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Building Tips and technical articles. => Building techniques => Topic started by: doug coursey on January 11, 2024, 07:06:33 AM

Title: BRODAK SILKSPAN
Post by: doug coursey on January 11, 2024, 07:06:33 AM
HAS ANYBODY HAD ANY LUCK WITH THE BRODAK MEDIUM SILKSPAN..I TRIED SOME AND IT DOESNT STICK TO THE WOOD VERY GOOD EVEN PUTTING AT LEAST 3 COATS OF BUTYRATE DOPE ON THE BARE WOOD.I PUT IT ON WET AND  THE DOPE DOESNT PENETRATE THE SILKSPAN VERY GOOD.IT SEEMS TO SWELL THE SILSPAN AND IT GETS HARD AS A ROCK WITH ONE COAT OF BUTYRATE DOPE...YOU SURE COULDNT USE IT ON OPEN BAYS
Title: Re: BRODAK SILKSPAN
Post by: Colin McRae on January 11, 2024, 09:58:56 AM
I am by no means an expert, but I have covered 2 models with Brodak medium silkspan with butyrate dope and both have been fine. And I brushed it on. The silkspan has adhered as expected and shrinks up fine.

Being somewhat of a rookie builder, I strictly followed the Brodak document 'Finishing and Painting your Airplane'.

Those instructions say to use a mixture of 60/40 thinner/clear dope (60% thinner). And I put on 3 coats on the wing and let it fully dry before starting to apply the silkspan on the wing.

So not sure what might be going on in your situation. Maybe not enough thinner so it can easily soak thru the silkspan? And I also made sure I painted at a time of day when the ambient humidity was low, so no blushing was going on.

Title: Re: BRODAK SILKSPAN
Post by: Jim Svitko on January 11, 2024, 11:37:57 AM
I have used this medium silkspan for several years.  It appears to be just like the product from years ago.  I use it only to cover bare wood.  On open bays, I will use polyspan or ThermalSpan.

https://easybuiltmodels.com/parts.htm#gsc.tab=0
Title: Re: BRODAK SILKSPAN
Post by: wwwarbird on January 11, 2024, 07:42:59 PM
HAS ANYBODY HAD ANY LUCK WITH THE BRODAK MEDIUM SILKSPAN..I TRIED SOME AND IT DOESNT STICK TO THE WOOD VERY GOOD EVEN PUTTING AT LEAST 3 COATS OF BUTYRATE DOPE ON THE BARE WOOD.I PUT IT ON WET AND  THE DOPE DOESNT PENETRATE THE SILKSPAN VERY GOOD.IT SEEMS TO SWELL THE SILSPAN AND IT GETS HARD AS A ROCK WITH ONE COAT OF BUTYRATE DOPE...YOU SURE COULDNT USE IT ON OPEN BAYS

 It was probably ten-ish years ago now but I bought six packages of it once to give it a try. I had the same issues you're describing and then some. It ended up going directly into the trash can. 
Title: Re: BRODAK SILKSPAN
Post by: doug coursey on January 12, 2024, 04:16:18 AM
It was probably ten-ish year ago now but I bought six packages of it once to give it a try. I had the same issues you're describing and then some. It ended up going directly into the trash can.


i bought mine about a year ago.dope doesnt want to go through the silkspan and stick it to the wood...i put 3 coats of dope on the bare wood before trying to attach the silk span..mine is going in the garbage so i dont try and use it again
Title: Re: BRODAK SILKSPAN
Post by: Dave Rigotti on January 12, 2024, 06:28:30 AM
The answer is simple:
https://stunthanger.com/smf/open-forum/my-source-for-tea-bag-silkspan/msg664743/#msg664743
Title: Re: BRODAK SILKSPAN
Post by: Dave_Trible on January 12, 2024, 07:13:39 AM
The answer is simple:
https://stunthanger.com/smf/open-forum/my-source-for-tea-bag-silkspan/msg664743/#msg664743
+1!

Dave
Title: Re: BRODAK SILKSPAN
Post by: Miotch on January 12, 2024, 02:08:40 PM
For anyone interested in the paper piecing Dave's other post referred to, and couldn't find the currency conversion, I simply added something to the cart and the site magically converted it to U.S. currency, both in the cart and on the product page I selected from.  It was $22.68 for 10 meters.  I didn't complete the purchase, so I don't know what shipping would be.  I was just exploring for now to find out how much it cost.
Title: Re: BRODAK SILKSPAN
Post by: kevin king on March 20, 2024, 11:13:17 PM
HAS ANYBODY HAD ANY LUCK WITH THE BRODAK MEDIUM SILKSPAN..I TRIED SOME AND IT DOESNT STICK TO THE WOOD VERY GOOD EVEN PUTTING AT LEAST 3 COATS OF BUTYRATE DOPE ON THE BARE WOOD.I PUT IT ON WET AND  THE DOPE DOESNT PENETRATE THE SILKSPAN VERY GOOD.IT SEEMS TO SWELL THE SILSPAN AND IT GETS HARD AS A ROCK WITH ONE COAT OF BUTYRATE DOPE...YOU SURE COULDNT USE IT ON OPEN BAYS
How much did you reduce the dope, and what brand of thinner did you use?

Title: Re: BRODAK SILKSPAN
Post by: doug coursey on March 21, 2024, 09:05:57 AM
How much did you reduce the dope, and what brand of thinner did you use?
I PUT 3 COATS OF 70% THINNED BUTYRATE DOPE ON THE WOOD..I THEN USED THE SAME DOPE TO ATTACH THE SILK SPAN WET...IT DIDNT WANT TO PENETRATE THE SILKSPAN VERY GOOD  AFTER IT DRIED I COATED IT WITH 60% THINNED BUTYRATE DOPE ALL BRODAK BRAND IT WAS HARD AS A ROCK AND VERY HARD TO SAND...IT SEEMED IT WAS MORE A POLYESTER COVERING THAN SILKSPAN..NOTHING LIKE THE SIG STUFF I HAD