Easy Custom Covering Scheme

Easy Custom Covering Scheme

Here’s how to add a checkerboard design to an already existing color scheme. I used the E-flite Shoestring and UltraCote covering. Because we are using heat shrink covering, this technique can be applied to any balsa covered ARF you have. This is especially useful for club events, such as fun-flys, club 40 racing, or in this case, NMPRA (National Miniature Pylon Racing Association) EF1 racing, where the same plane is required for a contest.

Model Airplane News - RC Airplane News | Easy Custom Covering Scheme

I started by making a template of the area I wanted to enhance. In this case, I wanted to fill in the yellow area on the wing with an orange checkerboard. My templates were cut from card stock, and once I made my master template, I copied this onto two other templates and cut them out.

Jazz up your covering scheme!

I took one of the templates and created a new checkerboard design on it. In this case, I followed the left-hand curve by using one of the other templates and moved it over roughly an inch and a half to the right each time. Then, I used the right curved part of the template and started on the right side, moving it the same way in the opposite direction—this creates the checkerboard design.

Jazz up your covering scheme!

I used the template with the checkerboard design on it, and I followed all the lines going in one direction with a no. 11 hobby blade. This made strips so that I could transfer onto one of the other blank templates. After transferring that set of rows onto the second template, I taped up the first template (the one with the checkerboard design) with clear tape so I could then cut all of the other lines in order to create a second set of rows going in the opposite direction.

Jazz up your covering scheme!
Jazz up your covering scheme!

The second template will have all the rows in this direction, which will end up being our first cuts onto the orange UltraCote. Notice the numbers on the pattern pieces in order to keep them organized. The third template will have all the rows in the opposite direction, so that when they are combined onto the orange UltraCote they form a checkerboard design.

Jazz up your covering scheme!

I laid down a piece of glass that was large enough for the UltraCote piece that is needed to cover the design. I sprayed the glass with some window cleaner and then removed the backing off the covering and laid it down onto the wet piece of glass. I rubbed out all the air bubbles from underneath the UltraCote so that it stuck firmly to the piece of glass.

Jazz up your covering scheme!

Using the second template, I cut out all the rows going in one direction on the covering material, which you can see is already done in the photo. Then I used the third template to cut out all of the rows going in the opposite direction. This formed the checkerboard pattern.

Jazz up your covering scheme!

When all of the cuts were made, I started pulling out the opposite diamonds to form my checkerboard pattern. I made sure to hold down all the squares that surrounded the one I was pulling out in order to make sure that I had complete cuts through the UltraCote. I did not want to pull up any extra squares that shouldn’t have come up.

Jazz up your covering scheme!

Then, I pulled off a piece of multi-purpose sealing wrap to lay down over the checkerboard. I pressed down on all of the triangles so that they stuck to the sealing wrap. This allowed me to pull them up o the glass without disrupting the design.

Jazz up your covering scheme!

I then laid the checkerboard pattern design down on the wing and centered the whole thing.

Jazz up your covering scheme!

I set my heating iron to one of its lowest settings and lightly went around pressing it on each of the orange UltraCote triangles in order to stick them in place on the wing.

Jazz up your covering scheme!

Next, I adjusted my heating iron to a higher setting that allowed the pieces of the UltraCote covering to stick down firmly without shrinking them. After slowly peeling back the sealing wrap, I applied the heat iron to each of the orange checkerboard diamonds. Be sure to remove the sealing wrap slowly to avoid pulling up any of the checkerboard diamonds. When the sealing wrap was removed, I went back over the entire checkerboard with the iron to get a firm adhesion.

Jazz up your covering scheme!

Here I followed the line of the aileron and cut through all of the checkerboard diamonds that spanned over the opening. I then sealed down the excess covering for a clean finish on that control surface.

Jazz up your covering scheme!

To finish off the design, I used ⅛-inch trim tape around the outside of the checkerboard to give it a cleaner and more polished look.

 

Updated: June 27, 2018 — 9:24 AM

8 Comments

  1. Will this technique work on plastic such as cowlings? Will it work on painted surfaces?

  2. David, this technique uses iron on film that is then ironed into place on the model. it could be possible to do similar with stick on vinyl over a cowling or painted surface. The transfer sheet basically holds the checkerboard in place. Not sure if it will work over a curved surface like a cowling, but if you try it,let us know how it goes.

  3. What is multi purpose sealing wrap?

  4. This is a repost from an article that was published in the recent past. I have used it on several airplanes since then with great success.

    You might want to give the name of the sealing wrap so people can find it. I fear that some will try it with Saran Wrap which will not work at all. I have it under my work bench at home but I am not there to add it to this post.

  5. like to know brand name of sealing wrap…

  6. Nice work Gerry! where can I find transfer wrap other then a sign maker?

    1. your local supermarket will have it. Press’n’seal works best.

  7. I think he is using Glad Press’n Seal. I’ve used it for similar. It’s so easy to do this with MonoKote, just use trim cement and you’re done. I have to do it with UltraKote so for the reason I was looking at this page. I have Ultra that the color has come free from the clear sheet it is attached to. A real mess to say the least. Never would happen with MonoKote. After 30-40 years it gets brittle though.

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