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  #11  
Old 12-08-2022, 12:59 PM
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A great option, and inexpensive compared to “Trim Monokote” types of coverings, is the adhesive vinyl used for Cricut cutting machines. I have used Cricut brand, and The Paper Souce brand found at Hobby Lobby. Both are often on sale. Be sure you buy “Permanent”. It is also available in Removable and Iron-on. Another option is Oracal, which I have ordered from Amazon. Oracal is the brand used by Stickershock.
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  #12  
Old 12-08-2022, 05:51 PM
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Those are options but neither have the high-gloss of Monokote/Ultracote and their respective trim versions.
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  #13  
Old 01-25-2023, 11:51 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tdracer
I don't think they call it 'Super Monokote" anymore - the iron on stuff is just called Monokote. I think the stick-on stuff is called 'Trim Monokote'.

I have a horrible time finding Monokote or Trim Monokote anymore - it also seems to be available from proper dedicated hobby shops, and the one really good one around here closed about the time of the pandemic (Galaxy Hobbies - great place, I sometimes went in and bought stuff I didn't really need just to help them out).


Yep, iron on shrink cover is "monokote" or various other brands/makes, the "peel and stick" type is "trim monokote". Haven't seen as much off-brand offerings as with the iron-on stuff.

Like you I picked up some different colors and sheets over the years from the "local" (35+ miles away LOL brick-n-mortar hobby shops over the years just to support them. Due to their prices I wouldn't usually buy kits there but supplies, a few tools, and such I WOULD just to support them, because it's nice to have the option to get something local and NOT have to wait a couple weeks or so for shipping to arrive buying it online, even if the price is a little better.

Sadly most of the brick-n-mortar shops are going the way of the dodo, and the recent virus stupidity is just exacerbating that trend. Sad. OL J R
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Old 01-25-2023, 12:03 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bobdros
Does Ultracote have an adhesive backing to attach to fins? The information I found some information that said it's used for R/C airplanes and needs to be ironed on somehow.


There's basically two types of covering films like that... "iron on" adhesive-backed stuff which comes in wide long rolls, which has a "dry" adhesive already applied to it which is heat activated, and thus you need a "covering iron" which is a little tool that looks like a mini-clothes iron or an old-type tin soldering iron for sheet metal soldering, with a long handle and a clothes-iron shaped tip. The idea is you cut the film to fit over the wing spars and ribs, and then use the iron to activate the glue as you rub the hot iron over the film pressing it down against the wooden ribs/spars, which turns the glue to liquid and causes the film to bond to the wood. The heat also shrinks the film TIGHT over the wood, drawing the surface of the film tight like a drum head over the plane's structure.

The other option is the "peel and stick" film, which is generally a bit thicker and has a "sticky" glue applied on the back of it, preserved by the peel-off waxy paper layer. It's usually "trim monokote" and comes (usually) in long STRIPS stapled together, at least the last time I bought some it was. You generally don't want it rolled up because then it's going to try to curl up on you. You don't cover an entire plane with that stuff-- the "peel and stick" glue isn't that good for that sort of job, it's more for 'trim work" like around wing roots or front edges of cowlings, wings, stabilizers/vertical tails, etc where it would be too unwieldy to try to work with the iron, or even a "trim iron" which has a tiny spatula type end for close-quarters work with iron-on film in tight corners or curves. Like most stuff "peel and stick" the glue usually eventually gives out, particularly if the covering is tightly curved or stretched to conform to the surface, and particularly if the wind or handling tends to work on the corners and edges and gets them to start lifting, which inevitably contaminates the glue and renders it useless.

It's handy stuff to be sure, but there's other ways of doing it. Look up papering fins-- I did a tutorial on how to do it on the "Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle" build thread here on YORF... you use regular printer paper and wood glue to do that, and it works great and is easy to do and lasts as long as the rocket does.

Later! OL J R
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