covering

[cmccrackan]

hey guys, so when i covered my mustang, i did a horrible job. can u help? your covering jobs are always so neat, i thought i would learn from the masters!

[cmccrackan]

ok so i have taken your advice and looked at his builds(witch make me want to cry there so good) and i havent got a lot of covering instructions. so if scigs cold type me a covering instruction manual, i would be honered

[jack lee]

Tissue covering is an art by itself. After reading and looking at a lot of Sciggs 30 samples and instructions I've settled on using 50-50 Elmers glue and water mix to fix the tissue to the balsa. I use a small paint brush. After it dries I spray the tissue with water with a light mister and let it dry completely. This usually removes the worst wrinkles. Then I brush on 50-50 Dope and thinner...three coats. I'll be posting the results of this process on my Stearman PT-17 soon.
I've also experimented with using just the Dope and Thinner to attach the tissue. This requires first brushing the Balsa with three coats of the 50-50 Dope mix and letting them dry before attaching the tissue. I like it because it comes out much smoother. I'm still experimenting. Weight is not a consideration for me right now because I don't build to fly...just static.
Cutting and trimming the tissue is a slow and careful process. I've started cutting "angle slits" in the curved areas of the wing. It helps but I still get some wrinkles.
Mainly, I find it best to keep trying different techniques...I cut off and remove any really terrible areas and re-apply the tissue. I think of this as practice for making repairs after a crash when I try flying.
The main thing for me, though, is to enjoy the process, finish the model I'm working on, and do it better on the next one.

[cmccrackan]

thankas jack, this really helps so much.