown many a coro SPAD, amazing what you can do with the stuff...and the planes fly excellent. My problem was that I could never find 2mil...always had to order it.

Viper, if you can swallow your pride a bit, ask sign shops if you can take a look at thier dumpsters...they throw away HUGE chunks of every color of sticky-back vinyl...and best part is it's free...:)!

[Viper Pilot]

Originally posted by P-51 fan
. . . My problem was that I could never find 2mil...always had to order it. . . . .

I must have been really lucky. I found a print shop that had eight 4x8 sheets of 2 mil.

I bought 2 sheets for $7.60 and now have enough for about 15 more planes.

Viper

[P-51 fan]

Now if I could have been that lucky...:eek:!

I might be wrong about the price of the vinyl rolls...I might have been looking at 100' er's...but I know it was near $100.

[Viper Pilot]

I was told 30 yd rolls cost about $75 for plain colors, and $110 for glitter, holographic, etc.

I'm trying to bargain for a couple of feet of the holograph vinyl . . . that stuff is way too cool.

Viper

[P-51 fan]

I'm serious...go dumpster diving...:)!

I admit, I have...but I also have about 20' of that holographic stuff, purple, gold, silver, it's all in there!

[P-51 fan]

BTW, when you work w/ coro make sure to read up on flashing it or you won't go anywhere. I even flashed where I was going to paint or stick something.

[lensrc]

This stuff is great.I have a good friend thats been a sign painter for many years,and a couple years ago,he wanted to get into doing vinyl,but knew nothing about running a computer.He enlisted me to help him learn to use one and to set up his cutter.I taught him the PC,we both learned how the vector thing worked,and now I have access to a top of the line cutter and all the leftover vinyl I want! I use it for all sorts of things,battery wrap,graphics,let the grandkids play with it.(they love to stick it on everything!) It is even fuel resistant.Although thats not much of a problem anymore.......:D

[TLAR]

Are you sure those rolls are only $8-$12!?

Positive. In fact, what we do is get several of us together and each buy a color...then cut it into smaller sections for a good selection of colors. We buy it from a local sign shop, and the minimum he will sell is 30' at a time. Plain colors are $8/30' and the metal flakes and florescants are $12/30'. He does roll it off of a much larger roll...and it's not unusual to leave with a bunch of scraps to boot.

I will add that I have heard many many stories of sign shops hosing unknowing spadders...4 x 8 sheets of coro whosales for less than $5 to the sign shops, and about $8 is a good retail price, $10 is average...and $12-$15 is worth it for convienance at a local shop...and yet I've heard of shops trying to go as high as $60 for a sheet of coro.

[lensrc]

I believe that sign guy is selling the cheapest vinyl available.My friend uses the best he can find and the cheapest he uses costs him about a buck a foot.He is very picky about his work.His hand painted stuff is incredable.Dont matter to me though,his leftovers are free.......

[Viper Pilot]

Just got 17 lb. of scraps from a sign shop, including holographs.

Cool.

Viper

[TLAR]

I believe that sign guy is selling the cheapest vinyl available

Yes, this is very true. He has more rolls of more different kinds of stuff than I even know what there is...but I'm a Spadder, so it's always..."got any scraps?"...and then it's "what's the cheapest stuff you have?" :D

We've been using this stuff for the last 5 years...in fact all the trim on all the planes on the Spad Originals Plans site is all done with this stuff. From my personal experiences and my opinion, I can't tell any difference between it and the stuff the hobby stores sell as Monocote sticky back trim/number/letter sheets, as far as quality and durability are concerned.

[lensrc]

I've compared them myself,and can tell no difference.The cheap stuff is fine for us.The difference between it and higher priced vinyls is UV resistance mostly.Our planes spend most of their lives in storage,so this is no real issue.The signs these guys make spend every day,all day, in the sun and weather.The really cool thing about getting involved with my sign buddy is,that I learned to use Corel Draw with him,and it has become a very useful tool to my hobby.And I get to create and cut my own "proffesional" graphics!I also machined a pen holder for his cutter,and can plot a new plan up to 32" wide.