Allen,

Several methods are used.  1. Paint.  Lightly scuff with a Scoth Brite pad or 0000 steel wool.  Very light coat of primer.  Very light coats of paint/dope. 2. Use a low temp covering and SLOWLY heat into position using a covering iron on a low setting.  Work from the center out. 3.  Monokote can be applied using a glass cleaner that contains ammonia.  No shrinking required.  Sets overnight.  Also Monokote trim solvent works well, but apply very sparingly.  4.  Use self adhesive graphics or decals.  But, this is the most difficult because the graphic will wrinkle over a curved surface (perforated graphics work, but are still dificult).  I have used all these methods, but my favorite is paint.  Always works well for me.

Paul

The best way to get started is to go here:

http://www.clstunt.com/htdocs/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=254521&mesg_id=254521&listing_type=search

If one has further interest in this technique above link has further links noted. Or still with SSW a search for "Windex" (without the quotes) will come up with more although most of the good stuff begins on page 2 of the results.

As a teaser I really like the technique(s). They are a few limitations but not many. It will prove impossible to create the flames seen on hot rods for example; only  paint can create the fading from one color into another. But that does not keep one from making multi-color graphics.

We are only talking about MonoKote film over MonoKote film or UltraCote film. There are other base films which no doubt will work; I just don't know for certain which.

More importantly we are not talking about MonoKote "Trim Film" available in sheets. While some still use this material, it and other options are thicker than I like. In fact, so is MonoKote but it's the only game in town.

Don't be going too far afield when experimenting with material and/or techniques. Standard old Windex does the job. The particular adhesive on MonoKote film seems to be the key to making this work. The final step of outlining your work with a Q-tip soaked in MonoKote Trim Solvent nails stuff down for good.

While I didn't believe it at first (belated apologies to Scott 17) it is possible to apply the graphics through the Windex-and-dry steps and then go fly the model. While I am not enough of an artist to exploit this fully the idea is to see how effective your graphics are at the field. And yes, in the air. No kidding. Fly the model, have someone else fly the model. Don't like what you see? Peel the film off and try another set of graphics. (At the upper levels of PA there is frequently an effort made toward having graphics which emphasize, for example, sharp corners. I am almost clueless as to what works and what is just foof but this is one consideration. And you may well have others.)

On this subject we will no doubt be treated to further input from you-know-who. Caution and/or testing is advised...

While I have never posted pictures of my own work here or on SSW I will see if the efforts of others can be linked. Or Mr. Keith Varley is known to have postable pictures of a particular flag-waving Flite Streak of mine and maybe he'll help us out. It's a pretty neat piece, Pukey Profile or not.

Speaking of which the "Windex" search will point you to a post started by Steve Helmick which in turn gets you to a video detailing how to make graphics which would seem to be impossible even when looking at the finished product. I immediately adopted these procedures for my more complicated work.

Dan
  

Having said all of the proceeding it must be noted that the late Arlie Preszler was an absolute master when it came to laying down a base of MonoKote and then applying the rest of the finish with paint. His models never failed to impress. Alas, I have no idea how he did this although others might be able to help.

Dan

What Dan says about 'coat.  In my own small way I've had similar successes.

I've never had success getting big pieces of Monocoat to lay down onto complex curves -- on a ribbed wing, it seems like thin stripes and letters is as far as I can get.  For bigger graphics I've been using paint.  I've only done two planes that way so far, but it's been working very nice.

Rustoleum Gloss Protective Enamel (in a rattle-can or through a spray gun) is compatible with 'coat finishes.  You don't need to scuff up the surface -- just clean it thoroughly as you would any other painted surface that you're going to put another coat on.  See Allen Brickhaus's "Finishing The Olympus" article in the May or June 2010 Flying Models -- he claims to have been doing it for years with great success.

What Dan says about 'coat.  In my own small way I've had similar successes.

I've never had success getting big pieces of Monocoat to lay down onto complex curves -- on a ribbed wing, it seems like thin stripes and letters is as far as I can get.  For bigger graphics I've been using paint.  I've only done two planes that way so far, but it's been working very nice.

Rustoleum Gloss Protective Enamel (in a rattle-can or through a spray gun) is compatible with 'coat finishes.  You don't need to scuff up the surface -- just clean it thoroughly as you would any other painted surface that you're going to put another coat on.  See Allen Brickhaus's "Finishing The Olympus" article in the May or June 2010 Flying Models -- he claims to have been doing it for years with great success.

Yes, much of the stuff on my Wimpact (sheeted surfaces) would be a bit of a nuisance on many built-up wings. It's merely a case of the application being suitable. Or not...

While you may be perfectly justified in your paint suggestions, it does need to be pointed out the models in question have probably not been through years of use and a great many cleaning cycles. I think that in the interests of long-term adhesion of paint to film a light scuffing and surgical-quality cleanliness prior to painting is the best approach. And as I always add to these sorts of discussions, one simply cannot shake rattle-cans too much! Ignore directions on the can! Strap the cans to a wheel on your car and drive around for 20 minutes hitting every pot-hole you can find. (It's a joke, okay? But not far off from the sort of agitation desired.)

Hint: Get the pressure out of an old rattle-can. Cut it out open. Now explain to me how that big ball is expected to stir up all the pigments which have settled around edges at bottom of can.

Dan
 

The only reply I can have to that is to reiterate my suggestion that anyone interested in doing this read Mr. Brickhaus's article, reflect on the fact that he's been in the game for decades with his system, and that he recommends a thorough (surgical, even) cleaning, but not scuffing.

And if I'm not recollecting things right and he is recommending scuffing -- scuff.

Sigh...

Having a good bit of experience myself with various paints over film and/or overlapping film I must simply disagree. I would also like to note that some of this experience comes from a time when I was dabbling in RC Pattern where, at least at that time, it was common to see the use MonoKote on flying surfaces, paint on the fuselage (although not on my own models). Even on some of the very best models, finished by folk who were more than merely competent in this department it was not uncommon--on well-flown and two-year-old or so pieces--to see some flaking and eroding of the paint, especially at the usual high-wear areas where a paint/film lap existed or frequent cleaning was required. (After all, this was the tail-end of the era of piped two-strokes so cleaning of the models was similar to what we face today.)

I stand by my comments made earlier.

Dan
 

I figured Dan would chime in, just not quite to that extent.   

Thanks, Dan.

Yes, and that makes this all your fault!

While I might have missed it somehow there doesn't seem to have been a lot of discussion here in regard to finishing in plastic film. And even if there is a butt-load of information here it is surely dwarfed by the database over at SSW.

So it might be time to get caught up.

Again, this is your fault. Tim's long, slow death from multiple slashings with an Uber Skiver will be on your head, not mine.

Dan

I did a Magnum (scratch built) that I covered with Econocoat and tried the Rustoleum over it.  Never got the paint to really stick.  In fact it came off in sheets.  I used three different trim colors, none of which "took"..............

BIG Bear
RNMM/AMM

What?! You didn't know enough to wait on the Magnum, reading Allen's article first? Tim is bound to be miffed.

Dan

The esteemed Mr. Dirt,

Got a set of triple cored wings and a set of plans from somewhere so I built it.  Could have gotten a kit, but I understand the kit cores are not triple cored.  I did actually read Allen's article which is what prompted me to use the technique for finishing.  Flew the plane for maybe 12 flights and decided to do something with the finish.  It is now stripped and awaiting a new finish of silkspan and dope.  Only been setting for, oh, maybe 10 years now.

Tim will get over it...............

Bill