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Author Topic: Calling Louis Rankin-Monocote finishing tips (I forgot)  (Read 3662 times)

Offline Dennis Vander Kuur

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Calling Louis Rankin-Monocote finishing tips (I forgot)
« on: November 02, 2007, 01:11:24 PM »
While at the Broken Arrow stunt contest in St. Louis this September I had the opportunity to see Louis Rankin's beautiful Oriental. It was coverered entirely in Monocote. Louis was kind enough to share his secrets on getting an outstanding finish. Unfortunately, I wasn't bright enough to quickly write down his words of wisdon. Therefore, I forgot a lot of what he told me  ~^. So, for the benefit of all (and selfishly for myself I must confess) I am putting out an open request to Louis to please post his tips for a great monocote finish. I was particularly impressed in his techniques for (1) eliminating the inevitable small "bumps" we get under the monocote, and (2) installing monocote trim strips without getting any air bubbles trapped under them.

Louis, when you have a spare moment, could you please post the monocote tips that you so generously shared with me at St. Louis?
Best regards,
DennisV
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Offline Crist Rigotti

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Re: Calling Louis Rankin-Monocote finishing tips (I forgot)
« Reply #1 on: November 03, 2007, 06:26:09 PM »
Louis,
As a proponet of Monokote, I'd like to see what you have to say.  Bring it on!
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Offline Jim Oliver

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Re: Calling Louis Rankin-Monocote finishing tips (I forgot)
« Reply #2 on: November 03, 2007, 07:52:12 PM »
There is a reliable report that Louis Rankin has been seen recently at the Central Alabama Stunt Squadron contest  at Clanton, Al.
It is expected that he will soon return to his normal location. 

End of message. H^^

Cheers,
Jim
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Offline Dennis Moritz

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Re: Calling Louis Rankin-Monocote finishing tips (I forgot)
« Reply #3 on: November 05, 2007, 05:47:40 AM »
Let me second this. I wish Louis Rankin would do a Monokote article. I saw that spectacular bird at the NATs and spoke to Louis for five minutes, picking his brain. Fantastic amount of useful information about the mysterious ways of kote. Having no notebook with me, I also need a repeat, forgetting a lot of the valuable tips. Please Louis put an article together. First off, how is the balsa finished before using kote? I believe Louis puts the kote on with as low heat as possible, the balsa preparation allowing him to use low heat.

The plane I saw was competing in Classic, very hard (almost impossible) to tell that the finish was plastic and not paint.


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Offline Bill Little

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Re: Calling Louis Rankin-Monocote finishing tips (I forgot)
« Reply #4 on: November 05, 2007, 06:34:34 PM »
Wondered what happened to Louis........ PM'ed him a while back, no reply.  I hope he is all right!
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Offline Bob Reeves

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Re: Calling Louis Rankin-Monocote finishing tips (I forgot)
« Reply #5 on: November 07, 2007, 04:17:36 AM »
Quote from: Dennis Moritz on November 05, 2007, 05:47:40 AM
<snip>
The plane I saw was competing in Classic, very hard (almost impossible) to tell that the finish was plastic and not paint.

Ya, I was standing 3 feet from it and swore it was paint, Louis said it was Top Flight dope  ;D
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Offline Paul Taylor

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Re: Calling Louis Rankin-Monocote finishing tips (I forgot)
« Reply #6 on: November 10, 2007, 06:57:52 PM »
Louis is truely a master of $$kote.

Not too many people knew his Bear was a ARF Tutor II.

