My Swap-Meet Ringmaster ! Smack Down!!!! The Resurrection Begins!!

Kim wrote:"What Stink...ah don't smell no stink'n stink !!!!"

I never smelled a dope I didn't like.

Mark Boesen wrote:...wow, i can smell the dope just looking at it, cool!

MAYBE FOR YOU !!! I JUST GOT IN A FIGHT WITH A PURPLE DUST BUNNY !!!!

it'll sand out!

are you gonna reshoot the whole plane? change color?

Mark Boesen wrote:are you gonna reshoot the whole plane? change color?

Eventually, I figure to recover the wing (really OUGHT to go ahead and do that now, but I just feel like patching!), and try to duplicate the colors of the fuse as closely as possible.
She ain't gonna be no Prom Queen, but hopefully a good flyer...

Now kids...don't try this at home !



I was so ragged...people used to call me "Patches" !



OK...that's it...I'm starting to hear Steppenwulf...and the radio ain't even on ! Time to cure the dope...and let him go to bed !!!

Good night America...and all you other people too !

My kind of magic carpet there! I rather miss using dope.

Phil

Yeah,

I'm gonna wish I'd just recovered the whole wing while I was at it...just got fixated on saving the builder's original work. Probably hit it again this evening, and see if I can get this puppy going!

Well done,

Beaten into submission after accidentally puncturing the remaining original silkspan on the Ringmaster, I cleared out a bigger area and got out all of my covering stuff. The Super is now getting a new layer of silkspan all around.

Also took a patch of the original silkspan to work and had one of the girls match it up to the Brodak chart. So now, I'm clear coating and waiting on a Brodak order of "Caribbean Turquoise" and "Aeronca Orange" !



While the silkspan and dope was flying, I figured I might as well ALSO start covering my Uncle Wayne's Goldberg Buster. So the Skunk Works REALLY smells like airplanes now !

It's for the best, otherwise you would have been chasing punctures over the whole wing. Kinda like ripping a band-aid off.

Looks great though. Kind of makes me want to give silkspan a go. Kind of........

Ron, I use silkspan all the time. I didn't show you , but on those combat foamies I was flying they had silkspan under the clear covering. Amazing strength can be gained with little weight penalty. On foam, I thin white glue to the consistency of milk and use a sponge brush to apply the glue water mix. I cut the pieces of silkspan and mist them lightly with water and lay over the glue. Silkspan can be applied to wood structures the same way. My father didn't allow dope in the house early on and this is how I applied it. I would dope the silkspan afterwards outside of course. I do remember him flipping out over the smell. Keeping the wood only dampened enough for attachment is key as you don't want to introduce warps into the material. I sometimes aided the drying with a hair dryer and I could warp the pieces manually if needed. Ken

Maybe I'll give it a go Ken. Last time I used tissue/dope was around 1984 or so when I built a stick tissue Mew Gull rubber powered plane. I do remember the smell permeating throughout the house. Luckily for me my father was more tolerant than yours. Had I known about the white glue I would have probably used that as it was cheaper!

Ron

cribbs74 wrote:It's for the best, otherwise you would have been chasing punctures over the whole wing. Kinda like ripping a band-aid off.

Looks great though. Kind of makes me want to give silkspan a go. Kind of........

Thanks Ron ! Yeah. Sometimes, I can get a major case of "Stupid", but it's usually short lived ! I thought it'd be great for the old plane to fly with at least some of it's original glory but the covering had the strength and texture of a dried leaf.

Also, if anyone can point me to a source of silkspan, I'd appreciate it. I think I bought the last of Sig's medium and heavy, and couldn't find it listed on Mr. Brodak's site.

I'm sure most people see it as an archaic covering method, but for me, it's as much a part of the hobby as flying the silly things, and when I finally finish one, there's a lot of "ME" instilled in the plane (for better or worse!).

I cut the silkspan to about an inch oversize, and lay the sheet in a cookie pan of water, while I clear dope the perimeter of the frame. Once the dope is dry, I blot the silkspan on my pants leg (yeah, but I dry out quick) so that it's just damp, lay it across the frame, drawing it out just so any major wrinkles are gone, and dope it's outer edges. On lighter frames, I do both sides as closely together as possible to minimize warping, sometimes wrapping the silkspan around in one piece, if the planform of the wing allows.

