Covering Materials

Hi
Has anybody got opnions on what are good covering materials? They are so flippin' expensive looking to buy some for my sig 4 star.
I have used solarfilm many years ago so that is the only experience i have.

Cheers
Dean

i have only ever used dope and tissue so cant help you much sorry.

Wow Dean, I was hoping Tony was going to take this one on. Not having done any building for 20 yrs, I am a bit out of touch, but we used solafilm, as it was the new material then, before that nylon and dope, and the strength that gave was awsome. Maybe Eric and Kippy can enlarge on this topic??

Garry

i will have to do some research on whats available and how to use it.
i have some rolls of some of this stuff, not sure what it is though.
i feel a testing session coming on.

On a vintage model solartec is good and its strong as well.Oracover is OK and you can get some good colours and checks

but how do you use it.

tips and hints needed.

Hi Tony I use a few differnt kinds,I like Poly-Cover think its from over ur way,It was called Oracover n changed names a few years ago,It is a low heat covering sticks good to it self n
shrink's good also,U will need a covering iron and a heat gun for shrimking,I also use Mono-Coat
lots of colors but takes alot of heat to activate to adhesive n shrink,there is a bunch of videos on You Tube on covern thats where I learned some Kool stuff,Your a half a world away n I dont no what u can get but I will try n help,Here's a pic of the fancyest one I've done It's coverd with Mono-Coat Medium Purple n White,Was a bear to get it stuck took alot of heat,It's a Sig Hog Bipe,
Thunder Tiger 61,This Plane was my second Kit that I built n coverd,I will Help u all I can!!!Thanks Les

Dean M wrote: Hi
Has anybody got opnions on what are good covering materials? They are so flippin' expensive looking to buy some for my sig 4 star.
I have used solarfilm many years ago so that is the only experience i have.

Cheers
Dean

You may find this site useful .... www.solarfilm.co.uk/

There are a lot of different versions of iron on film & this may just give you a clue.

Pol.

Thanks for the advice and replies and thanks for the link poly thats a good site with loads of info on it.
I can't believe the flippin' price of the coverings.
oracover is about £25 for 2m roll
solarfilm i can get for about £4 for 1m roll

Has anyone used toughlon? apparently it is used on world models aircraft. I can get that for about £14 for 2m x 80cm roll seems quite a big roll.

Dean

i got a 6m x80cm sheet of tissue for £7.50.

My toilet rolls were cheaper and longer

As an old time user of tissue I would still say tissue can be the lightest of all the covering materials except of course micro film which is just dope and no tissue!

Yes it punctures easily but small holes and tears can be quickly quickly repaired in the field with balsa cement.
And yes in lightweight form it is not really moisture resistant so 'sags' in cold damp conditions but it does have that scale look of full size doped linen.