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Author Topic: Tower Hobbies  (Read 2256 times)

Offline Mike Griffin

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Tower Hobbies
« on: November 16, 2017, 03:44:24 PM »
I want to preface my comments by saying I am in no way trashing Tower but I just had an experience on the phone that really was not good.  I have ordered from Tower for years and never had a problem with anything.  Now, that being said I thought I would pass this on.

Several years ago I decided I was going to learn how to apply what we commonly refer to as "shrink" coverings or Monokote  type coverings.  I experimented with most all brands and over time settled on Ultracote which is my go to covering when I use this type of covering  Opinions vary on these coverings but that is the one I like the best.

I have built a couple of Skyrays and I was to the point of covering the wings and I looked in my supplies and found a couple of rolls of Towerkote that I have had for a couple of years I guess, so I thought might as well use them on these Skyrays.  I unrolled the instructions and started looking for tacking and shrinking temperatures and all I could find was 225 degrees to tack it down but no temperature setting for shrinking.  No where on the instructions did it tell you that.  So, I pick up the phone and call Tower and explain I needed to know how much to increase the temperature to shrink the film since they did not tell you that in the instructions.  Anyone who has ever applied this stuff knows what happens if you touch it with an Iron that is to hot.

Anyway, I explained all this to this lady on the phone and she did not have a clue but said she would connect me to tech support.  I was on hold quite a while and when she came back she said she could not get anyone from tech support.  But, she said that somebody just walked by her desk who might know.  I go on hold again.  When she came back she said "well he thinks it will shrink at 230 degrees."  Five degrees warmer than the tacking temperature.  OK, I said thank you and oh, by the way do you have a direct number for tech support?  She said sure and gave me a number.  I called the number, a guy answered, I asked him if he was familiar with the Towerkote shrink covering, he said yes.  I asked him the shrinking temp.  He said what does the instruction sheet say.  I said it doesn't give you that information.  He said if it is not on the instruction sheet, he doesn't know.  I said....goodbye.

I should have known better.  LOL

MIke
« Last Edit: November 16, 2017, 04:21:39 PM by Mike Griffin »

Offline Steve Helmick

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Re: Tower Hobbies
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2017, 04:53:39 PM »
 :o You actually read the instructions?  LL~
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Offline phil c

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Re: Tower Hobbies
« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2017, 10:27:40 AM »
What do you expect?  Tower mainly sells stuff.  I don't believe they manufacture anything.
phil Cartier

Offline john e. holliday

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Re: Tower Hobbies
« Reply #3 on: November 17, 2017, 12:57:05 PM »
This sounds like when one of our AT&T experts called me about a problem she was having.   I her I would try to answer.  I listened to the question and then thought.  My reply was, "I don't know".   There was silence when a few seconds later she said that's not an answer.   I told her yes it was.   But then once she stopped laughing we got the problem figured out.   

In my experience with coverings when there is temp stated for a part for the covering job, I play with the temp setting.   When the covering disappears I figure I got the iron or hot air gun too hot.   VD~
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Offline Mike Griffin

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Re: Tower Hobbies
« Reply #4 on: November 17, 2017, 02:35:10 PM »
This sounds like when one of our AT&T experts called me about a problem she was having.   I her I would try to answer.  I listened to the question and then thought.  My reply was, "I don't know".   There was silence when a few seconds later she said that's not an answer.   I told her yes it was.   But then once she stopped laughing we got the problem figured out.   

In my experience with coverings when there is temp stated for a part for the covering job, I play with the temp setting.   When the covering disappears I figure I got the iron or hot air gun too hot.   VD~

That is funny Doc, but true.  LOL

Offline Jim Oliver

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Re: Tower Hobbies
« Reply #5 on: November 17, 2017, 02:56:02 PM »
Mike,
You may have it figured out by now.....
try laying a small piece of scrap covering on the face of the hot iron.  If the iron is too hot the piece of covering will immediately curl up and die:)

If the temp is ok the covering will slowly shrink and curl up.....
Don't trust the temp setting on most irons.  If you use a sock on the iron a higher temp will be needed.  Some experimentation to find the best setting is normal.
Jim Oliver
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Offline Mike Griffin

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Re: Tower Hobbies
« Reply #6 on: November 17, 2017, 03:35:14 PM »
Mike,
You may have it figured out by now.....
try laying a small piece of scrap covering on the face of the hot iron.  If the iron is too hot the piece of covering will immediately curl up and die:)

If the temp is ok the covering will slowly shrink and curl up.....
Don't trust the temp setting on most irons.  If you use a sock on the iron a higher temp will be needed.  Some experimentation to find the best setting is normal.


Thank you Jim.  That is exactly what I did.  I just thought it kind of crazy that they don't give you a relative temp setting in their own directions and the call to the tech people was even weirder.  LOL...

Mike

Offline Perry Rose

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Re: Tower Hobbies
« Reply #7 on: November 18, 2017, 07:20:10 PM »
A heat gun is best for shrinking any iron on covering.
I may be wrong but I doubt it.
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Offline Dick Pacini

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Re: Tower Hobbies
« Reply #8 on: November 20, 2017, 04:40:12 AM »
Here is a link to the instructions.  Scroll down to Shrinking and 300° is mentioned.

http://www.hobbyexpress.com/ultracote-inst.htm
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