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Building Tips and technical articles. => Paint and finishing => Topic started by: RSM on December 18, 2019, 08:57:04 PM
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Just out of curiosity, has anyone tried applying monokote over silkspan and dope? I recently bought a plane with silkspan/dope covering and I'm a monokote user. I can paint but I've never painted over dope and don't know the steps. I'd rather monokote a plane.
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I have revamped a few old birds for practice and fun. Old profiles but 1. I have not crashed all to smithereens, but that fate was expected.
The silkspan shrinks and splits so I cut the bulk of the covering out of all the openings, leaving just a cap of material on the wood. Inspect the controls and joints, reglue as needed. Steam bend straight if you think it necessary. Paint the parts not getting wrapped in film if needed, then wrap the wings. The high finish on the silkspan left capping the wood makes for a good finish on the monokote with little effort.
If the silkspan is peeling off the wood a good finish will require strippping the wood down. All the wood. For a good plane this might be worth it but wrinkles will not make problems on a beater. Weight however may be a problem, so removing oil with cornstarch and alcohol might be in order anyways.
Your final purpose determines the effort required. I was given a couple old profiles when I restarted CL and really just wanted airworthy beaters as it had been over 20 years since I flew.
Phil
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I have a Sig Magnum that I recently bought and it's been flown very little. I'm trying to keep the weight down but finish the plane. Right now it's one basic color with an off color trim on the wood parts. I don't know if I want to paint or monokote, trying to make that decision.
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I added a pic in my gallery.
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Monokote works very well over silkspan and dope.
I was in a hurry to get to the flying field to do my first flight in fourty years and didn’t want to spend any more time painting my Flight Streak.
I did the wings and tail assemblies this way and colour doped the fuselage.
All my flights that day were a resounding success using the Streak’s original Fox 36x from the mid seventies.
On another day I did a spectacular figure nine and stuck it like a cross into the ground.
Aside from the propellor and a torn fuel line there was no airframe damage so I would certainly attest to the durability of this covering method.
Just try it. By the way the monokote roll was from my 1970’s stash and was still usable.
Good luck.
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By the way the monokote roll was from my 1970’s stash and was still usable.
Good luck.
It was probably still monokote. I don't know what this stuff is they sell under that name is now but it is not the same.
Ken
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I guess maybe I'll give it a try. Whoever did the silkspan and dope did a very nice job of it. The plane's weight is fairly light so another layer of covering shouldn't hurt. I just had a total knee replacement on Tuesday so as soon as I'm well enough I'll start in monokoting the plane. Now what color scheme...decisions decisions lol. I appreciate the responses.
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John Miller had an article somewhere in the past on this forum . I did find it under John Miller Silkspan and dope using the search.
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I'm not really a painter even though I can paint, I've never painted an airplane before. I've used monokote for almost 40 years and it's my go to covering. I was told that the plane was covered with colored silkspan and dope. I haven't looked at the plane real close so I'm not positive. I have a picture of it in my gallery. For some reason this system doesn't want to allow me to add pictures.
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You are afraid to say who you are, but go to the finishing srction and spend a little time browsing. Larry Renger and myself have done what some would call composite covering. I have several planes that have no paint on them. The ones with color are poy-ester material from the local fabric store and clear mylar over it. D>K
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John Miller had an article somewhere in the past on this forum . I did find it under John Miller Silkspan and dope using the search.
John has been a regular visitor on our Stunt Hangar Video Hangout show for the past few months. I'll ask him during tomorrow night's show to drop into this thread and see if he can be of assistance. This is the sort of stuff we often talk about.
Rusty
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Thanks Rusty, I appreciate that. Is there a link somewhere to the video program?
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I added a pic in my gallery.
Gallery?
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https://stunthanger.com/smf/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=1338
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I have a Sig Magnum that I recently bought and it's been flown very little. I'm trying to keep the weight down but finish the plane. Right now it's one basic color with an off color trim on the wood parts. I don't know if I want to paint or monokote, trying to make that decision.
You have a nice model there that was built and flown by another modeler.
I would leave it as it is.
The future?
I would build a model. When it comes time to cover and finish the model, all the advice you'll need will be here for the asking.
About building a CL model? All the advice for that task, the answers will be from many modelers in this Forum. Gladly wanting to help.
Nice find. Congratulations.
Your photo is too large to Post. I tried.
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RSM, that looks like a great looking plane. If straight and light just put your AMA number on it and fly. Also have fun. D>K
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Thanks Rusty, I appreciate that. Is there a link somewhere to the video program?
Sure RSM,
First go to the "At the Bench" forum.: https://stunthanger.com/smf/at-the-bench/
Read the top "Pinned" post.
After the show starts, the link will be in the newest post in the "At the Bench" forum. The day's date will be in the title. It starts at 9:40PM Eastern US time every Monday and Friday, and the new post will not appear until 9:40. You'll need a camera and microphone. It's sometimes best to join a little later after a few people drop in. John usually shows up in the first hour.
You can also go to the Stunt Hangar YouTube channel home page and watch it on the 'Tube. From there you can text chat and type to us, and we can have a discussion that way.
Rusty
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Hey, RSM,
here's a link to the show Friday night. https://youtu.be/Nj17RiMUoD4
John came in early and talked about it. We got a good bit of mileage out of the topic. We came back to it off and on later in the show. Denny had some comments in the last half hour.
All of the reruns are listed on my 'Tube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLg0IjwkivQPDY1GX70PsJ2YobqsjduMG-
Hope that helps.
Rusty
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I appreciate the link to the show last night. I just had knee replacement surgery on Tuesday and I wasn't able to stay up and watch. I'll fire up the desktop and watch it on there. I guess I'm starting to rethink doing anything to the Magnum since it's a complete and flyable plane, I just don't care for the plain looking color. I paid $200 for it which I think is a steal so maybe I'll leave it and build one to my liking. I do have a few other projects to finish first. Again thanks for the link and I'll try to catch the show live in the near future, just gotta get healed up. Thanks, Robert.
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Somewhere on this forum, but more ;likely over on Stuka Stunt, John Miller did a whole description on just this process, done this way on purpose. Put down a layer of silks pan and dope as a base for iron on coverings. The iron on has more of a base to adhere and cling too, doesn't wrinkle once it's shrunk and sealed down and lasts a long, long time. John is a member of both forums and would know more of the details. You might find it from a simple search.
Type at you later,
Dan McEntee
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I finally found John's detailed description of using silkspan and dope under monokote. Thanks for the heads up on Stuka Stunt, I forgot about that forum.
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I have tried this on test pieces and the grain of the silkspan shows underneath the monokote. How many coats of dope should you put on before installing the monokote? This was tried with opaque monokote and ultracote. I did put 2 very thin coats of dope on the silkspan as per John millers article.
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I used 2 coats of 50/50 thinned dope. just enough to stiffen the silkspan, but not enough to close the surface so the gasses from the monokote can pass through.
Best wishes, John Miller H^^