Howdy,

 This might seem like a stupid question to some here, but I just have too see if anyone has any better ideas on this one. One of the few things that I don't like about building is how long it takes to get the clear built up on your open bays etc., to fill the covering texture. I currently use Sig clear for all my covering and prep work, mainly because it's readily available at my LHS.
 My current, and long time program has been this; On larger models using a 2" brush, I apply two coats of 50/50 clear on the bare wood, then I put my Polyspan on with the same 50/50 mix of thinned clear. For those not familiar, with Polyspan you really have to watch it and not sand too early, or it will fuzz up on you and create a big mess. I then start the filling process, again with the same mixture, until I have about 10 or 12 coats on, sanding in between after about the first 6 coats. I prefer to stay with the 50/50 mix because it brushes out more smoothly than the straight mixture. My complaint is simply that this seems to take forever.
 Now I'm pretty darn patient, but does anyone have a quicker procedure for getting to that desired 10-12 coat point?

Thanks.

Quicker procedure-----sure, paint faster!!!

Jim

It builds up quicker if you don't thin it.

I have NEVER liked to brush straight *out of the can* dope on anything........... it just doesn't flow at all.  Clumps, lumps, brush drags, etc. etc..

Randy,

  I do actually use it unthinned occasionally, and then go 50/50 on the last few coats. Yes it builds up a bit quicker, but as Bill mentions, it dosen't brush or flow out nearly as well. I suppose I could experiment with some different ratios.

Ty,

 I've heard of this zinc sterate stuff before but have never used it. I've also heard people say that it works well. Where do you get the stuff? What kind of mixture do you use?

MM,

 A bigger brush is harder to control for neat and clean work, plus it won't fit in the can!
Comin' out New Years Day?


Thanks!

Zinc Sterate is available from Randy Smith as well as some industrial supply houses.  Randy packages it as Aero Filler.  Lightest stuff we can use, I understand, and sands extremely well.

I use Certified or Randolph's dope. Much higher solids content and it seems to flow fine.

I've used zinc sterate and it works fine but I still prefer talc. What can I say?

Man, I fly for pleasure, and I can't think of anything less pleasurable than standing on numb feet, cranking on a cold engine with numb fingers (numb except for when the prop whacks you, ever notice that?) while shaking so hard you can't get hold of the needle and couldn't fly the plane if you could get on the handle.  Battery won't hold its juice, fuel won't vaporize, can't move enough to stay warm,  etc., etc.  Guess I'm just a transplanted Southern wimp...50 degrees is about my limit. 

It probably won't be "much" above 50 in central Texas on New Year's Day; whether any of us fly that day may depend on things other than the weather, however.  We have gone flying in colder weather than that, when the urge was upon us, cranking bare-handed, but back-flipping.  The cold doesn't make back-flipped engines any better at whacking you than warm weather does. 

I was over at Pete Peterson's a few weeks ago, and it turns out that he uses Zinc Stearate. The nice thing about it...it is relatively clear, (compared to talc, which makes a very white primer). This is really an advantage if you're doing spectacular clear finishes with minimal trim areas of pigmented dope, per the picture. This is Pete's Sultan, a Norm Whittle design. RO-Jett .65 with pipe.  Pete's new Rondinelli Venus is going to be equally spectacular.  Steve

Thinking a bit about Bill Little's response, can you put dope over Dupli-Color? If so, how's the adhesion for masking later?

Yes..Just remember..:

Dope = Lacquer (DupliColor Lacquer)

(DupliColor Lacquer) Lacquer = Dope

Do Not Try Any Of The Above With DupliColor Enamel...I may be wrong, but I think you will have a mess of huge order on your hands, to say the least of whats on your plane...

Ty; Go to< http://www.dharmatrading.com/>  Go to fabrics, then Habitai silk, then 5mm by 36" wide. I bought the 11 yard bolt @ 2.05 per yard. Pretty inexpensive, and seems to work fine. It does have to be pulled pretty tight over open frames as it does not shrink as much as the old stuff. It is nice and light, but a very tight weave, and only takes about 2 thin coats of dope to seal it, maybe 3 at the most. I use dope all the way with no filler, and use between 10 and 15 thin coats total. I use Sig Super Coat dope for the first few coats, and then switch to Sig Lite Coat dope for the rest of the finish. This Humongous was completely covered with this silk.

Has anyone tried the polyester stuff that is available at the cloth stores.?.it is used to line dresses and things..it even
has a product that can be ironed on...and its cheap..I have a plane that I just finished..and was holding it up looking at it and it got whacked on the wing by the ceiling fan...I expected the worse..That stuff doped up was like a plastic covering...nothing broke..or even dented..(Do not try this at home)..might be a fluke..

but anyway...I tried that as being new again..the LHS had no silkspan..silk  or anything I was familiar with..heard someone mention this..and I doped it on wet..really tight and apparently strong...

anyone else used this product?

Hi Joe,

Sound spretty much just like polyspan, whichis just a coat lining material (lightweight) made of polyester.  Heat will make it run, if you aren't careful, just like a pair of stockings!  All of a sudden, a hole.........

Yeppers opn Mikes stuff. I bought a 20 foot chunk from him in Salem last fall, its hovering above my 109, decisions being made,, hmmmm