Sticking Solarfilm on Top of Solarfilm without Bubbles!

[Tosh McCaber]

I'm about to stick fairly large areas of Solarfilm on top of Solarfilm on one of my models for better clarity at distance!  I remember that I used to do this with a Solarfilm liquid, which helped stick the top coating on without bubbles.  I have bottles of Balsaloc and Cover Grip in the workshop, but I don't think they would be appropriate.  What I'm wanting is a technique to iron on the top layer on without bubbling.

Has anybody any tips?  Thanks in advance!

[Outrunner]

Same question asked a few weeks ago https://forums.modelflying.co.uk/index.php?/topic/52663-heat-shrink-film-over-heat-shrink-film/

[Tosh McCaber]

Thanks for the heads up Outrunner!

[Andy Stephenson]

Solarfilm solvent was MEK methylethylketone, you can actually buy this from chemical suppliers. It's similar to acetone. I understand it only works on solarfilm as the adhesive has a different formulation to other brands of covering. I used it back in the 70s but it since disappeared off the market.

[leccyflyer]

The Solarfilm product that Tosh is taking about was Prymol. I used some of my remaining stock during the lockdown to prep a Solarfilm covered ARTF for painting. That's good to hear that it was MEK as that is readily available.

https://www.ribstore.co.uk/products/mek-pvc-solvent-cleaner-primer?currency=GBP&variant=24026512621668&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google Shopping&gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwyLGjBhDKARIsAFRNgW-WJnOOmxgpYPmojX-3IUnTYCEmleoLpGiqFD1XS0QOKxOw1GGSd88aAuxaEALw_wcB

 

Personally, for film over film applications I give the surface a wee smear of Cover Grip where the layers overlap.

[Tosh McCaber]

Thanks Leccy- see you tomorrow?

[PatMc]

Leccy, I don't think MEK is the same as either Prymol or Solarfilm solvent though it may have similar effect to the solvent. 

Tosh, one thing I've found helps with or without any Prymol or solvent is to keep the iron temp to the lowest as possible that just activates the adhesive.

[Andy Stephenson]

The original Solarfilm solvent said on the bottle that it was MEK.

[Bruce Collinson]

A replacement for Prymol would be dead handy.   And for Clearcoat too, a good fuelproofer.   Prymol, according to my limited knowledge, is/was an etch primer and surely the automotive industry has something equivalent?   I was hoping Deluxe would add it to their comprehensive product list.

 

BTC

[Cuban8]

Methylethylketone - deadly stuff, suffocating, toxic, and defats bare skin in seconds. As an engineer I used it as 'blanket restoring agent' - not the bedding variety, but for rubber blanket rollers used in offset litho printers. Apply the MEK to areas of the blanket that had shrunk back causing print quality problems, and the MEK would swell the rubber and effect a temporary cure. Probably still used today, I don't know - but not something that should be sold openly these days - a glue sniffers heaven in more ways than one.

[John Lee]

MEK is used extensively in the plumbing industry for joining plastic pipes, usually it is listed as 'Butanon' in the specification. You must be over 18 years of age to purchase it lawfully.