Applying Silk on RC Airplane Covering Old School Dope Part 2.5 i hope this helps. dont forget to like the video. Dope sigmfg.com/col... silk www.ebay.com/i... www.ebay.com/i...
Dear VampeD4, I am a former Spanish model aircraft operator, with more than 60 years in the trade, it has been a long time since I did a model finished in silk, and thanks to your video I have had no problems and I have remembered all the tricks necessary for an old-fashioned finish usage. Thanks again
Is this SIG Koverall or actual silk? Where are you getting it from? I did one 30 years ago and want to try again! I'm tired of iron on covering sagging and I just discovered KlassKote paint which is the same as K&B Superpoxy.
i Get it off Ebay. He Dont Have Any Listed at this Time. You have to keep an eye out for it. and Buy it when He List it.. i Have Allot of it. Stock up if you can.. i Think When This Shipping Thing Gets Fix. it will Straiten Out.
@@brewmann1 He Just Listed Some. Better Get it. When you Can. and you can get the Dope Sanding Sealer and other Stuff From Sig. www.ebay.com/itm/294324927403?hash=item448721fbab:g:8UgAAOSwfINbfwsP i Just Picked up 4 More Packages
Very informative...this will be my first time building a balsa wooden plane from a Joe Bridi 1972 RCM Trainer. I’m doing it in honor of my cousin. He never got to build it from the kit. He was 82 when passed away last year. You video really helped. And you are one bad dude. Love the expletives!
I have a question. I recently bought a cub that is covered and doped in cub yellow. It is an old Goldberg kit, and the finish has lots of cracking. I want to put it together/finish it and fly it, but I don't want fuel seeping through the cracks. Can I spray a couple of coats of SIG clear butyalated dope over it to "seal" the surface? I will eventually re-cover it, but I would like to fly it next season first. If the clear butylated dope isn't the answer, can you suggest a fuel proof alternative? Thanks in advance!
Sounds like to me they used a Cheap or None Fuel Proof Paint on it. i have planes 20+ years old with no Cracking. Make a Short Video of it and Post a link to it.
@@VampeD4 Apparently the plane was built, but never completely finished. It was used as a hobby shop display for years. As far as I can tell, it was built such that it is airworthy, but the covering leaves a lot on the table. Like I said, I am interested in getting it into the air for a season, then I'll strip it and cover it properly. I just don't want any fuel to get through it. I am considering hitting it with a couple of light coats of 2K semi satin clear. One can should do the whole thing. What do you think?
@@SomeGuyInSandy Well if its just cracking. But not Flaking. and you're Going to Strip it this Winter. Fly it the way it is. its hard to tell what Dope the Guys used on it. use the Wrong one. you have a Mess on your Hands.
@@VampeD4 I hear you. I have no idea what's on it. I do know there are brush strokes in it, and it's cub yellow, lol! I picked up two packages of SIG Coverall from my LHS today. So, I will hit the existing covering with that 2K clear, and fly it. Then next Winter (not this winter) I'll cover it the right way! Now I have to watch the rest of your covering videos for more pointers! Thanks for lending an ear, later!
20+ years ago I used some kind of silk paper and used to apply just by covering the wing pretty decent and then next day when the glue was dry only mist tap water. When water dried the wing was looking lovely. Problem is now I can't find this paper anymore and not sure how is called in english as I was overseas. If you know how is called, please let me know.
i think this is what you're talking about.. not the same process but good for non fuel/gas airplanes www.ebay.com/itm/Tissue-paper-wet-strength-model-covering-paper-flowers-lantern-making-origami/372375144874?hash=item56b349c9aa:g:zrgAAOSw37BabJY3
You are probably talking about Silk Span it’s a special kind of paper, that is stronger then tissue paper or Japanese paper. The Silk Span comes in three weight. You would use the medium weight for a typical type of RC airplane. You know with a 30 to 60 inch wing span.
Excellent video - thank you for sharing - I always wanted to try silk covering and your video demystified a lot of things ... A couple of questions of you don't mind: 1 - Are you applying only one coat initially on your framework (ie: wing) perimeter or two ? 2 - Have you tried this technique using Habotai Silk 5mm or any other Silk outlet you can recommend ? Thank you for your time - and thank you for sharing that video.
i use one coat on the perimeter. get on ebay. a search for ( WHITE CHINESE LIGHT SILK 48 X 36 ) or try other things like rc silk. covering silk. not sure if this link will work. www.ebay.com/itm/WHITE-CHINESE-LIGHT-SILK-48-X-36/292927166218?hash=item4433d1d70a:g:8UgAAOSwfINbfwsP
Ok - time to help you a bit - at 45:28 you mention that Sig don't carry the Thinner any more - don't sweat it - go over to: aircraft spruce web site and get the Randolph Butyrate thinner ( www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/randbutythinner.php?clickkey=61577 ) Randolph is the company that makes all the dope (both Nitrate and Butyrate ) and the dope colors for both Sig and Brodak ... and you will get it much cheaper there too :)
Very informative, excellent. Wondering is as straight forward covering a round oval varying sizes along the fuselage as it is for the wing. Also, could you use a sand sealer to prime the balsa wood before application of silk. Would a cellulose type of paint be suitable to apply to finish.
