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Bright Orange Aerospan 2 Meter Roll
By Balsa USAItem # 579
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Only 4 left in stock. |
Aero Span Aircraft Covering Material
- Plastic Iron-On Covering 27" x 6' Rolls Low heat application.
HOW TO COVER WITH AERO SPAN AERO SPAN is one of the finest, easiest to use covering materials available today, In a very short time you will learn the techniques of applying AERO SPAN and your finishing will have that "professional look," |
TOOLS A modellers covering iron (or a small home iron) plus a new single edge razor blade or hobby knife, ~ |
PREPARATION Fill all holes, dents and cracks and sand smooth, preferably with #320 or finer sandpaper. Brush off sanding dust.. Remember AERO SPAN is very thin, so cracks and rough areas will show through. A little extra care in preparing a smooth even surface before applying AERO SPAN will payoff with a superior finish. No dope or sealer of any kind is required. |
FOR BEST RESULTS Cover each surface with a separate piece of AERO SPAN. For example, the underside of a wing panel will be covered first with one piece, which is trimmed off along the bottom corners of leading and trailing edges. Then the top surface is covered with another piece ofAERO SPAN, which is trimmed off to overlap the bottom covering by 1/4". The seams are then on the underside of the wing. When covering a fuselage use four pieces of AERO SPAN -- bottom first, then sides -- and last the top. Overlaps need to be 1/4", and always iron the overlaps down securely after trimming off surplus AERO SPAN. |
IRON TEMPERATURE Covering with AERO SPAN is easy and trouble free when the correct iron temperature are used. You will use -- a LOW temperature for attaching AERO SPAN to wood -- and a HIGH temperature for shrinking AERO SPAN tight and wrinkle free. For LOW set your iron about 1/4 up from its lowest heat. Cut some strips of AERO SPAN (3" x 2") and remove the backing. Iron a strip on to clean smooth balsa. When cool, peel the strip off. It should pull wood fibres off the surface of the balsa. To improve adhesion, raise the temperature slightly. If colour melts and squeezes out on to the iron then lower the temperature. LOW is 220°F. to 240°F. For HIGH turn the iron up by 1/4 from the LOW setting. Test by laying a strip of AERO SPAN (adhesive side up) on the upturned sole of the iron. If the AERO SPAN shrivels or melts the iron is too hot. At the correct HIGH temperature it will wrinkle slowly and look like alligator skin. HIGH is 250°F. to 270°F. Mark the iron control so you can re-set the iron temperature to suit the job -- Low for attaching -- HIGH for shrinking. |
COVERING Cut a piece of AERO SPAN 1 to 2" larger (all round) than the area to be covered - the excess will be trimmed off later. Remove the backing and place the AERO SPAN over the area to be covered, with the adhesive side down. Using the toe of the iron (set at LOW) lightly tack all four corners down, keeping the AERO SPAN smooth and wrinkle free. Now tack the material in the center of each edge. Next seal the material to the wood all round the edge, being careful not to 'iron in' any wrinkles. If the material has to fit over a domed shape (such as a wing tip), it has to be heated and gently pulled to stretch it over the shape - extra heat here will make the AERO SPAN more pliable. Start at the center of the tip and work outwards towards the leading and trailing edges. |
SHRINKING Increase the iron heat to HIGH. Start in the center and work outwards towards the edges. Work slowly and do not press the iron down on the material -- just rest the iron lightly on the surface and glide it slowly across the surface. The material will change colour slightly and tighten up. The original color returns on cooling. If a wrinkle is difficult to remove then heat up the nearest edge and pull the material to take it out. |
FINISH Trim off surplus material around the edge with a razor blade. Seal the trimmed edges down securely with the iron. Remember to make overlaps of at least 1/4" where pieces of AERO SPAN meet. |
NOTE air from a heat gun can reach 360°F, so if using a heat gun to shrink AERO SPAN always keep the nozzle of the heat gun at least 3" from the surface to avoid overheating the material. Thank you for selecting our product. |