I did a search on "silkspan" but no one seems to mind that it isn't available anymore.  None of the usual suppliers carry it.

Assuming that silkspan is permanently gone, how about some pointers on SIG LITE-FLITE, or COVERLITE. Is it as strong/water-shrink as silkspan?



Floyd

I was at Brodak's this week, they have a new source, and have cases of medium and light silkspan in stock.

   It is the original random-fiber stuff, or the weird kind that has lines in it?

    Brett

Everyone has light and medium.  I've used only heavy (SGM) because I got tired of fixing holes and tears!  So I've gone through dozens of sheets of SGM and never got cancer.  Not even once!

If heavy doesn't show soon, I might go with medium and double-cover.  More work, but bullet-proof.

(tried polyspan once.  Only ONCE!)

Floyd

LOL! I think the43 cancer concern was when the tea bag came in contact with water and in turn went down the throat of the drinker. Not sure that simply touching it had any ill effects...

Bob Hunt

 Well, certainly nothing compared to the inhalation of the dope fumes used to attach it!

    Brett

I've made thousands of cups of tea using tea bags.  I've yet to swallow a tea bag  (but, of course, there's always a first time!).  I'll be real careful from now on.

Floyd

Floyd I've been using Lite-Flite and regular Plyspan.  The Lite-flight to me is jap tissue for all intents but shrinks slightly better.  The Plyspan I would call something between medium and heavy silk span but is really a lot tougher.  It's more dense and fills quickly.  Unlike silk span I've found it better to cover dry,  then water spray then one coat tauntening then finish with non/ taughtening dope to control tension.  I think I'll continue using it for open bays and my stock of light silk span over solid wood where I'm not using carbon.

Dave

Dave what is Plyspan.  I Have used Polyspan for years but is Plyspan something different?

Mike

Plyspan has been around for awhile. To me it is like japanese tissue. Some report problems with it becoming brittle and splitting over open bays when given a dope finish. I have found it a little harder to work with because it is not as porus as silkspan. Makes it easier to get a smooth finish but as the dope doesn't penetrate so adhesion problems are can occur. I too have switched to a polyspan type product for open bays. Still use silkspan over solid surfaces and around corners.

I'm not sure, but I think I have a plane covered with SIG plyspan.  It is lighter than SGM silkspan.

I looked at the K&S website.  They don't show any kind of silkspan.  I had a full tube (10 or 15 sheets) of K&S heavy grade.  Good stuff, but it's all gone now.

Having no more silkspan, I recently covered with polyspan.  It's difficult to use because, sooner or later, you have to begin sanding on the clear dope.  It's too easy to sand too much and into the polyspan.  Once that happens, you are in for a fight trying to repair/smooth over the "fuzzies".

Floyd

I have a good bit of various colors of plyspan and tissues of various origins.  I'm just about going all silk.  I finished a small 1/4A size airplane in silk and it came out just fine. 

I have used poly-span on several planes and only bad result was when I held the hot air gun in one spot to long.   But, a simple patch was put on and after about six coats of clear dope could not feel where the patch was.   I usually start with two coats of clear thinned enough to brush.   Run my hands over the surface and lightly sand the edges some, but not too much.   Then several more coats of dope and light sanding of some rough areas.   By the time I get to where there is no roughness the surface is getting a kind of sheen to it.   Then I start with the fill coats and spackling for the bad spots.   Once I have the surface to my satisfaction I put on a couple of clear coats to seal the fill coats and then go with the colors.   

Most of this is similar to what Sparky does when he is doing base coats.   But, I think my next one will have SLC over the open bays with Poly-span over that as well as all the other surfaces.