@@VampeD4 Thanks for the reply, thats very helpful, will give it a try, just got to decide the type of paint, want to spay finish my model in retro colours.
Hello nice video, very helpful. Question: Is silk and silkspan the same thing, and where did you get your silk? It's probably been 40 years since I've used silkspan & dope, I'm use to using 21st Century Coverite CUb Yellow, but I can't find any. I'm almost ready to start coving a Sig 1/4 scale J3 Cub, so silk & doping my plane is basically new to me. Any help you can give me will be greatly apricated!
no they are not the same. i get my silk off ebay 99% of the time. www.ebay.com/itm/WHITE-CHINESE-LIGHT-SILK-48-X-36/292927166218?hash=item4433d1d70a:g:8UgAAOSwfINbfwsP and sig ( sigmfg.com/ ) sells colored Dope as well as Clear.
OK, thank you so much for the silk info. For a 1/4 scale J3 cub would the light silk be OK, or should I go with medium silk? In your video, you mention what you were using is medium silk, that looks like what I would want. Thanks again, you were very helpful :)
Light or medium silk, for a 1/4 scale wouldn't the medium be best or does it matter? I found the White Chinese Light Silk, on eBay, but can't find medium? 1/4 scale, does it matter? @@VampeD4
LOL - at around 31:18 of your video you mention that dope "stinks" .... are you kidding me ? This is the best "smell" ever !!! As I was doping some balsa the other day in the garage, my 10 year old daughter asked me what smelled this good !!! No kidding ... :) :)
@@VampeD4 - same here - I love the smell of it since I was a kid - my wife don't .. and my kids - without even knowing what dope is ... and they like the smell as well .. But "hell breaks loose" when I start diesel engines and all my clothes smell like I was behind a truck exhaust :) but that's a different topic :)
@@VampeD4 - thank you for your response - I was actually looking for a brand-name recommendation but no big-deal . I am still watching your video, I am past half of your video where you apply the first coat of dope and I was going to ask why you don't thin the dope, say, 50/50 ( dope / thinner ) for your first coats since this is what "common wisdom" suggests .. but let me finish your whole video, maybe my question gets answered as I progress through your video ..
I am at 31:04 of your video now and I notice you start doping the top part of the right wing panel - I wonder why you don't dope the bottom part of the wing panel you started doping first, so you keep the dope-pull as it dries consistent on the wing panel so no warps or twists of any sort occur. Just curious ..
Oh Oh ... at 43:31 I see you pull out a cigarette and a lighter and it made me "jump" out of my seat ... the evaporated fumes from Dope and Lacquer thinner are soooooooo explosive ( I am sure you know that ) ... nevertheless it really made me react : " Ohhhh shit .. he is not going to light a cigarette now .. is he ?" - LOL - I love your video so far and I will try silk asap .. I will order some Habotai Silk - the 5mm version ( which turns out to be very close to the Sig version ) at around: .8 oz/sq. yd ( ~ 20 grams / square yard )
@Ch'iidii Excellent !!!! Thank you !!!!! I knew it was just a matter of time until I perfected this technique as well. Indeed, Habotai silk 5mm is excellent ... now I have to just practice a bit more and will follow your directions as well. Thank you again for taking the time to write this. As a true craftsman myself I appreciate tremendously the time and effort someone else has gone through and sharing their experience with others. I cannot thank you enough !!!!!!
@Ch'iidii I cannot appreciate enough all who contribute to this post and sharing their priceless experience. With regards to the "cheap" dope - I would never sacrifice quality and proven results to save 10% on the cost. HOWEVER, if you can find the same product at 50% savings then the story changes. What I mean by that: I know all Brodak dopes (nitrate and butyrate) and colors are made by Randolph, so it would be well worth to get Randolph dope at almost half the price at any Aircraft supply store. So that's what I did. I believe my problem was mostly on technique as I have never tried silk before. But I will get there for sure ( thanks to ALL of you who are sharing tips and tricks here ). Now on silk - I have tried the Habotai Silk ( 5mm ) from Dharma trading - you will be shocked how cheap it is ( and this is what I have seen old timers use) - One more question at this point: is there a difference between the Thai Silk vs the Habotai Silk ?? I am so "close" to get this technique down. And yes I do plan to use silk on some classic old time / vintage free flight models ( ~ 60" span ) with a 1.3cc diesel on it :) I love "old time" stuff ..
@Ch'iidii Ohhh - one more question on the nitrate dope: non-taughtening or taughtening type ?? And yes, I have seen it with my own practice that nitrate dope is definitely better as first coats than butyrate - I can clearly see the difference - nitrate "sticks" better and fills way faster the weave of any fabric than butyrate. Also, an important detail that many people don't know: once nitrate dope cures, this is it .. it locks at that place, it will never endlessly shrink as is the case with Butyrate. I am thinking of practicing with the following sequence: 1) apply the silk on whichever structure you intend to cover with regular non-taughtening nitrate dope. 2) for filling the silk apply taughtening nitrate dope on the open-bay area(s) - use as many coats as needed 3) now to seal the whole thing, apply regular (non-taughtening) butyrate dope ... Comments ? Corrections ??
