Covering with Monocote

[kwmtrubrit]

I'm starting to cover my Riser 100 with Monocote and have some ripples that are not wanting to leave. I turned my iron up a couple of notches (BAM, BAM) in the hope that this would do the trick. The ripples are not that bad but I guess I will need to use a heat gun. Do the different colours vary in shrinkability? The white is what I'm having trouble with. The red and blue are fine. I did cover the solid elevator (in red) with the iron very hot. It appeared to have left a mat finish in some areas. Anyone experienced that? Did you do something to remove the mat finish? I thought about waxing it with car polish. Maybe I should just finish it, fly it, and SSS!

Keith

[fly1milehi]

Keith,
Yes different colors of iron on covering have different "properties" some are good some just plain stink! Having a heat gun may or may not remove the ripples. ( I use a Wagner heat gun from HomeD or Lows) If the monocote has reached its maximum amount of shrikage then more heat wont help. Best "fix" is to cut the monocote and remove it, then apply a new piece slightly larger. Yep its a patch but it does get rid of wrinkles and ripples.

sounds like you got it to hot on the solid parts of the elevator OR you got some of the adhesive side on your iron and "spread it around" on the top surface of the monocote.

Is this your first covering job? If it is, be patient, it takes practice to get a wrinkle free monocote finish but it will happen.
Greg

[ejett]

kwmtrubrit:

If you have transparent covering on the tail, then the matte finish may be a frosted appearance on the adhesive side. If you get it too hot it will look like that. GP/Top Flite has made some changes to Monokote that they are not telling anyone about; it is not the same covering it was 10 years ago.

I have some transparent green that just drove me nuts trying to get it to shrink correctly and I did notice the frosted appearance of the adhesive as well. Stripped it off and used Ultracoat instead.

Ultracoat is thinner and not as strong as Monokote, but it is easier to work with, especially compared to the new Monokote. You pays your money and you takes your choice.

EJ

[portfoxdesign]

I have had the same problems with moneykote, sorry monokote. I found using less heat helped and only going over the spot once, i think the more times you go over one spot the worse it gets. I went through half a roll on a tail of mine, ahhhh!

I cant remeber the name of it, but it has a sticky backing. Profilm i think? it work heaps better.

I agree with ejett, monokote is different than it was some years ago.

Good luck

Steve =>

[fnnwizard]

The difference with todays Monokote and and Ultracote is night and day. Ejett is absolutely correct. Strip the Monocote, use Ultracote.

Use lowest heat settings that will make it stick and just enough of the heat gun to shrink it on your airframe. With ultracote you can shrink it with progressively higher heat until it won't/can't shrink anymore.

[fly1milehi]

Interesting.. I havent been all that impressed or happy with Ultracote.. Maybe its just the colors used or maybe the humidities???

Anyhow dont want to turn this into the pro/con of monocote, hopefully some of this info helps the original poster's questions

[ChuckA]

I will never again use anything except monokote for open bay wings. I'm tired of stripping other covering materials and recovering with monokote to reduce flutter. Everything else I have tried is too flexable.

[kwmtrubrit]

Thanks Guys,

This is my second covering job. The first was an ever faithful Gentle Lady that I finished about a year ago. I did a great job on it (if I say so myself) and found this Riser so frustrating. The glue getting on my iron and spreading on the glossy side makes a lot of sense. There are streaks of colour on the irons sock. I don't understand why companies change the makeup of their products (to the detrement of the product) and wonder what the hell happened when no one buys it anymore. The mind boggles. Thanks so much for the information and advice.

Keith

[fly1milehi]

sometimes companies have no choice but to change their products because a supplier goes out of business or the EPA makes a certain chemical illegal etc... Even M&M's had to drop a color for awhile because of yellow die (if I remember correctly). Not saying this is the case with monokote only saying from experience that somethings are forced changes. (ask me in PM about the printing industry's changes)

Keith have you tried the heat iron "socks"? They sometimes help with cutting down on the streaks. Mostly I only use them on covering the "solid" sheeted areas
greg

[kwmtrubrit]

Hey Greg,

I understand what you mean, I was just mouthing off in frustation. I did use a sock, a brand new one at that. The covering that rippled was fairly tight, or so I thought. The elevator that had the mat effect to it was, I'm sure, caused by the adhesive wicking onto the sock (as you said). This site is amazing. Everyone is so helpful. I have become addicted to looking and learning from others that have made and flown models for years. Thanks so much.

Keith

[kwmtrubrit]

Well, I've taken care of one problem. I tried car wax on the elevator. It took out the mat areas and man does it shine. Maybe that's my contribution to the system. Tomorrow I will get a heat gun and try that on the ripples.

