A Short Tutorial for Iron-On Covering Technique

I’ve been overlaying RC fashions for about 35 years. I picked up on Monokote again within the mid-80’s and tried it for the primary time. It took a little bit of studying curve however I bought the grasp of it. Over the years I refined my approach to incorporate fixing errors I made at first and saved enhancing issues as much as the current day. Many years in the past I attempted SolarTex and LOVED utilizing it. I thought-about it my favourite overlaying of all. But sadly, 2 years in the past SolarTex determined to hold it up and closed their store. This left a BIG void in the perfect iron-on overlaying on the market till OraTex got here out with a really appropriate substitute. They don’t have as many “flavors” as SolarTex did, however hopefully they may proceed to develop their line with extra colours.

I’ve seen a lot of overlaying jobs on the area and a few are good and a few not. As all the time, there are often a couple of good builders who do nice overlaying work. But as a rule, I discover most ARF’ers merely don’t “get it!” One downside appears to be that these doing the overlaying need to get in a giant hurry to complete and their works present it. Covering correctly takes TIME and plenty of it. One can’t rush via this job. I’ll try to point out how I do the iron-on overlaying job with OraTex Orange on a few items of the Top Flite Hellcat Ready-To-Cover mannequin. My closing coloration scheme is a post-WW II drone. Some say that the Orange depicted in some drone photographs from that period are incorrect and the true coloration of the drones was Red. But there have been clearly some variations on the Hellcats which may additionally embrace a couple of Orange “Cats” as properly. But that’s actually inappropriate right here.

As regular, my articles are primarily written for the newer RC pilots and builders. I understand many phrases have been spent on this topic, however like Western, War, and Sci Fi films that preserve getting made and remade, there’s all the time a brand new viewers coming into view.

I might additionally add that having a somewhat LARGE provide of #11 blades is a good concept. I purchase them by the 1,000 blade unit to ensure I don’t run out. It solely takes a couple of cuts to uninteresting a blade. So don’t make your self work more durable over the price of a couple of blades. You work will seem MUCH SHARPER when altering blades out after a couple of cuts. It sounds wasteful nevertheless it’s vital.

First factor to have for any overlaying job is an effective overlaying iron that may be adjusted from low to excessive warmth settings. OraTex tends to love decrease warmth settings so I had to purchase a brand new iron to switch the one I’ve had 35 years and solely offers HIGH warmth!

Figure 1. Old and new irons. Old TF MonoKote iron on the left and new Hangar 9 iron on the appropriate. I actually like the brand new iron! Note the warmth setting about halfway on the size. Good place to begin for OraTex.

Once you’ve the iron set and whereas ready for it to heat-up, you could start reducing you overlaying materials. In this text I’m overlaying the horizontal tails and elevators, after which the middle wing part.

Figure 2. Horizontal tail and elevator of the Hellcat. This is the Ready-to-Cover instance which is nice for those that need one thing completely different from the group! Workmanship on these is very nice. They come able to hinge with Robart pin hinges.

Figure 3. The first step is to cowl the trailing edge to incorporate and overlap on each the higher and decrease surfaces. This overlap is vital so as to add because it retains the overlaying from pulling off the balsa if the overlaying is solely ironed on the balsa with butt joints. You will see how the overlap comes into play in a bit. The first step is to iron the overlaying to the trailing edge.

Figure 4. A good 1/4 inch overlap is recommended. Too little overlap and also you gained’t get the strong attachment to the overlaying on the higher and decrease surfaces. You ought to calculate the overall width of the strip to incorporate the overlap and lower it on the work desk FIRST after which iron it on the piece. That method, there’s little or no further reducing to be carried out and most vital, you gained’t be reducing into the balsa to trim the overlap.

Figure 5. Take the iron and press down on the overlap all the best way across the floor. Make positive to not permit any wrinkles if you do that. Once you get a wrinkle they’re exhausting to erase!