With the Ringmaster and Buster's bridge-like wings, I didn't worry too much about warps, but just hustled along anyway.

Once it's dry, I hit it with coat of full-strength clear to lock everything down. That cures overnight, then I keep clear coating 'till I get a reasonable shine, finally ending with color and masking on whatever. I also ofter cover the solid wood structures with a layer of light weight silkspan, which masks my assorted gouges and missteps! I've done this for decades, and it allows me to instill some REAL individual expression in my flying machines!









Sorry for the novel...the Folgers has me cranked up already!

I don't see it as archaic at all. Iron on finishes may be tough and quicker, but you can get really excellent finishes with Silkspan that are much more realistic looking.

There is a small Hobby Shop in York PA that has a good supply of Silkspan and Aero gloss dope still on it's shelves. I would give him a call and see if he will box it up and ship it too you.

Sweitzer's Hobby Depot
(717) 843-8321
935 E Market St, York, PA 17403

Brodak still lists silkspan available by sheets --- search his site for silkspan.

Penn Valley Hobby Center (http://www.pennvalleyhobbycenter.com/) also has it available by sheets, listed under Rubber/Freeflight finishing supplies. SIG has medium weight listed, but their site has no OOS indicator.

It's also still listed with some of the bigger hobby retailers, but they want to sell it in 20 sheet packs -- kind'a pricey, but I'm also seeing it out of stock in a lot of places. Now might be the time to get it while you can.

It is apparently being sold under the K&S brand --- it may have always been K&S, but I don't think so.

Prior to World War I there was no national recognition of those who had served our country. Folling the conclusion of WWI an "Armistice Day" was established on the belief that WWI had been "the war to end all wars" and that "the world had been made safe for democracy".

The WWI Armistice proved to be illusionary as very soon facism was on the march regardless of the newly created League of Nations. IIRC it was in 1921 that the national observance became one to honor veterans rather the the Armistice that ended WWI.

This theme is repeated throughout human history.

Edit: MODERATOR: Please post this in a separate thread as I did originally. Thanks.

Thanks Guys !! Will follow-up on all of these and check Sig and Brodaks again !!!!!

Got close to 20 mph winds across the hill this morning so, it's gonna be a Doping/Test-Run kinda day !!!!

Kim is awesome getting the Sterling directions scanned and emailed to me.

Thank you

Phil

Yes, this was listed in the Columbus Craigslist. The guy lives just a few miles from me. He also added a partially finished but incomplete voodoo-like wing when I said I intend to fly it.

I am not sure where I will fly it though. There are some fields by the public schools and some other places have lots of open space. My yard is big enough that I have a 90 ft circle of sorts between my house and the neighbors...it is about 1/3 over his lot and very downhill on the property line so watch your step, 1/2a only.

I have updated pictures of my progress...but having difficulties with the card reader. I'll get them on here soon.

Phil

My pics when I got the airplanes, and the progress when I febreezed it. Wings are straight, it appears odor free, and when I get covering film I will bring it in and cover it. I may or may not do some sanding, and the remaining silk span clinging on does not bother me since this is not going to be a show plane, but a glorified trainer.


https://i.servimg.com/u/f44/17/84/87/39/11050210.jpg

This is a voodoo like wing that needs lots done to it. It also has an enlarged and weakened motor mount so I am unsure what to do with it.


https://i.servimg.com/u/f44/17/84/87/39/10260210.jpg

Phil

Hey Phil,

You may want to try something to seal up that area behind the engine as much as possible. I know it's already been hit with castor, but it might extend the plane's life a good ways if you could block it off. I'm a bit amazed that it was left open the way it is...perhaps to keep kit sales going? I think I'm going to permanently bond the hatch to the fuse, with the fuel tank area sealed, and widen the part of it that wraps around the engine to allow it's removal.

I remember my Uncle Wayne's Ringmaster losing it's entire nose, with the engine rocketing off into the weeds. He was able to fix it somehow, but I'm betting it was caused by castor-rot !

Later !!!