All Monokote is not the same *@#^!!! *%$@^**!!!

[Paul Taylor]

 

I put Plum on and I think I could leave a 1/4 inch wrinkle and it would pull as tight as a drum.
I put some green on and that crap will not shrink one bit. I even cut a small section and put it on my glass top, held the heat gun on it and it would not even turn the edges up. And I tried to burn a hole it, no go and it has no stick to the wood. I did get it to shrink a little but I had to hold the heat on it for ever. It's coming off!

I'm now going to change colors! 

[RandySmith]

? call tower !!!!!

[Wynn Robins]

the new monocote is CR*P it wont shrink worth a damn  - go with a different brand - SIG Aerokote works well, as does Oracover.

[Steve Helmick]

Plum and Green would not look too good anyway!  Steve

[Paul Taylor]

Plum and Green would not look too good anyway!  Steve

 
  Yea my wife said the same thing.

[Russell Shaffer]

I shrunk up some really old unknown for a friend.  I just kept increasing the heat and it finally worked, but I really expected to burn through.  I think I was using paint remover temperatures. 

[Brett Buck]

I put Plum on and I think I could leave a 1/4 inch wrinkle and it would pull as tight as a drum.
I put some green on and that crap will not shrink one bit.

   Uncle Jimby and I had the same experience with some Monokote not to long ago. I have in the past used A LOT of Monokote and may have one of the highest NATs appearance points for a Monokote airplane. Some of the new Monokote *does not work*, it's radically different from the past. Something is definitely different.

   Randy is right, call Tower, but - I am pretty sure that they already know. The RCists have been complaining about it for years and they claim it is the same. It absolutely is not.

    Brett

[Leonard Rennick]

I've swiched to Ultracote, it cost alittle more, but works.

Leonard

[Dwayne]

yup, Ultrakote is the way to go.

[Jim Oliver]

As mentioned by Bret,and others, Monocote seems to be very different than it once was.  The RC guys use it more than we do and have lots of bad experiences posted on their sites.

Ultra Coat is better, in some respects, but isn't perfect either, being subject to what is called "cold creep", meaning that it the joints/seams will creep a bit over time.  Also, it is easy to over shrink U.C. and cause joints/edges/seams to pull out of alignment.  Remember, too, that each time you shrink U.C., a higher temp is required than last time it was shrunk.

I have had good results with the covering sold by Airborne Models/World Models.  Doesn't bubble on sheeted surfaces, and stays tight over open bays.  Lots of colors, but not as glossy as Monocote.  I think it is the same stuff Sig is/was selling as Aero Coat.  As usual, YMMV!

Cheers,
Jim

[john e. holliday]

If it is such bad stuff, why does every body keep buying it?   I have had problems with the Brodak and SIG covering also.  Are they done by the same company?

[Paul Taylor]

Just went out on my lunch hour to the LHS and got a roll of ultra-kote.


Stay tuned.......

[Brett Buck]

If it is such bad stuff, why does every body keep buying it?  

  Inertia. I had never seen the bad kind until middle of 2009, but apparently it has been going on for a while.

   Monokote was far and away the best iron-on covering, compared to the other "soft" and "low-temp" films, so there was a very good reason it was used in the first place. Unfortunately something has changed, and even worse, the problem isn't even consistent from roll to roll.

    Brett

[Mike Lauerman]

I looked around for some chrome Monokote, don't have enough on my old roll to finish a plane that "has to be polished"!
Does chrome Monocote exist any more?

[Paul Taylor]

I looked around for some chrome Monokote, don't have enough on my old roll to finish a plane that "has to be polished"!
Does chrome Monocote exist any more?

Yup.
http://www.monokote.com/colors/topq0209b.jpg

[Paul Taylor]

Just went out on my lunch hour to the LHS and got a roll of ultra-kote.


Stay tuned.......

Ahhhhh   Yes!
The ultra kote is much better.
My friend sent me this link.

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Articles/Article.aspx?ArticleID=1115&Page=1

Thanks Zman!

[dennis lipsett]

I've got to agree. I've been using the stuff since 1966 and this last model that I'm doing has me in a state of continuous agitation. It doesn't shrink and it doesn't stick worth a d*m. I think that I'll be making the switch to something else. They cheapened Monokote but kept the price. Nothing like improving your profit margin and then losing your customer base..
Dennis

[Tim Stagg]

I am right there with you all, I have used the Monokote since the 70's and have only had a few problems with some of the metallic colors, but even those were not that bad. In the last year I have gotten 3 rolls of defective stuff, will not shrink no matter how much heat is used. This even happened with a roll of white opaque.

Is a shame because they had the best looking colors and the most stable temperature film on the market.

I have gone to ultracote, very easy to apply, colors are not quite a glossy but what can you do.

[Frank Imbriaco]

Word from the pattern community is that there was an adhesive change , thanks to the EPA. Ultrakote is  alot better, but it ,too, had some changes.

 The current   Ultrakote, especially the dark colors, is more prone to  bubbles and lifts in the sun. The old stuff was really great.

[Paul Taylor]

One think I noticed about my roll of ultra kote is the roll is not as wide as the monokote.
Yes I was using the metallic green and that stuff would not work at all.

From now on it is ultra kote for me.

[the original Steve Smith]

Paul, assuming you are at home, you don't live that far from a master moncote guy, Louis... Never let sleeping experts lay around when you need help.

Yah Ty, ask Lou Rankin about his "Top Flight Dope" finish!   

[Paul Taylor]

I have called the master $koter. We have a date in a few weeks to work on the details.

[Brett Buck]

Word from the pattern community is that there was an adhesive change , thanks to the EPA.

  I think it was more than that, or may be different issues at different times. The problem Jim and I had was that it would shrink in one direction but not the other. I figure it is made something like heat-shrink tubing - make the film, then pre-stretch it mechanically. When you heat it it wants to go back to the original size. We theorized that it was only stretched in one direction.

    Brett

[john e. holliday]

The shrinkage is best parallel to the role.   The curl should span the wing from center to tip.  If you put the curl chord wise it will sag between the ribs.   In otherwords if you lay the roll down and roll it out to the length needed to cover the wing panel.  On some wings it works great with out too much waste.  The larger wings chord wise use a lot of covering.  Now on solid surfaces is where I use the peices that are cut from excess. 

[Brett Buck]

The shrinkage is best parallel to the role.   The curl should span the wing from center to tip.  If you put the curl chord wise it will sag between the ribs. 

    It certainly never had any significant difference between directions before. I have done A LOT of Monokote jobs, and I never had any problem until recently. I am pretty sure it is not a matter of technique.

   Brett

[Bill Little]

In a perverse sort of way, I'm glad you guys are having this problem. Here I thought I was doing something wrong with what little moncote I use. Whew, now I can toss that crap and not feel guilty. 

Hi TY,

I use it to patch whatever planes I have already done in $cote.  All I have is old rolls, haven't bought any in about 10-15 years.......... I do need a smidge or two to patch the ARF Nobler where I reshrunk it and gaps appeared.

Now I am glad I haven't bought any recently, since it seems everyone has some problem or the other with it now!

Big Bear

[Jeff Traxler]

Silk and Dope!!!It may be bad for your health but it's nice and light,smooth and tight.

[Bill Little]

Silk and Dope!!!It may be bad for your health but it's nice and light,smooth and tight.

Hi Jeff,

I have even learned to appreciate polyspan!     (and thank the Good Lord for Dharma and being able to afford silk for models again)    Gonna give SLC a try very soon with the mandatory silkspan layer over the top.  

;d

Big Bear