Figure 6. Once you get the Trailing Edge (TE) and overlap ironed on you could lower materials for the higher or decrease floor. With a small overlap on the TE, iron the higher or decrease overlaying on the TE ONLY and VERY CAREFULLY. The level right here is to get the overlaying firmly glued on the TE and to not shrink the remainder of the overlaying. Then lay the iron FLAT on the floor, however multi functional movement, sweep throughout the floor firmly. Remember that the iron is scorching and in the event you go away it idle it’ll start to shrink the overlaying in an unpleasant method. KEEP the iron MOVING. This will glue the overlaying right down to the balsa itself somewhat than simply tacking the sides of the piece and shrinking the highest which isn’t a very robust overlaying approach. Do this sweeping movement all throughout the floor working towards the Leading Edge (LE). It will take a number of brief passes to do the entire floor.

Figure 7. At the TE, take your #11 blade and thoroughly slide it down the TE and lower away any extra prime floor materials. But don’t let the blade dig into the TE overlaying. It’s a good suggestion to do that with a brand new blade. With the overlap you created on the primary TE overlaying, you now have a really robust bond between the 2 surfaces. Covering-to-covering bonding is a lot better than simply covering-to-balsa because the balsa is comparatively porous. Now, to not exclude ironing on the balsa as defined on the earlier step, as that may be a completely different scenario the place you don’t have any overlaying to overlap.

Figure 8. After ironing the overlaying down throughout the floor and across the LE, take the #11 blade and really calmly lower the overlaying simply to 1 facet of the height so you’ll have a small overlap. But DO NOT lower with a lot strain! You could also be weakening the construction by doing so! It’s not so vital right here, however on different areas of the overlaying job, it could be EXTREMELY damaging to construction.

Figure 9. The lower is made and the overlaying gently pulled off the floor.

Figure 10. The final half to trim is the rounded outboard edge. But first make sure to iron the overlaying PAST the centerline to the opposite facet and THEN end the trim lower.

Figure 11. Both Leading and Trailing edges trimmed of extra overlaying. These cuts would not have to be picture-perfect as we nonetheless have extra to do.

Figure 12. Last trim lower on this floor is the inboard edge. First, iron the overlaying over the sting about 1/4 inch or so.

Figure 13. And then trim the overlaying in a neat overlap. You don’t need to absolutely cowl this edge as it’s typically epoxied to the fuselage right here. So, by no means use epoxy over one hundred pc overlaying – recipe to catastrophe!

Figure 14. One facet carried out and one facet to go!

Figure 15. With the alternative facet lined like the primary facet and trimmed, you may (simply barely) see how the 2 coverings meet on the LE and mix collectively properly! But we’re not carried out but!

Figure 16. To preserve the 2 floor coverings from pulling aside within the warmth of the day on the area, I add one other “overlap” of about 3/4 inch materials to maintain the 2 surfaces locked tight. Start on the inboard edge and glue it down.

Figure 17. Making positive you’ve the overlap even on either side, proceed down the LE with the iron. Where the curved edge begins, watch out and slowly work the overlaying across the curve. Small wrinkles might be smoothed out with the iron and gained’t present. I typically taper the final couple of inches of any curve with a small scissors to maintain the large wrinkles from forming.

Figure 18. Final overlap is nearly invisible in the event you work slowly to maintain wrinkles out of there. Last trim is on the inboard edge. This closing overlap additionally protects the LE from any gasoline that will get leaked out of the engine or gasoline tank. Once your overlaying will get fuel or glow gasoline between it and the balsa, it’ll begin to peel aside.

Figure 19. One horizontal tail is completed. Almost seems prefer it’s painted in the event you work rigorously.

Figure 20. Now comes the elevator overlaying. The elevator is completed barely completely different from the stab. First step is to cowl the LE with a big overlap!

Figure 21. Cut and add the highest or backside overlaying to the LE first after which pull it tight and tack it over the TE. You don’t need it guitar-string tight right here, however attempt to preserve the fabric comfortable as you may with out warping the elevator. Once you’ve it tacked to the TE, run the iron on prime of the TE to safe it tight. Continue across the curved finish of the elevator, pulling the overlaying comfortable as you go. DO NOT SHRINK the overlaying presently! Wait until you’ve either side lined and THEN shrink it rigorously. You can nonetheless warp the piece by an excessive amount of shrinking.

