EconoKote or MonoKote

I noticed that the MonoKote covering on my new airplane added 4.5 ounces of weight to the airplane. MonoKoat feels thicker than EconoKote so I used the micrometer to check the thickness of several colors.

Color MonoKote EconoKote

White .005 .0025

Yellow .0045 .0025

Orange .005 .002

Green .004 .002

Blue .0045 .0025

Black .004 .002

Red ------ .002

Silver ------ .002

Purple ------ .002

Dark Green ------ .002

I would assume sense MonoKote is twice as thick as EconoKote then MonoKote is probably twice as heavy and maybe twice as strong as EconoKote. MonoKote is also twice the price of EconoKote.

I noticed some things about EconoKote that I like. EconoKote has a shrink rate that is about 3 times more than MonoKote. I think if someone is a beginner at covering they should use EconoKote. It is thinner and easier to work with. It is not hard to get a good finished on the first try. The heat iron makes it stick very quick.

I noticed some things about MonoKote that I do not like. It takes more heat to make MonoKote stick. I have to hold heat on the MonoKote several times longer than EconoKote for it to stick or shrink. Covering needs to be almost perfect before you shrink MonoKote other wise it won't shrink enough and you end up with wrinkles that you can not remove. MonoKote will not stick to EconoKote.

I noticed that MonoKote will NOT stick to several things. I need a Lime Green spinner and can not find one so I tried to cover a black spinner with green MonoKote and it will not stick. Yellow and Orange MonoKote will not stick either. Yellow EconoKote sticks fine to the black plastic spinner. I experemented and found several things that MonoKote will not stick to. I had no trouble getting EconoKote to stick to all the things MonoKote would not stick to.

Hmm Monocoating a spinner, now that something you don't see every day. A picture perchance?

Regards

Mike

>I noticed that MonoKote will NOT stick to several things. I
>need a Lime Green spinner and can not find one so I tried to
>cover a black spinner with green MonoKote and it will not
>stick. Yellow and Orange MonoKote will not stick either.
>Yellow EconoKote sticks fine to the black plastic spinner.
>I experemented and found several things that MonoKote will
>not stick to. I had no trouble getting EconoKote to stick
>to all the things MonoKote would not stick to.
>
>Gary Weaver

One other thing Monokote won't stick to is glass. This, however, is wonderful, if you're making Monokote hinges!

LAST EDITED ON Nov-14-04 AT 12:21 PM (CST)
 
Great info. I used Carl Goldberg covering on my self made "Kept Foam" wing because it shrank at less heat than Monokote. I do like Monokote on my 750sq class jobs because it adds strength and tension to the wing. Also, supposedly, transparent Monokote is significantly lighter than Opaque Monokote.

"I don't know about this tuned pipe business. I practiced on that thing until my lips turned blue, and I still can't play a stinkin note."
"Homer J. Simpson"

Econocoat is a low heat covering designed to go directly over foam ect.It is alot more rubbery?Monocoat and Econocoat are both made by the same manufacturer.Econocoat is fine in freezing temps where as monocoat will shatter if hit .Monocoat will add lots more torsional strength to a open wing ect than econocoat.It also has a much nicer finish and covers over wood grain better ect.It does take alot of heat to make it pull around compound tipes ect.But just keep at the heat and it will go around a very tight compound curve.Don't try heat like this with Econocoat or you will have a puddle of rubber.2 coverings with different uses.Both have there place.

I have some transparent Monokote scraps some where. If I can find them I will edit this post and add that on.