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Scratch Built Loening OL-8 Amphibian by rayl. Viewed 505 times.
Build Thread
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| Image Comments |
| rayl | 01-Feb-16 14:53 | | THis is my "proof of concept" test piece. As I mentioned aearlier, I've never built a covered wing before so I am trying out various methods of covering it. I have tried the dope/thinner covering method, the glue stick method and several mixes of water and water/alcohol to shrink the tissue, just to get comfortable with how to proceed. |
| Skyediamonds1985 | 01-Feb-16 20:32 | | Rayl, if you send me your email, I can help you with the covering. I've done wet/dry applications, dope/thinner and white glue/water. I tied to explain in detail through the "comment section" of this site and I think I blew it up. Skydiamonds1985@yahoo.com |
| David Duckett | 02-Feb-16 06:57 | | Of the 81, + or -, completed models in my hanger, all but the Wright Flyer were covered wet using silkspan and dope was used on all but one as the "glue". I did use white glue once and once was enough. I have documented the complete process in numerous posts on this site and the process is always the same. Obviously other builders use different methods but it's worked quite well for 60 years of building for me so I see no reason to do it differently. Regardless of the method you choose it's important that the frame be sealed before covering, all of the frame. I usually apply two or three coats of nitrate dope thinned to the point I'm comfortable with it and sand lightly after each coat. One application of dope, or white glue will cause the balsa to produce very small spikes which you can feel with your finger. Failure to sand these away will leave a rough surface which will show through any covering, including plastic coverings. |
| rayl | 02-Feb-16 07:07 | | Thanks for the offer (Sky) and the short tutorial (DD). It's not that I don't know how to do this job, just never done it before so I have been tinkering with what is most comfortable to me. Turns out that it is the old fashioned Dope method that DD is talking about. |
| Skyediamonds1985 | 02-Feb-16 22:07 | | I totally agree with DD and his methods and Rayl, if you practice on your "concept test" you'll see how it all comes together. Just know that the wet method produces consistent results, whereas the dry method (followed by using a fine spray mist) after everything is covered and dried, sometimes leaves winkles that cannot be removed unless you rip off the whole thing and start again. |
| Skyediamonds1985 | 02-Feb-16 22:09 | | Remember too, the wet method means the silkspan becomes very flimsy, fragile, and has a tendency to fold over itself. Just use a flat pan filled with water. After doping the frame, using both hands on each corner, carefully dip the silkspan into the water and immediately apply to the surface and start working out the winkles. |
| Skyediamonds1985 | 02-Feb-16 22:14 | | While working out the winkles, dab dope again through the silkspan into the frame itself (not the surface between frames). It'll act as its own thinner and will help you to work out the winkles before drying. As DD says, when all is dry, then add the thinned surface coat. After the first thinned coat is thoroughly dry, be sure to use wet-n-dry 800 or higher sandpaper and gently sand over everything including the suspended surface of the covering. The purpose is to get rid of the "fuzz" from the silkspan. Then bush off the fuzz and wipe down the surface and reapply the 2nd coat and so on.... |
| Skyediamonds1985 | 02-Feb-16 22:16 | | Trick" when applying thenext covering to the underside, be sure to hold the wing such that the dope does not drip through to the first covering. I've held the wing literally over my head (at a discrete distance, of course) and applied the 2nd covering as well as doping the surface. |
| Skyediamonds1985 | 02-Feb-16 22:38 | | Maybe I should clarify that last part. What I mean is after you've applied the first cover of silkspan to the wing and all is set and dry, to add your first surface coat of dope before commencing to adding the underside covering. Just be careful that while doping the frame that it doesn't drip through to the first covering. After all is covered on both sides, then hold the wing at such that there's no chance of dope dripping through the covering.... Sorry |
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