I'm trying out a different covering, good results
Moderator: hbartel
I'm trying out a different covering, good results
I'm trying a different material to cover my wings, so far I like it, looks a lot better than the tape method and is about 20 times faster to apply than tape once you have cut the pieces, this is a cheap laminate I use for laminating small hard hat stickers at work, It doesn't seem as lite as tape but I will be weighing it tonight to check the difference, it heat shrinks like crazy and the adhesive sticks to foam very good, it is clear like duralam but its painted red with rustoluem paint, this is for electric ssc.
- Dane McGee
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- Which_way_is_up
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- Ed Kettler
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I've got some stuff I learned about over on the RC Groups slope forum.. It too is a laminate for books or something...
It has been tried in the past, but the sloper dudes learned that all is not equal in laminate film.
I did a dry run on a scrap wing and it ironed right down. I currently use it to fuel proof the center section of my Makos and it literally melts into the ripstop.
The thread on RCGroups slope forum is called "New Stuff"..dirt cheap and comes in different thicknesses..
I have one Mako on the rack to cover, so I will give it a shot with this stuff.
Some of the sloper guys were painting the foam then covering.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthre ... p=10700329
The stuff I have is from laminatorwarehouse..
It has been tried in the past, but the sloper dudes learned that all is not equal in laminate film.
I did a dry run on a scrap wing and it ironed right down. I currently use it to fuel proof the center section of my Makos and it literally melts into the ripstop.
The thread on RCGroups slope forum is called "New Stuff"..dirt cheap and comes in different thicknesses..
I have one Mako on the rack to cover, so I will give it a shot with this stuff.
Some of the sloper guys were painting the foam then covering.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthre ... p=10700329
The stuff I have is from laminatorwarehouse..
The stuff I have is from laminatorwarehouse..THend wrote:The thread on RCGroups slope forum is called "New Stuff"..dirt cheap and comes in different thicknesses..
Ahhh... another sloper. [8D]
I don't think laminatorwarehouse sells anything less than 200' rolls. Canuck Engineering (guy sells some slope planes and accessories) has bought some big rolls and sells smaller custom lengths of different widths http://www.canuckengineering.com/new/ca ... m-covering, and here's another website that pulls the essence from the hundreds of postings of RCG discussions into a single page: http://rcgliderandsailplane.com/profile ... gPost:1462
I have something like this on my combat slope plane, and it's really nice. I don't think it's the same as Gil describes, though, because this stuff doesn't shrink, at least not some of it (see the #2 posting above for different varieties tried and evaluated for slope wings). But it does make a really nice smooth, tough surface. My slope wing is EPP -- I tried a chunk of the laminate on some typical blue Dow foam, and wasn't entirely satisfied with the adherence, even with a little Super-77 sprayed on first. But that was just a small strip, and one of the other varieties may work better. And mine was just laminate material from Kinkos, and not the real "New Stuff".
-= Dave
- Which_way_is_up
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here's the cost comparasing to tape
Tape (per roll):
$2.50, 2" wide x 55 yards (55Yards x 3 Feet= 165 feet of tape), now will break it down to inches (165 x 12= 1980 inches x 2 inches= 3960 inches per roll divided by 144(144 inches in sft)= 28 square feet per roll, cost per square feet is about 9 cents.
the other:
24inches by 10 yard roll $26.50, (24x360=8640 inches)
8640 divided by 144= 60 sqft, about 42 cents per sqft
Tape (per roll):
$2.50, 2" wide x 55 yards (55Yards x 3 Feet= 165 feet of tape), now will break it down to inches (165 x 12= 1980 inches x 2 inches= 3960 inches per roll divided by 144(144 inches in sft)= 28 square feet per roll, cost per square feet is about 9 cents.
the other:
24inches by 10 yard roll $26.50, (24x360=8640 inches)
8640 divided by 144= 60 sqft, about 42 cents per sqft
its called "avery A6 clear film" http://www.signwarehouse.com/VAVA6O2410 ... 003-O.html
I've been using sign vinyl since I started flying foam wings. It shrinks nice and tight just like monokote. After I had the wing completely covered, I used to use a heat gun and *quickly* shrink it down. I stopped doing that since the wings don't last that long anyway. They do look better shrunken down.
Didn't know they made "clear" sign vinyl. Who could ever have a use for "clear" sign vinyl? Just don't make no sense to me.
Didn't know they made "clear" sign vinyl. Who could ever have a use for "clear" sign vinyl? Just don't make no sense to me.
Hi William,
That 'clear' vinyl is not vinyl. It is a tougher more durable plastic that is used in the sign shop industry to protect 'ink jet' art/advertising in high traffic/weather dependent areas.
It is expensive, and available in a wide range of thickness's and durability.
The scraps I have played/experimented with show great possibilities, but for me, the expense and extra weight outweigh its usefulness as a covering for combat planes. But that is just my experience. I could not get any paint to stick to the samples I tried.
I'd like to learn more, if anyone has actually had success using it.
Thanks o1moregil, great thread. We appreciate it.
Take care,
Have fun,
Dave'crosscheck'Fallowfield
Maac 6437
Unabashed Combat team
That 'clear' vinyl is not vinyl. It is a tougher more durable plastic that is used in the sign shop industry to protect 'ink jet' art/advertising in high traffic/weather dependent areas.
It is expensive, and available in a wide range of thickness's and durability.
The scraps I have played/experimented with show great possibilities, but for me, the expense and extra weight outweigh its usefulness as a covering for combat planes. But that is just my experience. I could not get any paint to stick to the samples I tried.
I'd like to learn more, if anyone has actually had success using it.
Thanks o1moregil, great thread. We appreciate it.
Take care,
Have fun,
Dave'crosscheck'Fallowfield
Maac 6437
Unabashed Combat team