Here he is a the MSC giving tips to a few newbies.  LL~

Paul H^^

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Offline Jim Oliver

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Re: Calling Louis Rankin-Monocote finishing tips (I forgot)
« Reply #7 on: November 11, 2007, 07:48:22 AM »
Newbies??  Hmmmmmm-------they don't look new to me. S?P

Jim
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Offline Bill Little

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Re: Calling Louis Rankin-Monocote finishing tips (I forgot)
« Reply #8 on: November 11, 2007, 09:46:41 AM »
I guess Louis has gone "anti-social" on us!  Yeah, that's what happens when you become a celeb....... LL~ LL~ LL ~ 
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Offline Paul Taylor

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Re: Calling Louis Rankin-Monocote finishing tips (I forgot)
« Reply #9 on: March 06, 2011, 03:22:44 PM »
Well just ran across this thread again. Lou does not comb boards like some of us. LL~

Anyway I was at his house a few weeks ago to get some of these tips again.

When he monokotes a plane, the wood is smooth as silk. And he uses a tack cloth to get all the dust off before he starts. I can tell you that he uses a trim iron to put the coat on, not the big full size iron. He only tacks down the edges and then uses a heat gun to pull the film . The sides of the fuse are done as once piece. He uses clay rolled up in a coil along the wing edges to act as a heat sink to keep the film from pulling up. He also uses a syringe kind of like a caulk gun to put the fillets in. Anyway that is what I remember. Last I spoke to him he said he might put something in the next issue of CLW. He sure does a great job with Monokote.
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Offline builditright

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Re: Calling Louis Rankin-Monocote finishing tips (I forgot)
« Reply #10 on: March 07, 2011, 01:03:29 AM »
I've Monokoted many models, also including an Oriental.


all but two on this page are monokote, if anyone wants, they can see some of them at:
http://www.builtrightflyright.com/MiscHelpPgs/mybuilds.htm
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Thank you and God Bless
Walter
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Offline Glenn (Gravitywell) Reach

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Re: Calling Louis Rankin-Monocote finishing tips (I forgot)
« Reply #11 on: March 07, 2011, 11:31:26 AM »
Walter....I'll ask before everyone else (I just like being first!LOL).  Hows about you doing a monocote finishing tutorial for all of us that have three thumbs and five pinkies?  Pretty please? #^ H^^
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Offline builditright

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Re: Calling Louis Rankin-Monocote finishing tips (I forgot)
« Reply #12 on: March 19, 2011, 11:39:16 PM »
Quote from: Glenn (Gravitywell) Reach on March 07, 2011, 11:31:26 AM
Walter....I'll ask before everyone else (I just like being first!LOL).  Hows about you doing a monocote finishing tutorial for all of us that have three thumbs and five pinkies?  Pretty please? #^ H^^


the links below can be found on my Helpful Hints page of my website
http://www.builtrightflyright.com/MiscHelpPgs/hints.htm

but more to the point, check out these links

For Monokote hinges:  http://www.builtrightflyright.com/MiscHelpPgs/Monokotehinges.htm

to see a Magnum being covered: http://www.builtrightflyright.com/MiscHelpPgs/magnum/projects/MagnumBld5.htm

The yellow Stiletto(35) was done with 6 Monokote colors
with black automotive (vinyl) pinstripe seperating each color and the graphics were black and white vinyl.
The yellow Oriental also had purple and floresent green
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Walter
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Offline Randy Ryan

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Re: Calling Louis Rankin-Monocote finishing tips (I forgot)
« Reply #13 on: March 21, 2011, 03:37:40 PM »
I wanna know how to do fillets, the rest is easy.
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Offline James Mills

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Re: Calling Louis Rankin-Monocote finishing tips (I forgot)
« Reply #14 on: March 21, 2011, 04:50:44 PM »
Quote from: Ty Marcucci on March 21, 2011, 12:03:25 PM
From my very, very limited experience with plastic coatings, there are three very expert appliers of this stuff. Walter Umland, Louis Rankin and Dan Rutherford.  All three have one common trait. Patience with stuff they consider important.  If you have their patience and practice, you too can do beautiful work, but first you have to really like this stuff, I hate it. It showed when I did some later coverings with it.  H^^
All three need to write a "how to do it" for Stunt News.  Each will have a different approach, but the end results are something to behold.  H^^
I can think of a fourth, Allen Brickhaus iron on finished look great.  Check out his Olympus or his Trianic.

James
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