[j3_av8r]

I have an ancient model of a Cornell that was finished in silk and dope that I would like to refinish. The problem is I am having trouble getting the silk and dope off the large sheeted areas. Picking at it with an Xacto blades and razor blades only lifts a tiny little piece off and sometimes leave a gouge. Also I have tried a heat stripper and that was not horibbly successful. I would prefer to not use dope thinners with the associated mess and smell. Any other ideas out there?

Thanks,

[Cross Check]

Hi Andy,

If you think silk/dope is hard to get off,...try covering with it ! (Joke)
(It takes craftsmanship, to do a nice silk covering job!)

When Monokote/heat shrink films first came out, I had the 'pleasure' of more than several 'strip to bare balsa' re-coverings...

This is what worked for me, and I learned it from 70s Model magazines:

-wash with soap and water to remove any oil/grime/wax. Let dry.

-Lightly #100 scuff the top finish on all sheeted/rib areas. DO NOT sand into the silk fibers. (This is to get the thinners under the silk)

-wet a rag with thinners to locally 'soften' the silk/dope you want to remove. (Dope thinners back then, I prefer Acetone.) Wait a minute, the dope will soften. Peel back the silk as you soften the dope... It is like peeling a frozen banana, slowly. A 48in span wing should take 30 minutes or so. Do it outdoors, Way Easier than fielding smelly complaints...

-with the silk removed, the remaining dope is easy to block sand out with #120+ to apply heatshrink covering of your choice.

-be careful of sanding through thin LE wing sheeting. Do Not let joints get soaked with thinner. It will soften old (Amberoid/Sig-Ment) balsa glues.


Hope this helps, I know you were asking for a 'non-stinky thinner' way to do it, but I do not know such a way. (yet !)

Good Luck with your project.

Take care,
Have fun,
Dave'crosscheck'Fallowfield
Maac 6437
Unabashed Combat Team

[j3_av8r]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the thorough description. That doesn't sound too bad. Once the weather warms up, I'll take it outside and give it a shot.

Regards,

[Dale Hunter]

As Dave has directed. All I can add, is temperature does play a part. A comfortable temperature outside will assist verses a cooler day that will tend to impeed the thinner softening the dope.
Hope this helps, Dale



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