Mike T Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 (edited) Does anybody know what differences (if any) there are between Easycoat, McGregor covering and Ripmax Aerofilm? How do they compare with Solarfilm or Hobbyking? Any preferences? PS - I exclude Ora from comparison as it's out of my price range! Edited June 22 by Mike T PS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engine Doctor Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 I think some of the offerings from Ripmax etc are rubbish , JMO or course others may think differently. Many of the colours are not opaque and show balsa grain through. Solarfilm polyester covering was good but the normal Solarfilm was also horrible as went saggy in sun on a hot day. The Chinese polyester covering sold online or if your lucky by your model shop is really good. I think its the same as sold by HK. Its easy to apply , overlaps really stick down well,shrinks well in all directions and stretches well around compound curves. As you say Oracover is just to expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Gates Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 Go for McGregor film out of those choices, it is much the same as the HK film. I find Easycoat delaminates too easily with the glue / colour sticking to the frame and the plastic peeling off leaving a really horrible effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Stephenson Posted June 23 Share Posted June 23 McGregor and 4Max covering are good. IMO Easycoat is not opaque enough and can remain sticky, I won't use it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIMON CRAGG Posted June 24 Share Posted June 24 4-Max covering. The best I, and others in our club have used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted June 24 Author Share Posted June 24 Thanks for the input, all. I'd forgotten about the 4-max stuff - will have to look in to that. Easycoat - yes, I bought a couple of rolls and it is disappointingly 'diaphanous', so no good on sheet, but might look effective on (say) open structure glider wings. Interestingly, a friend brought a newly completed Nijhuis TSR2 to the field yesterday. I asked about the covering. "Ripmax" he said "I like that it's completely opaque..." He also brought a DSM Aerostar, which looked immaculate. I thought it was new, but it was all original - built in 1985 and covered in Solarfilm polyester, which I know of old. A product Solarfilm should have pushed much harder. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engine Doctor Posted June 24 Share Posted June 24 Yes Solarfilm just kept churning out the rubbish polypropelene r8ght up until thry closed. Ok in its time but superceded by the polyester covering. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Carlton Posted June 24 Share Posted June 24 24 minutes ago, Engine Doctor said: Yes Solarfilm just kept churning out the rubbish polypropelene r8ght up until thry closed. Ok in its time but superceded by the polyester covering. Was Solarspan polypropylene? I always rather liked using that. A bit thicker and less fragile in use I feel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engine Doctor Posted June 24 Share Posted June 24 (edited) Sorry got the product mixed up. Solarfilm and Solarspan were both polypropelene but the Span was a 50% thicker version. The polyester was named Supershrink polyester or Matt Ployester. The Polyester was proof agains most fuels but the Solarfilm and Solarspan would go soft and wrinkle with diesel or petrol but ok with glow. Solarfilm are still listing yheir coverings on their website. They do make the best ever fuel proofer IMO ... Clearcoat. It heat sensetive and is a great adhesive for Litespan another excellent fuel proof,tough alternative to tissue. Edited June 24 by Engine Doctor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Gray Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 11 hours ago, Engine Doctor said: They do make the best ever fuel proofer IMO ... Clearcoat. Too true ED, brilliant stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 Last model I did was Ripmax Aero film. Seemed perfectly good. Couldn't differentiate between it and the hobbyking stuff. RapidRC sell film by the metre. Again, seemed identical to HK covering. 4-max is the same stuff, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Billinge Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 I used to like the HK stuff, but it was always out of stock. I think people bought it in bulk to sell at an outrageous profit on Evil Bay. Maybe now HK are back in the UK things will be different? I think the prices are bananas at the moment for any of the covering films. Sad times! KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outrunner Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 1 hour ago, Keith Billinge said: think the prices are bananas at the moment for any of the covering films. Sad times! Maybe not produced as a model covering film but laminating film is cheap as chips and easy to use Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 Days of paying £10 for 5 metres of HK film are long gone. 5m rolls of most films are approx £25. Could be a lot worse. That said I bought 10m of solarspan for my current project, also approx £5/metre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Hilton Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 5 hours ago, Keith Billinge said: I used to like the HK stuff, but it was always out of stock. I think people bought it in bulk to sell at an outrageous profit on Evil Bay. Maybe now HK are back in the UK things will be different? I think the prices are bananas at the moment for any of the covering films. Sad times! 4max sells the same stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted June 25 Author Share Posted June 25 On 24/06/2024 at 16:00, Mike T said: Interestingly, a friend brought a newly completed Nijhuis TSR2 to the field yesterday. I asked about the covering. "Ripmax" he said "I like that it's completely opaque..." Full disclosure: I've since been informed it was World Models Toughlon from Steve Webb! 😁 So -another worth looking into. Solarfilm polyester - was heavier than 'solarfilm' but not to be confused with Solarspan (which I believe was polyprop, like the 'film. The specific reason I used the polyester was because it was proof against petrol... Re HK film - if you filter by 'UK' and 'in stock' you get zero results... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted June 26 Share Posted June 26 https://solarfilm.co.uk/products/supershrink-polyester?variant=8500036796460 10m of white is £44. Lots of colours remain available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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