I use moneycote when ultracote doesn't have the colors but prefer ultracote because it's more user friendly. The glue is easy to see and it helps gauge the heat. It seems to have a wider heat range before melting a hole though it like moneycote. I can't give a heat range but mark my iron for different coverings after trial and error is over. Ultra cote is more stretchy and doesn't sag in the sun as much as moneycote either.  A fellow flyer was saying how much he hated ultracote because the color delaminated from the film. One of my planes is the checkerboard and in places (very minor around punctures and abused wingtips) that has happened...but the plane is 15 or so years old and seen a lot of handling and flights. Amazingly the covering has never sagged and needed tightening. 

Dane...brother you made me giggle a bit.... I know what you mean but 100% shrink rate struck me as funny envisioning my covering dissappear


jest funnin around board cuz the WX sux here

MonoKote seems like it has a little more tensile strength than Ultracote, and the temp between stick and shrink a bit more defined.
But compound curves seem a little easier navigated with UC than MK? Wing tips seem a bit easier.
I feel that airframes that need help should get MK, and ones that are way curvy and already stiff in torsion should make use of UC.

I could be completely wrong about all the above.

Oh yeah, and sheeted foam wings should get UC, since you can get the job done at a lower temp and no chance for a delam (you never stop the heat anway on a foam wing, do you?!)

R,'
Chris

You have hit the nail on the head when you said read the instructions.   I have used almost every kind of iron covering out there.  Each one has their method of application.   

By the way checker board pattern looks great.   

I found the "master" Faye Stilley's book on Amazon. A little pricey but very useful if are serious about iron-on coverings. The printed price is $12.95, I couldn't find one any cheaper than $40.00. Some sellers are charging as much $80.00.

Make your self a sock that will fit over the iron.  May have to turn temp up slightly.  Old bed sheets or pillow cases work great.

I used a sock in the early days but took it off because I like the feel without it. Maybe I need to try one again and see if I still have the same opinion.

I am interested in trying Ultracote

Best place/price to buy it?

What is the difference in the weights of the stuff?

Better stated, I might use most on .35 sized combat wings and perhaps some on a 1/2a wing  none for competition

Are there any of the colors that just plain suck like I find with some of the other 'cotes?   Example, Brodak black is/was useless because color/glue stuck down but plastic lifted and would not stay stuck to the color/glue

I'll stop ranting about this STUPID registration for a minute.

Here you go Fred-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultracote

Ultracote Lite-
http://www.horizonhobby.com/SearchDisplay?searchTerm=ultracote+lite&categoryId=&storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&pageSize=40&beginIndex=0&sType=SimpleSearch&resultCatEntryType=2&searchTermScope=2&showResultsPage=true&searchSource=Q&pageView=

Ultracote-
http://www.horizonhobby.com/SearchDisplay?searchTerm=ultracote&categoryId=&storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&pageSize=40&beginIndex=0&sType=SimpleSearch&resultCatEntryType=2&searchTermScope=2&showResultsPage=true&searchSource=Q&pageView=

Cool links Chris!
Here's my opinion on ultracote. It covers well and makes nice overlapping colors because of the low adhesive temp. It's way different than Monokote in the way it's applied. If ultracote is applied over a wing for example, and the tightness of the covering is solely relied on shrinking down the covering, then it has the ability to relax in the sun. This is where the sagging comes from. To apply it, one must apply it in a way that the covering is tight without having to shrink it as much as possible. I believe the reason for this is also one of the key selling points of ultracote. That's it's repositionable. Because of this, the sagging would be caused by an application that gives the covering room to move. So pull it tight by hand while applying it. This is all my opinion of course. But i have good luck with ultracote.

Thanks Chris

I had done the Google thing and found all that you linked to and I should have said so so nice guys like you did not have too

seems the prices for all the usual suspect are basically the same as Horizon's prices so I will do more searching focused on free or low cost shipping is as my usual on line shopping method

Now to decide on stock colors I might want....so much of my final finish is dictated by what is one hand. I rarely have a final color scheme in mind as I build a plane except when I want to copy the box art

Go Dane....
If you need a reason to build, I'll be it for you.

Fred, no worries. Anyone else that happens across this thread Matt find the links useful. The internet has many ugly issues, but that is one of beauty, in my opinion. I have a ba-zillion posts on rc groups, and plenty of people have talked Crap to me about the number, but, I have a ton of build threads on my blog with tens of thousands of views each. So I say sometimes posts help future viewers.
Merry Xmas all.

I think Phil Cartier said SLC is around 1 oz per sq yard ....loosly 28+/- grams per SQ meter

Here is an interesting list but does not have the SLC in it

https://www.homefly.com/reference/Covering%20Weights.htm

Hope this helps

Sweet! I'll check it out, thanks Dane and happy holidays.
R,
Chris