Spackle??????

Okay whats spackle? - I presume its like a light weight filler thing?
Is it a model shop purchase - or B&Q job?
Cheers all!

basicly lightweight filler, most hardwere shops will sell a version. pick up all the tubs and use the lightest.

Or see Mr Jem Mathews as the version he has seems good to me

M

Its lightweight filler for making your walls look like they have no cracks in. If you go to B&Q, find the fillers section, and try picking up the various boxes/tubs. When you pick up one that feels like it has nothing in it, that's the one that is used.

Personally, I can't stand the stuff. You spend ages trowelling it on to an EPP model, then another ages getting covered in dust sanding it smooth, then ages covering it with film or tape or whatever, and then you finally sit back and admire your hard work.

After that you fly your model, really proud, only to find that after a few landings and hard manoeuvres it has all come loose and gone all powdery underneath your masterpiece of a covering job, ruining all that hard work. Rubbish.

It's far better to leave the EPP naked, and use Laminating film (which sticks really well, is nice and smooth with hardly any work, and can be re-ironed down if required) as God himself intended.....

Andy

PS. The Americans came up with the idea of using spackle on models. Says pretty much everything you need to know really!

Gotcha chief - I hate dust anyway! so - Do you laminate then cover - or cover then laminate? Can you use solarfilm on EPP with laminating film? or go down another covering route?

Nice one Andy,I've learned something useful today.

Danny.

OK, I'll bite. What's "laminating film"?

It's what you use when you want to laminate a piece of paper to protect it from damage uses a machine with heating elements & rollers, used a lot in schools colleges etc

As rich says its like thin pieces of flexible see through plastic you heat seal a document inbetween to protect it - bit like Danny does with his magazines!

I've use the laminating pouches but didn't realise there was a film as well .
.... So you obviously have to put it on with heat but is it affected if you over-coverit with Solartex or the like?
The reason I ask is I'm about to cover my U2 and was almost mixing the spackle! What, oh what shall I do lol

It don't shrink though so none too clever on ye olde compound curves like what you find up ladies jumpers

Not used it myself yet - going to get a decent covering iron first rather than use the travel iron again! As Brian says aparently it doesnt shrink so no curves, and aparently yes you can solarfilm over the top - I have also heard that you can acrylic paint on it, but not too sure that I fancy that!
Got mine from Andy last year, give him a shout, he may still have some left over! or hold off and see how I get on first! Will be giving it a crack in the next week or so I expect!

Thanks for that chaps.
Bri' what's up ladies jumpers then?
Ben, too many "Aparentlys" in that

Andy has used it loads of times he's the expert wait for his reply

Laminating film is the best thing since bread (which has been scientifically proven to be better than sliced bread). Those little pockets you get for laminating A4 paper are the same stuff, except the film is available on a massive roll in all sorts of widths and thicknesses. You heat it up, and the glue on oneside goes all sticky.

As mentioned, it doesn't shrink at all, so is no use on compound curves. You can do a bit of trickery by cutting triangles out at the edge to go aorund compound curves, but it can look a bit bumpy. To use it, it is just like applying solarfilm or profilm (except for the lack of stretchyness and shrinkyness). It sticks to bare EPP really well (you need an iron hot enough to just about start to melt the EPP) and best of all it needs hardly any surface prep. Just make sure the EPP is free from dust and grease, and you are good to go.

I covered my Unicorn wing with it, the Laminating film went down on the bare EPP (after I had put a couple of strips of glass tape to act as spars), and then on top of that, I used profilm for a bit of colour. It gives a really nice surface finish, with none of the faff associated with spacklyshite.

I may still have a bit left over, no idea how much though, I'll have to check if you want some. Failing that, I can recommend a supplier or two, but it normally comes in big rolls (50metres long!).

Oh, and you can get thick stuff for making planes bullet proof, and thin stuff if you want to save a bit of weight.

Andy

Thanks for that Andy, Does it go on before the fibreglass tape?
Do you have enough to cover a 60" U2?
Are you doing "Club Night tomorrow?
Soooooo many questions ............. lol

first off, I would put it on after the glass tape. I found that because the thicker Lam film adds a shedload of strength and stiffness to an EPP wing, I didn't need anywhere near as much glass tape as needed I was able to dispense with a wing covered completely in glass tape, and just put a couple of strips down the wing (top and bottom sides) to act like spars. The lam film went on top of that, and acts almost like a composite wing skin would.

As I said, no idea if I have enough to cover a 60" U2. I'll check tonight though, and put whatever I have in the van, to bring to the clubnight tomorrow (and all being well, I will be there!)

Andy

Cheers, I can't justify bying a 50m roll.
I'm assuming it can be applied with a normal heatshrink iron?

Marty wrote:Cheers, I can't justify bying a 50m roll.

Depends on how good your covering skills are I suppose!