Figure 22. Back facet of the elevator after overlaying one facet.

Figure 23. Iron the fabric over the inboard finish after which trim as proven.

Figure 24. As with the horizontal stab, trim the surplus off the elevator with a brand new blade. Elevator needs to be as proven at this level. Note that the overlaying has not been shrunken. Continue to cowl and trim the alternative facet and THEN you could shrink the overlaying on either side. But, don’t go loopy with the iron! Just a fast cross or two on either side at first. Then permit to chill a minute and see if it has any sags. Touch it up as wanted with the iron. And I ought to have talked about on the first, use the iron for the entire overlaying course of, not a warmth gun. Heat weapons can burn via the coverings earlier than you recognize it!

Figure 25. When you’ve each components lined it ought to look “clear” just like the components within the picture.

Figure 26. And then do the identical factor on the opposite horizontal tail!

Figure 26. Here we’ve the middle wing part. Large components are carried out considerably the identical however with bigger strips of overlaying. But there’s a restrict to how huge every strip needs to be as too giant a bit could be exhausting to deal with with out ruining it. First, cowl the cutouts for the flaps. Then transfer to the higher or decrease surfaces.

Figure 28. I laid out the fabric in 8 inch large strips. This makes overlaying extra easy. As with the horizontal stabs, you iron the overlaying on the naked balsa for many of the floor. You nonetheless have the overlaps across the edges. Make positive you’ve the overlaying straight throughout the wing and never cock-eyed.

Figure 29. With one other 8 inch strip, add it on prime of the earlier strip however with a 1/4 inch overlap. Always transfer from aft to ahead with the overlaying. Continue to iron the overlaying to the balsa as you go. Start with ironing the overlap seam ensuring you might be straight throughout the wing after which iron the fabric to balsa.

Figure 30. With the final 8 inch strip, cowl the ahead a part of the wing with the identical overlap as earlier than. Trim out the openings rigorously and go away some extra overlaying for use as proven within the picture beneath.

Figure 31. Excess overlaying left across the openings to iron onto the wheel wells, on this case. You can return and trim these extra evenly in the event you like, however they gained’t seemingly be seen later. Or paint the wheel wells inexperienced Zinc Chromate to mix all of it in as one coloration. But the vital factor is to make sure that the ends are glued down properly. You can also combine a little bit of Z-Poxy ending resin and paint it over the ends to essentially lock them down.

Figure 32. Trim the sides like earlier than. Then transfer to overlaying the alternative floor.

Figure 33. Top facet of the middle wing lined and carried out. Top facet was carried out precisely like the underside facet in three sections utilized from aft to ahead.

The finish of the tour!

That is the nickel tour of my iron-on overlaying methods. There are all the time going to be completely different methods required when shifting to different components of your mannequin, particularly the fuselage. The fuselage is one space that you simply DO NOT need to trim off overlaying round sure areas over balsa utilizing a #11 blade! Cutting into balsa on sure fuselage components can result in structural failures. So, plan forward together with your coverings over delicate spots to complete with a straight lower (made on the work desk) and finish with simply ironing it on with none trimming.

Perhaps a very powerful function of my overlaying technique is all the time utilizing an overlap (the place potential and sensible) to maintain the items from pulling away from one another when the mannequin is within the warmth of the Sun. This could be with a easy 1/4 inch overlap of two sections of overlaying or by including a separate overlap like I did on the main edges. Either technique works properly.

When utilizing different coverings reminiscent of Monokote, they have a tendency to require barely hotter iron settings, particularly going round curved surfaces. Adjust your warmth settings till you get one which works, however attempt to preserve from utilizing extra warmth than is definitely required.

Take your time. No must be in a rush. This materials is pretty costly, so think-through every panel’s overlaying utterly – measure twice and lower as soon as. Also, take into account that craftsmanship is vital; NO, it’s EVERYTHING!