I've decided to re-cover my Ultra Sport.  I've removed the old MonoKote and just for a test I decided to try and get some new covering to stick to the old balsa.  It didn't work very well...rats!  There's enough oil in the wood that it really doesn't stick very well.

So now I'm wondering what I should do to treat the balsa so that it will allow the MonoKote to stick?

Mike, an old method was a deep container - half fill with kitty litter, put in fuse - complete with kitty litter - let stand for couple weeks/months/daze/years.... will remove a lot of the oil. Repeat as required.

try and find the fibrous litter rahter than the gravelly stuff..

Thanks Sandy.  I hadn't thought of kitty litter, but I did try baby powder.  I used to store the elastic bands that held the wing to the fuse in a can of baby powder to get the oil out.  So I tried covering the wood with baby powder.  It smelled nice, but didn't stick any better :-[

If I had some BalsaRight around I'd give that a go but I don't think its available any more.

What do you think would happen if I were to try to clean the oil off by rubbing with acetone or isopropanol?

Hi Mike
I used to used Baby Powder with heat from the iron .
You can get a lot of oil out with an iron an a Kleenex. If you put the Iron right on the Balsa the oil comes out. Be ready with the Kleenex to wipe it away. You can also place the Kleenex on the Balsa wood and the iron on top and let it soak in
Sometimes you just have to replace some of the worst spots with new Balsa.
Also the new Monokote does not stick as well as the old stuff.
I believe Ultracote sticks better.
Grant

I don't believe that will draw it out of the wood Mike.  Some people have had good results with cornstarch.  Like you mentioned I always used Balsarite.

Bruce

Just found this on another thread under RC Tips. Balsa Soaked Wood

all the same.....both work. I'd forgotten the kleenex trick, mostly because wifey wouldn't let me use all the kleenex - cats we never had, noses we always did.. :huhsign

Balsarite isn't available much any more, shipping regulations I hear....after one or both of the above treatments, saturate the frame with clear dope, it acts as an advesive as well....then irin on top of that..

Thanks Grant and Bruce

I think I'll play with a combination of Grant's suggestions and the stuff on the thread that Bruce provided.  This shouldn't become too much of a problem as most of the model didn't soak up any oil.

I'll apply heat with baby powder and paper towels to try and soak up as much of the oil as I can.  Hopefully that will do the trick.

Thanks Sandy

I like the idea of applying clear dope.  I could try to get as much oil out as possible and then apply some clear dope.

So who sells clear dope these days????

By the look of Sandy's Emotion Icon, I would say Sandy. ;D

MkIX wrote on Apr 29^th, 2013 at 8:46pm:

So who sells clear dope these days????

I got my last can, last fall, from Great Hobbies...at the time John told me he couldn't get it..


Quote:

By the look of Sandy's Emotion Icon, I would say Sandy.

we're talking the brush on kind, not the smoke kind there Bubbles... :piggy [smiley=birthdays.gif] :popcorn :birthdays [smiley=beer.gif]

Here you go Mike.

Dope Link

and

More Dope

actually Mike, I have 2 cans of clear - you can have one if you'd like....

The Sanding Sealer looks good.  Certainly a whole lot less expensive than the clear dope.


Today I spent a little time with the iron, heating up the wet surfaces bringing the oil to the surface.  Then I wiped the oil off with a paper towel.  It seemed to work rather well (thanks Grant).  Then I tried ironing on a small piece of covering and it stuck a whole lot better than prior to removing most of the oil, but not as good as if it were on perfectly clean balsa.  Perhaps, afer I apply the sanding sealer, I'll be good to go.

Hi Sandy:

Wow, that's generous.  How about I borrow one can, use what I need, and then return the rest to you?

Now I have another question....

I'd like to make some MonoKote decals to apply some lettering to the upper surface of port wing....something polite :)

Should I just cut the letters out with a #10 blade, or is there an easier way to get custom lettering?

I may have found the answer.  I'll give this a try.

http://www.flyinggiants.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24535&highlight=301

I've managed to get MonoKote to stick to my model. :)  I used a combination of Grant's suggestion to use heat followed by paper towel to get out the oil, and an application of Balsarite on the affected areas.  Seems to work just fine.

I have the fuse almost complete.  I'll post a pic once I have it covered but before I apply the details.

What is the current thinking with respect to sealing hinge gaps? 

seal 'em    >:(

Mike, you can use shrink wrap of the same color, or you can use clear packing tape, and i think you can even get a hinge tape at the hobby shop, used primarily for hinging small electric planes but works on big hinge gaps as well....

I have used clear covering ironed into the gaps.  It does a really nice job and because it is tranparent you can see the health of the hinge at all times.

OK.  I always sealed the gaps in the past so I'll seal them on this plane. 

Today I almost finished covering the wing.  Should be able to finish it Friday AM.  Then I'll post a pic before I add some stenciling.

I've finally finished recovering my Ultra Sport.  Next step is to add some stenciling and artwork to liven it up. 

---

Nice!!!

It looks great and should be easy to see! :D

there now, that wasn't too hard was it..... looking real good there Mike - new life in the old Ultra Sport.... :master

I finally finished covering and reassembling my Ultra Sport.  All that is left is to glue on the canopy and I'll be good to go.

Since it is no longer pink I decided to make it a real airplane and apply a gun  ;)

---

Another view...

---

And a final shot...

---

Now I'll turn my attention to installing a new 2.4 GHz receiver in my P51.

Cool!   Who's the hotty?

Found her on the web  :)

Did you notice the one on the port side of the nose?  She has the gun.

every plane needs a gun.....hotty too

looks great Mike..

http://www.flyinggiants.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24535&highlight=301

Earlier on in this thread I posted the above link.  I just wanted to point out that the procedure works like a treat.  All of the lettering and hotties on the model were made by following the procedure in the video.  The advertising decals, however, were stick-on and came from the normal sources.

I've looked at that video several times.... just need something to try it on.....

you've taken the hottie so I guess I guess i8 have to find something else....chain gun??

Chain gun would be cool.  Put it on your IMAC model.  Then you could literally 'blow away' the competition.