Cheers,

Keith

[ferincr]

Making the most of the subject.
I have to order some covering and I see there are many different brands and materials out there. I also know that some people likes ones better than others, but I'd like if you can point me to one direction.
Iron-on fabric or plastic? Pros and cons?
Coverite 21th century, black baron, monokote? any mayor difference?
Thanks, ( and sorry Keith for using your thread.)
fernando.

[becsta]

Keith,

Whereabouts are the "ripples" happening? Is it over a hard surface, or an open surface (ie wing ribbing, or horizontal/vertical stabs)?

I've found that the ripples I see are caused by the film not shrinking enough to become drum-tight, or (especially on open areas), the force exerted by the covering on one side warps the covering on the other side, which introduces the ripples. To correct this, you need to heat both sides evenly, and to the same tensions.

[ejett]

Fernando:

I have to say that Monokote is the strongest material of the bunch. My last work with Monokote was a pain to work with. Regular Ultracoat or Oracover (they are made by the same company in the same plant) are easier to work with, IMO, but they are not as strong as Monokote.

EJ

[kwmtrubrit]

Fernando,

Go for it mate. I can learn something too.

[ferincr]

Cheers Keith,
Thanks Ed,
Strong is something that interest me (at least for the first few models)
Is monokote stronger than iron-on fabric?
Fernando.

[ferincr]

forget about the previous post, I just found out that iron on fabric is for realistic efect in scale covered planes

[ejett]

Nothing wrong with using fabric iron-ons, but they are generally heavier than the film coverings. I have a Alcyone 3m that the builder covered in 21st Century Fabric. Looks nice. Flys OK. Don't really know how much weight penalty is involved and haven't weighed the plane RTF either.

I don't think I have any of the fabric to weigh against the film, but I'll look and see.

EJ

[ferincr]

Don't worry for me.
I thought for a moment that fabric might be stronger than film, but it doesn't seem like.
Anyway I don't need to add any extra weight.
Today I compared the pine I used for spars (can't get spruce here) with the spruce that came with the Aquila XL short kit and is 1/3 heavier. (I'm kind of dissapointed)
Problems without solutions aren't problem any more.
Fer

[Thermalin]

As far as covering with monokote.... don't laugh.. read the directions and follow them religously. Poly wings.. use four pieces. A heat gun with a glove is the best method for compound curves, etc.. just work slowly and heat and pull, heat and pull... Topflite makes a trim tool that is a godsend as well. You can get perfect seams from 1/8" overlap to I believe 1/2 inch. There is a book as well from the 70's "covering secrets" I beleive that goes over every possible situation, after I read it (recently).. my covering skills increased exponentially.

[flyingdogtwo]

Never was sure which is more evil, Monokote or a heli. Wait till you try to remove transparent red (mono). Guess pink balsa isn't all that bad.

[schrederman]

When you are trying to remove wrinkles, it's often thought that the wrinkled area is all that needs to be shrunk. Be sure the edges are down firm and also shrink all the monokote area perpindicular to the wrinkles. That pulls many of them out without reshrinking the wrinkled area. After that is accomplished, I always go over the whole thing again with a heat gun to try to even out the pull. On a wing with open bays, I do one bay at a time, doing the top and then the bottom. That saves a lot of warping due to cover pull.

Prevention is worth more than cure. When applying any covering, pull before tacking down. Make it as tight as possible before shrinking...

Hope that helps you out...

Jack Womack

[kwmtrubrit]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for all the tips. I went and got a heat gun, man those things are quick. I'm trying to learn how to use it on a wing tip with compound curves, that really tries one's "model smashability." I'm trying to finish this thing and fly it tomorrow.

Cheers,

Keith

[Thermalin]

for compounds it helps to have a glove so you can pull as you heat.. or I think there are even tools put out by Topflite that assist in grabbing the covering as you heat...
Mike

[kwmtrubrit]

Thanks Mike,

I did wear a leather glove and it worked fairly well in preventing my hand from becoming a crispy critter. At first I thought all was going well, but as I pulled it into the shape of the wing tip, the excess that would cover the rest, shrunk and became hard. After a couple of attempts I did it with an iron and three pieces of covering. I'm not that happy with it, but that's the way it goes. As one of my flying friends said, "You can't see the screw up's when it's up in the air." I did want this to be good though.

Keith

[sa-woody]

Just to get my 2 cents worth into the mix; Monokote will have its greatest shrinkage in it's length. What I mean is that if you will remember that the longest horizontal portion (the 6 foot length of the roll) will shrink more than the 26 inch width and apply it accordingly you will have a tighter covering job with fewer wrinkles.

[ejett]

Just to get my 2 cents worth into the mix; Monokote will have its greatest shrinkage in it's length. What I mean is that if you will remember that the longest horizontal portion (the 6 foot length of the roll) will shrink more than the 26 inch width and apply it accordingly you will have a tighter covering job with fewer wrinkles.


Especially important to remember on open bay structures like the GL and Chrysalis where the wrong orientation will aggravate covering sag between ribs.

EJ