flyerdarren

I'm working on my first ARF, and there are a few minor wrinkels in the covering on the wing. I was wondering if a hair drier wouuld be able to shrink those out.

Thanks,
Darren

kkshazzam

Not really. It will not get hot enough.

TERMAGATOR

My Feedback: (2)

try it and let us know if it works. I think post #2 is right...G

flyerdarren

I'll give it a shot, and let you all know how it goes...

Lightfoot

My Feedback: (1)

If it is the shelf-paper type covering, any heat will only make the conition worse.

flyerdarren

The covering is Ultracoat. The hair dryer actually took out some of the smaller wrinkels but couldn't do much with the bigger ones. They are actually not that bad, I'm just a perfectionist I guess. Any ideas on getting the big ones out with something I could fiind around the house?

Thanks,
Darren

Crash_N_Burn

I'd try a clothes iron.

You'll need about 225-300 (350F MAX) degrees F....I think they'll go that high(?).

Start on low and sneak-up on it, yes? And if you do have it very high, stay away from the seams (edges) or you'll compromise the tack point and it will distort and pull away. Hard to fix.

flyerdarren

Thanks, I'll have to try this while the wife is out shopping or something, she'd kill me if she caught me using her iron for this...

kkshazzam

Try this idea at your own risk. We use it to shrink the covering on some helicopter blades and it works amazingly well.
Take a tea pot full of water and bring it to a boil.
Hold your plane over the steam and let the steam do the shrinking.

flyerdarren

Could you also use the steam from an iron?

Jemo

My Feedback: (5)

Hobby heat guns are typically 1000 watts. Hair driers are from 1200 to 1600 watts, therefore the hair drier will work, but it's the concentration of the air from the heat gun that makes it better, in other words the nozzle is smaller.

Steam at atmospheric (sea level) pressure is 212 deg. F ., it only gets hotter when under pressure or when super heated.

kkshazzam

I doubt it. Not enough volume.

CafeenMan

I've shrunk covering directly over a burner on the stove. Of course you have to be very careful not to reduce the covering to a molten ball of plastic on the stove.

I suggest you get a real heat gun. You'll get plenty of use from it as long as you're in this hobby.

DBCherry

My Feedback: (4)

Gotta agree with Cafeen. The "real" heat irons are cheap enough too.

Devo

I'd like to point out that an excellent way to warp wood is with steam. Buy a heat gun. $15.00, well worth it.