I just laid a straight edge down and used an exacto knife with a new blade. Gently cut into each piece and go at a reasonable speed and it won't matter there is nothing backing the film. Do all the stripes first and then you only have one cut to make and the cut and pieced on the control surfaces will all line up. It's visually a nice detail to see the strip disappear into the gap. Deflect the control surface and use the iron to attach them in place.

Excellent - I'll do that. Thanks for the details.

So - all of the wing bottom stripes are on, ironed down and wrapped around.



seattlebuoy, I used your tip about using a straightedge. That 36" ruler sure is handy.



Makes for nice, straight cuts.



My least favourite thing about covering is ironing the loose ends into the hinge gap. Thankfully, that's all done. And the leading edge strips for the upper surfaces are Windexed in place now.

Yeah, glossed over the fact I did my stripes before hinging and then could iron down the ends while control surfaces separated from main structure, but the detail was worth the effort. Eh? ;-)

Originally Posted by seattlebuoy

Yeah, glossed over the fact I did my stripes before hinging and then could iron down the ends while control surfaces separated from main structure, but the detail was worth the effort. Eh? ;-)

It was indeed. Covering inside the hinge gap is a PITA (at least for me).

The leading edge stripes are ironed onto the upper surface.



The aileron stripes are Windexed in place.

98% done (still)!

Yep! Just got to...
1. Iron on the aileron stripes
2. Cut out and apply the registration letters
3. Cut out and apply the logo

... then it's tail dragger conversion time!

The aileron strips have been ironed on...



... including the hinge gap. I'm getting better at that.



Next steps - Cutting and placing the registration letters.

Now for the registration letters. I'm using a method I found on YouTube: Monokote 301.

Required equipment:

• Glass sheet
• Windex (Original - with Ammonia-D)
• Paper towel
• Glad Press'n'Seal (no subsitutes)
• Squeegee tool (credit card, etc)
• Straight edge (if cutting straight lines)
• Hobby knife (or razor blades) - lots of blades
• Covering iron
• Heat gun

1. Apply covering to glass

• Cut a piece of covering a bit larger than the design
• Clean the glass and coat it with Windex
• Peel the backing off the covering
• Apply the covering to the glass
• Squeegee the Windex out from beneath the covering
• Carefully dry the covering and the surrounding area

2. Apply template over covering

• Place template at flat as possible
• Tape both sides to glass, taking care not to cover the design

3. Cut out the design

• Start at one end and work towards the other
• Take your time and change blades often. Glass dulls them very quickly

4. Peel off the covering that is not part of the design

• Remove the remaining pieces of template and tape
• Use a hobby knife with a new blade and peel carefully, especially where cut lines meet
• Start with the outside pieces
• Hold onto the pieces of the design to keep them from shifting on the glass
• Go slowly

5. Apply the Glad Press'n'Seal

• Tear off a suitable sheet of Glad Press'n'Seal
• Holding the sheet as flat as possible, apply it to the graphic
• Rub the sheet firmly on the pieces of the design until all are adhered

6. Transfer the graphic

• Spray Windex on the surface to which the graphic will be transferred
• Blot the Windex to remove most of the excess, but do not wipe it all up
• Starting at one end, slowly peel the Glad Press'n'Seal from the glass
• If any part of the design does not come up with the Press'n'Seal, lower it down and again and rub to adhere
• Transfer the sheet to the new surface
• Ensure the graphic is properly placed
• Carefully squeegee excess Windex from beneath the graphic
• Allow the graphic (still adhered to the sheet of Press'n'Seal) to sit overnight

Thanks for the cut out step by step photos, better than the YouTube vids I've seen.

Looking good!

Thank you!

7. Remove the Glad Press'n'Seal

• Grab your heat gun and set it to Pleasantly Warm
• Starting at one end, apply a little warmth to the Press'n'Seal with the heat gun and start peeling it from the surface
• At the edge of the design, slow down to ensure that the graphic remains on the surface
• Continue a slow cycle of warming and peeling until all of the Press'n'Seal has been removed

8. Finish the job

• Iron the graphic lightly, then use the heat gun to stretch out any creases
• Wash off the surface and the graphic and you're good to go!

Now that the registration letters are done, it's time for the logo. Same procedure to start with - and I found that a plastic straight edge wrapped inside a paper towel makes the perfect squeegee.



This time I transferred the graphic by hand, for two reasons. First, it's smaller. Second, alignment of the two separate pieces wasn't as important.



Tomorrow I'll iron down the logo - and the wings will be done.