3DwanaB

Covering a 33% Cowl with Monokote

Is it possible to cover a giant scale (33%) cowl with Monokote with all the rounded bends and curves involved with the openings at the spinner end???

I know a lot of builders use paint but has anyone been successful with a film covering like Monokote. I want to match the primary covering on the plane which is Pearl Yellow. Any suggestions are appreciated.

CrashMeister

My Feedback: (4)

I did it a few years ago on a 30% Extra 300L. I used metallic red monokote and wanted a perfect match.

1. Start with some scrap, or underneath the cowl, to get a feel for applying monokote over fiberglass.
2. Do NOT prime the cowl with paint primer. Prime it with finishing Resin and lightly sand it with 400 grit.
3. You simply cannot do this with even a few pieces, you meed to use LOTS of pieces.

I started at the back of the cowl and layed a strip of monokote over it. Working from the back, iron it down from the middle to one side and then the other, but never more that about 1" forward at a time. Watch carefully for any sign that it will start wrinkling. When (not IF, WHEN) that happens, cut the monokote straight across and iron down the last little bit. Move on to the next new piece, starting with about 1/8" overlap with the old piece. As you move towards the nose, and the curve starts to get more severe, you will start using more pieces.

It is essential to take your time. Don't make the iron too hot, just enough to make the monokote stick. You can go over it afterwards with a slightly hotter iron.

It's a lot of work, but done right it really looks good.

Craig.

CrashMeister

My Feedback: (4)

And another angle...

outssider

My Feedback: (23)

how about a close-up of just the cowl !

CrashMeister

My Feedback: (4)

I wish. That plane died a sudden and violent death a few years back.

Craig.

3DwanaB

Thanks Craig for the helpful description and pictures. Yea, I figured you would have a hard time doing it with just a few pieces but at least it can be done. I would have liked to see the cowl end also as outssider said. The plane looked beautiful, sorry it went down. Any more suggestions out there???

ml3456

I did and experiment covering a PVC wheelpant with Ultracoat. Work fine, but like Craig said, need to use many pieces. I like to use Ultracoat for my planes, but for something like this, it sticks at a lower temperature than Monokote.

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