Was it tautening or non-tautening clear?  I haven't covered with silk, but my understanding is that you need to use the tautening clear for the first few coats.  Like silkspan but -- apparently -- worse.

Agree with Tom, keep going with the 50/50 clear (full strength slows down the tightening) and around coat 8 it will tighten. BTW Brodak crystal clear does not shrink as much as SIG Super Coat Clear (done use SIG Lite-coat it is non-shrink). I had the same thing happen on my El Diablo. I hadn't done a silk covering open bay for 20 years and I thought it would be like riding a bike. Well, it was except the dope has changed. I put it on and it was tight and really nice. Then I started with the clear and got just what happen to you - saggy loose silk. After the 4th coat I was considering ripping it off but I posted on here and they said just keep going and they were right.

Best,    DennisT


I used the regular brodak clear not the crystal clear...i has 4 coats of which 2 were full strength and it real loose...i think i read somewhere you had to get the sizing out of the silk before putting it on... its the 8mm silk and not even close to being filled

Doug,
If you use the SIG clear use the Super Coat Clear not the Lite Coat. Do 50/50 with either SIG thinner or Brodak/Randoph thinner, don't use hardware store thinner. Keep going it will tighten may need several more coats cause it is thicker.

Best,   DennisT

I got the Sig Supercoat and its much better.tightened up the silk pretty good...its really thick you have to thin it a lot

Im going to need to use retarder,its drying way to fast..looks like its compatable with brodak dope,i bought a bunch of colored brodak dope i want to use..

    What kind of thinner are you using? If a touch of retarder doesn't work for you, you may want to consult an automotive paint supply shop and see what he has in slower acting thinners. I can't remember the old DuPont numbers and everything else ahs changed so might as well start fresh and tell them what you are doing, and what your problem is, and they can guide you to the correct product. It will probably be pricey, so just save it for those special projects and use the cheaper stuff for everything else and cleaning your gun.

   Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee 
problem is i bought a bunch of brodak paint to use one brand of paint..the brodak clear might work with silkspan but not silk

   Well, I don't think you will have any problem using the SIG as a base under the Brodak colors. Look into Brodak dope and ask if they use a non tautening dope as the base for it. All of SIG's color dope is based on their Lite Coat low shrink dope. If the Brodak are not low or non shrink dope, just order in some Dave Brown Flex-All to add to the thinned colors when ready to spray. It is a plasticizer and will keep the dope from continuously shrinking. In the old days they just added some castor oil to thinned dope to do the same thing, and IO think that is what Flex-All is, going from a simple taste test with medicinal castor. Make up a few test panels and let each coat dry thoroughly and give adequate time to gas off a bit. Light sanding in between coats too held adhesion. This may take some extra time but at least you will know what you have and what will work. Keep the list posted on what you find out.
   Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee