dope....

[jim gilmore]

Ok, I have given up I just am having too much trouble using the urathane and polyester covering.
So who sells dope either shipped or locally in Ca. ?
And who carries a decent quality silkspan

[jim gilmore]

Is poly span one of those materials that will shrink wit heat ??
Also I am covering a 1/2A magician and the curve on the tip is a large round shape. Hoping that I can get it to stick to the polyurathane thats already on the frame...
Problem was that the polyester I used did not stick worth a darn on the frame. and after applying primer and paint it peeled right off.

[jim gilmore]

Also I am unsureif I would want non-tautening buyterate or tautening buyterate. sorry about misspelling

[Paul Wood]

Jim,

If you don't have any luck finding what you want, here's what I do. I use plain ol' MinnWax lacquer straight out of the can to seal the airframe. (Two coats). I then apply Polyspan brushing the lacquer through the fabric with a stiff natural bristle brush. On compound curves like a wing tip, I use a sealing iron in one hand and stretch the Polyspan with the other. The heat will soften the lacquer and stick the covering down. Then use your favorite method to finish. I use the same lacquer with talcum powder added for the surfacing and a light coat of primer to show flaws prior to paint. Good luck.

Paul

[Avaiojet]

Jim,

If you don't have any luck finding what you want, here's what I do. I use plain ol' MinnWax lacquer straight out of the can to seal the airframe. (Two coats). I then apply Polyspan brushing the lacquer through the fabric with a stiff natural bristle brush. On compound curves like a wing tip, I use a sealing iron in one hand and stretch the Polyspan with the other. The heat will soften the lacquer and stick the covering down. Then use your favorite method to finish. I use the same lacquer with talcum powder added for the surfacing and a light coat of primer to show flaws prior to paint. Good luck.

Paul

Paul,

Do you have a picture of that Minwax can that is lacquer base?

Charles

[Bill Little]

Hi Jim,

I am also using silk to cover open bays.  The last I got was from Darhma Trading or Thai Silks.  The cost is very reasonable!  Much less expensive than "Model Aircraft" silk, maybe less than 1/3rd the cost.  Haboti silk is the type and the weights are either 5 momme or 8 momme.  I really like using it ad it does give more durability thank silkspan but maybe not quite as much as Polyspan.

For the dope, use tautening dope only to shrink the covering between open bays, once it is shrunk like you like it, switch to non tautening.  Also use non tautening to build the substrate, stick down the covering and make your filler from.

BIG Bear
RNMM/AMM

[Howard Rush]

Amen to what Ty and Bill said.  

Once you use Polyspan, you won't miss silkspan.  Here'a a source: http://www.modelflight.com/larrydavidson.html .  Silk's still my favorite, though.

[Joseph Patterson]

    Thanks Ty and Bill for the info., and thanks Howard for the website. I'm trying to get involved w/ign. engines(probably regret it later)! Looks like a good source for parts.
         Doug

[Bill Little]

    Thanks Ty and Bill for the info., and thanks Howard for the website. I'm trying to get involved w/ign. engines(probably regret it later)! Looks like a good source for parts.
         Doug

No Problem, Doug.  You will love the old ignition engines!  I would recommend running them on the test stand to really learn about what it takes for them to run well.  This was told to me and it is the best thing you can do!  Lots of guys here who know what it takes to make them run great, not the least of which are Jim Kraft, Floyd Carter and Bob Zambelli.  They have all helped me a lot, especially Jim Kraft, I cannot thank him enough!

Bill

[jim gilmore]

I know I get confused easily. But what are the last two posts here for ?
 

[jim gilmore]

Ok, I found 2 sheets of silkspan in storage. I hve tried doing 1 wing. I have attached the silkspan with a glue stick and will see if the polyurathane will adhears it to the structure.... If that fails I will wait till my order from sig gets here. I have ordered sig stix-it and will see if that works better....
Seems getting back into modeling means serious r&d.

[Larry Borden]

I buy all my dope from Tex-Air in Fort Worth. They carry Randolph dope. If you can find a aircraft supplier in your area, you can save the shipping. You could also call Randolph and they coul give you a supplier in your area.

[billbyles]

Ok, I have given up I just am having too much trouble using the urathane and polyester covering.
So who sells dope either shipped or locally in Ca. ?
And who carries a decent quality silkspan

Hi Jim,

I just saw your post; if you are in So. Cal. you can will call Randolph dope products at Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co. in Corona, CA.  If not within driving distance Aircraft Spruce will ship same day so you will get your order in just a very few days at most.  Randolph color charts are free for the asking as is the extensive Aircraft Spruce catalog.  Aircraft Spruce mixes the Randolph colors right there at their Corona facility and they are very easy to deal with.

[George Albo]

Ok, I have given up I just am having too much trouble using the urathane and polyester covering.
So who sells dope either shipped or locally in Ca. ?
And who carries a decent quality silkspan

http://brodak.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=silkspan&x=0&y=0

[FLOYD CARTER]

Coupla' items.

I had pretty bad luck with the "new" Brodak silkspan.  I didn't realize there is a rough side and a "not-so-rough" side.  That took a lot of filling and sanding. Even the "smooth" side isn't very smooth.  I used it over sheet balsa with polyspan on the open bays.

I recently ordered a gallon of "non-shrinking" butyrate clear from Aircraft Spruce.  The can says "tinted", so it isn't clear.  I can use it for build-up, but not for clear-coats.  So beware and read the blurb before ordering.

Floyd

[Bill Little]

Sig dope can be a little confusing at first. 

1. Lite Coat is a non tautening clear. 

2. Supercoat clear is a tautening clear. 

3.Supercoat colors are non tautening. 

And there are no Lite Coat colors!  (of course you can use Lite Coat Clear with pigments and have Lite Coat colors.)

And there are NO butyrate dopes that are totally non tautening!

BIG Bear
RNMM/AMM