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Building Tips and technical articles. => Paint and finishing => Topic started by: Motorman on December 14, 2016, 07:46:43 PM
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Is there a trick to putting monokote on flaps without warping them. I cover one side and the flap bends to that side then I cover the other side and try to shrink it just right to straighten it out. Thinking of just painting them, what do you do?
Thanks,
MM
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It may be the heat bending the balsa as much as the Monokote tugging on it.
I never Monokote flaps, just prime, sand and paint. My thinking is that makes them stiffer. And I'll probably dope some carbon veil on the flaps for the wing I'm building now, hopefully adding more stiffness. I've never been a fan of Monokoting any solid surface, only my wings. I have 'koted a stab, but don't recall it fighting me like you're getting.
Rusty
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I think you should try to use the least heat possible on sheet surfaces, and get them covered completely at low heat...that should help avoid warping them.
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Seal, hit with the heat gun, straighten as necessary. No problem.
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I do this for thin elevators and it seems to work fine:
Size the film and put a crease in it glue side in.
Peal the protective layer.
seal only the leading edge in the crease.
trim to suit the bottom trailing edge, pull hand tight, and seal the TE and sides.
trim to suit the top TE and seal the TE but NOT the sides. (the surface should be flat)
Seal to the wood and shrink from the middle to the ends, the open ends should let the extra air out. A couple pinholes can be used to aid where it will be covered when the top is sealed.
seal the ends on the top (which should end up with the seam on the bottom)
Phil
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Get the Top flite Woodpecker Tool, part # lxhz26. It put little holes in the wood as well as skin if not careful.
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Doc, don't you dare run with that pecker in your hand!
Phil's idea with the open ends sounds pretty good.
Whenever I do have to pinhole a bubble, I use a new Exacto blade. Works much better than a pin.
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Now you guys know that iron on covering isn't my thing, although years ago I did use it on a few R/C models. Years ago.
So, I pulled all the covering off of the ARF Spitfire wings I'm using for the GBR-3 and I noticed there was a million pin holes in the wood.
Now I remember a tool that was offered by some vendor that did this pin hole making thing easy.
Do you guys pin hole the balsa surface? Is it to let trapped air out?
Charles
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...Do you guys pin hole the balsa surface? Is it to let trapped air out?
Charles
Yes, Charles, and that is why. It's done with the tool called a "Woodpecker" Doc was talking about in his post above.
Rusty