Help! Covering a balsa build with Monokote

[mountaindewdude76]

As some of you know, I have a rather large balsa build going on. I'm getting to the point where I want to practice with the sealing iron and some covering. I bought a new sealing iron and some covering. I also bought one of those "heat socks" or "hot socks"...whatever it's called.

I've seen several videos on Youtube about covering and most of the people aren't using the heat socks on their irons. Is this even necessary?

What kinds of tips can the Flite Test community offer me? I'd be grateful for any useful tips.

 

[PsyBorg]

I just did a bunch of laundry today so you are more then welcome to practice your ironing skills on the clothes bomb that has gone off in my other room.

On a serious note I have only on rare occasions seen someone not using a bare iron so I assume that would be for maybe older types of covering or specially made fabric covering maybe?

 

[mountaindewdude76]

I've got plenty of scrap foamboard and scrap balsa. I'm going to cut off some manageable pieces of covering and practice. the covering iron seems to have 3 settings (1, 2, and 3). Many videos that I've seen, people are using the highest settings. I guess I'll play around with the settings and see what happens

 

[rockyboy]

I've used socks and bare irons. The nice thing about a sock is that if you run the iron over a cut edge of the covering and some of the adhesive and coloring pigments sneak around the edge of the plastic film and onto your iron, you can switch socks (or turn it inside out) when you switch colors. This is especially handy going from a rich dark color that might leave marks on your iron to a nice light color. Then you don't make dark red smears all over your white covering - ask me how I know.

If you use a bare iron and get colored schmutz on it, I find a rough paper towel and rubbing alcohol does a good job cleaning it up.

 

[nhk750]

I always use a sock on the iron. It protects the iron and the material your shrinking from scratches and crud sticking. You never need to worry about the iron getting cruddy as you just wash or replace the sock. Just remember to set the heat setting about 10-15f higher when using a sock. I have never used the iron without a sock, just my trim iron has no sock.

 

[jaredstrees]

I used a sock on the plane I'm working on now. Seemed to work just fine and I didn't have to worry about the iron getting cruddy. I could see how it makes getting into tight spaces or corners a little more difficult as the socks aren't form fitting. I didn't try the iron without a sock as it worked so well with one. Also didn't have to worry about not seeing debris on a black iron that may have left marks or smears on the plane. Colored bits of trim show up well on a white sock.