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Building Tips and technical articles. => Paint and finishing => Topic started by: Dan Bregar on January 30, 2011, 05:26:05 PM
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Man I just covered the inboard wing top & bottom with some silkspan I got from my local controline hobby shop guy. Good grief. This stuff is a long way from the stuff I remember. What have they done to it ? Much harder to handle. Tears easier than I remember. Will see how it goes when I start to dope it. This could be the last time I ever use this stuff. What do you old timers say about this new version of silkspan. I'd be interested in hearing what you guys have to say. ::)
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Depends on who manufactured the 'span??? I just bought some K&S from what appeared to be a fresh roll from a local shop. It worked the same as always for me. I took an older sample and a micrometer with me and the new stock looked and measured identical to old sample.
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I don't know whether there is any consistency in what's being produced now, although a very few years ago I bought some of everything then availabe and it was all bad. I won't go into it in detail, since all you have to do to find my comments and others on the subject is to search SSW Forum under "silkspan", "silkspan problems", new silkspan", or combinations thereof. In short, the newest I found had no grain direction, a crinkly feel and sound, more binding matrix, fewer fibers,... It did not shrink quite as well, did not lay down as well, did not conform to compound curves as well, and was just infuriating to use. I did manage a good covering job, but it came out heavier than "usual", a problem I suspect was related. I hated the stuff, but will use it, if I have no other silkspan alternative. I was fortunate to get some older stuff from the generous ty and Norm though.
SK
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So then, the silkspan as we used to know it is no longer available ? :-[
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I'm currently doing a Barnstormer fuse using Brodak mid- weight silkspan . I'm using nitrate dope and for the difficult to hold down radius areas, mixa few drops of Duco clear cement with equal amounts of dope. That brew holds down the tough areas down just great- but remember to mix very small quantities as it dries in a minute. I apply the stuff with a small cutdown ( 1/4" stub).
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I get mine from Sig. So far that stuff has worked really well. Stay away from the K&S stuff. It's evil.
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Ty
"Italian toilet paper". Yes, good description. I like it ! And it fits. I won't go there again, that's for sure. Did not want to use plastic film, but on my next C/L airplane I just might. ::)
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Dan, get some Poly-span or Poly tissue and try it. Read the instruction first. H^^
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Doc
Yea, next airplane I'll give it a try. How does it do compound curves like wing tips ? ::)
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With a little heat it goes around compound curves. Myself I usually use a razer blade to cut and over lap. With the coats of dope I now have on the King Sweep you can see where I tried over lapping the wing tip with a separate peice of material. But, you can run your fingers over it and not feel it. When sanding if you do get to the Poly, just remember to put on more coats of dope before sanding. The fuse on the Peacemaker is covered with scraps of poly-span. H^^
Yes that is a patch on the King Sweep. You can see the overlap on the tips of the Peacemaker. jeh
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Looks good Doc ! Looks a lot like SGM from the pics. I know this is off topic but what are the basic differences between the Peacemaker and the Flite Streak. Both were designed by Mr. Aldrich. Can see the strong similarities but wondered what the differences were.
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How did you finish the Peacemaker John? Is it all Brodak dope? Thanks
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Japanese Tissue for me - If its good enough for Bob Its good enough for me.
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OLD TIMERS?????? OMG...LOL. There are Old Timers lurking in here???
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Can poly span and such be "torn" like silkspan? If so that might "hide" the patches.
I tear all my silkspan patches and they blend in very well..