Covering - how long does it take you?

[Nigel R]

Love it or hate it unless you have just ARTF'd then it must be done.

Just wondering how long us forumites spend on an average covering job?

Seems to take me about 10 hours even for a fairly basic box sport model, just to get film all over the airframe!

Any speedy workers here?

[Craig Carr]

It seems to take me ages as well Nigel.   Probably a day or so

I tend to faff on making templates from the film backing for the different sections which adds to the time ..:. Then if I’m not 100% happy with the piece ... It comes off and is done again

But, If a jobs worth doing etc etc

Edited By Craig Carr on 26/11/2020 16:14:37

[Ray Wood 4]

Nigel,

How long is piece of string ??

Somewhere between 5 hours to 9 Months in my experience.

Regards Ray

[Geoff S]

Ages - especially if, like a lot of my builds, it's a biplane and I elect to try rib tapes and stitching (though I usually opt just for tapes). But I've never measured the time as I don't think I've ever covered a model in one session.

Geoff

[J D 8]

To long, every time. There is always a bit that's a right faff.

[Nigel R]

Posted by Ray Wood 4 on 26/11/2020 16:13:56:

Nigel,

How long is piece of string ??

Somewhere between 5 hours to 9 Months in my experience.

Regards Ray

Half as long as a long piece!

[Glyn44]

18 months and counting! New model all fitted out only needs the heat shrink popping on. It’s the wing tips, always make a pigs ear of it. Can’t face it. Upside, there’s always tomorrow!

[Richard Acland]

I build all my models from plans. When it comes to the covering stage I for some reason make a hash of it. It is possibly because I am at that stage when I just want to finish it and get it in the air. On my last build I was determiined to take my time and get it right. I didnt, and ended up wasting a load of film again.

[Rod Parsons 1]

Not too long,

About a year for the fuselage and rudder, then a quick pause of 15 years to do the wings and tailplane. The wings only only took about 3 nights to do once I got down to it.

i just need to hinge it all now.

planning to have it in the air in the Spring

I’d put it off so long, as I wasn’t sure how to put a small curve in the scheme and had talked myself out of it. In the end I cut around a dinner plate!

Rod

[David Hazell 1]

I have a model with all the moving surfaces covered. I now need to go at the wing and fus. I reckon the whole job for me is about 12 hours, but spans over many sessions!

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Cuban8]

Posted by Doc Marten on 26/11/2020 17:38:15:

Is it just me or does anyone else fit the control surfaces before they cover the model?

No, always cover first and then finally attach surfaces - film covering or glass and paint. Sounds like a nightmare to cover with control surfaces fixed, but whatever works I suppose.

[Guest]

I cover the hinge line first, then install hinges. I peg them so they don't pull out, sand the pegs flush with the surfaces then cover the rest.

I do the Fin/Rudder and Tail/Elevators with one piece of film top/bottom and after tacking in place slit the hinge line and iron down.I find with care it makes very tidy joins.

When I do the ailerons I prefer to use live film hinges again doing the faces first. then cover whole bottom/followed by the upper. Slitting the ends and ironing to trim.

After that its applying trim etc. This biplane took me about 20 hours to cover over a week in July admittedly I had time to kill but it has a busy scheme in four colours with individual checker squares on underside of tail and both wings.

Wing Tips - lots and lots of heat (I did say lots of heat) in the iron and keep pulling hard -start a few mm away from the suface with the heat s you are pulling and you can get very smooth compound curves (and occasionally scorched fingers). After the old Solarfilm....I found Oracover is not too good for this but Hobby King stuff is brilliant at it.

Personally I find the covering the best bit it is when the plane comes to light but plan the sequence and take your time.

[Peter Miller]

It depends on the color scheme

Pretty quick

A bit longer

A lot longer

Avery long time

And my current one wil take a long time too

[gangster]

There a video on you tube of a lady covering an artf. Now that is fast

[leccyflyer]

Posted by Doc Marten on 26/11/2020 17:38:15:

Is it just me or does anyone else fit the control surfaces before they cover the model?

Personally I cover the model and control surfaces first, then fit the control surfaces.

[Mike Etheridge 1]

In the early days when I was about 12, I had a couple of mates Chas Moody and David Murray who very good builders. David used to set the trends even at that age with doped tissue covered planes. He used a spray gun and thinned clear dope so we naturally followed suit. I was the first to used doped nylon (At this stage both mates had given up Aeromodelling) on my KK New Junior 60 and a control line Peacemaker, both powered by an ED Racer bought in a Junk shop originally by mate Dave for thirty shillings. The mistake I made with the nylon was doping it indoors on the Junior 60 during the really cold winter of 1963. The nylon finished up nice and tight but had white blotches where condensation had occurred So I stripped the nylon off and recovered it with new nylon and used a one bar electric fire trained on the doped areas to prevent the condensation issue. The nylon rotted on the plane in a garden shed and lasted until 1976 when I had to replace it. Recently I had to replace the nylon again on the fuselage with Oratex which was brilliant to apply and of course no dope was necessary and the time taken for the work was much reduced. I have retained the nylon on the wings even though it looks tatty.

[Richard Acland]

When I finished building this I honestly thought twice about covering it.

[fly boy3]

It has to be done. The more you do the better the finished article, and we do get it done a little quicker.

[Bob Cotsford]

Posted by Ray Wood 4 on 26/11/2020 16:13:56:

Nigel,

How long is piece of string ??

Somewhere between 5 hours to 9 Months in my experience.

Regards Ray

+1

[Peter Jenkins]

I've only done one kit build that was then covered with film. Many years ago it was tissue or nylon and then paint on the colour strips which were kept to one colour on a small part of the wing.

I built a kit for the first time last year and I found the longest task is deciding on what the colour scheme should be. That took probably a total of 24 elapsed hours but over many days.

The actual covering was relatively quick as it was mostly cutting bits to shape and then ironing them in place. The undersurfaces were much easier being white and black quarters on both the wing and tailplane to give a good contrast with the top. It worked out fine and took about 24 elapsed hours. The Gangster is in the foreground.

[Eric Robson]

When I was asked if I knew how long a piece of string was , I said I am a frayed knot.

[Peter Jenkins]

Posted by Eric Robson on 27/11/2020 00:24:10:

When I was asked if I knew how long a piece of string was , I said I am a frayed knot.

[DaveB1]

Lovely looking covering job on that Gangster !

[Matt Carlton]

I did a Galaxy Mystic in a scheme like the Miss Demeanor Hawker Hunter. That took about a day to do.

Other simpler schemes like the one below take maybe a couple of hours.

However, that's if I did it all non stop, which I don't. I give myself a break, stop to drink tea etc otherwise I find myself rushing.