A bit more on dyed silkspan...

Stuka Stunt Main Forum · 17 of 17 known posts recovered

TomK · May 04, 2004 07:36 AM

Someone mentioned that dyed tissue fades quickly but that dyed silkspan does not fade as quickly.

Is this the concensous?

I hate to go through all the trouble of dying the silkspan if it's just going to fade into a mess in one season...

Bill Little · May 04, 2004 08:10 AM

Don't worry, Tom, all the patches will be different shades!
By the time that poor airplane goes through a "season" with you, it will look like B-17 after 50 missions over the ball bearing factories!
LOL!!!

Bill <><

Just kidding, Buddy..... try the clear dope with tint.

When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends.
Japanese Proverb

captcurt · May 04, 2004 08:12 AM

#2 source

I think, for this discussion, tissue and silkspan were used to describe the same material.

If you use RIT to dye silkspan, it will fade quickly. Darker colors are worse.

Curt

Bill Hummel · May 04, 2004 08:15 AM

#3 source

Hi, Tom, my 2 cents. We tried a million ways to dye silkspan and tissue, all faded fairly quickly. Discovered Higgins fade-proof dye. Add to clear dope, and problem solved. Colors are still bright over two years later and counting. Easy to work with, lots of colors available. Noel Drindak wrote about it in his Stunt News column a year or so ago, article has all the "poop". Don't waste your time trying to dye silkspan. FWIW.

TomK · May 04, 2004 10:02 AM

#4 source

Where can this dye be had???

Jake · May 04, 2004 10:17 AM

#5 source

Most good drafting or art supply stores should have it.

mpa · May 05, 2004 08:14 PM

#7 source

Bill,
I bought some Higgins Fadeproof ink to experiment with. It seems to take quite a bit of ink to get enough pigment in the dope (I understand that multiple coats are necessary). The ink pigments are water-born; how will all that water affect the dope?
Derek Moran

Bill Hummel · May 05, 2004 09:07 PM

#8 source

Hi, Derek,
Have used the Higgins now on three ships over two seasons. No problem, and all colors are still bright. Takes two to three sprayed coats of the dyed dope to cover uniformly. Very light, very good finish. Totally satisfied!

Dale · May 24, 2004 05:55 PM

#12 source

I am building an Oriental and I wanted to use Jap Paper but I found the flaws in it very quickly. Way to thin! I am interested in finding out more about the Higgins meathod. How much to put in you clear ext. Thanks for any help.

Derek Barry

Jake · May 24, 2004 09:49 PM

#13 source

>I am building an Oriental and I wanted to use Jap Paper but
>I found the flaws in it very quickly. Way to thin! I am
>interested in finding out more about the Higgins meathod.
>How much to put in you clear ext. Thanks for any help.
>
>Derek Barry

Just double cover...

jake

Rustler · May 04, 2004 04:23 PM

#6 source

At a certain stage in a model's life, I give up and deliberately start patching with different colour coverings. Ultimately I even search out a colour that has not yet been used! Eventually the model develops a charm all of its own (someone said to me).

Dr Spark · May 06, 2004 02:31 PM

#9 source

It sure would be nice if someone would manufacture heavy-weight silkspan in colors. The only colors available are SIG tissue, which is too light for most of our planes. Just a slight over-pressure in cleaning and: voila! you have a hole in the tissue! I have had pretty good luck with analine dye mixed into clear butyrate, but dyed tissue would be better.

BTW, I bought a large can of analine dye called "Orasil Brilliant Scarlet" powder many years ago. It takes about 1 tbl-spoon of powder per pint of unthinned clear. If anyone would be interested in trying it, I can send enough for a stunter wing/tail at no cost to you.

My e-mail: AEROPLYCO @aol.com

Floyd

Currell · May 06, 2004 10:03 PM

#10 source

Dr Spark: The Sig Ply Span (actually from Japan) comes in red, orange, yellow and blue, and is essentially the heaviest grade of silkspan. Not lightweight at all.

True, they also offer the tissue weight paper too.

Currell

JohnT4051 · May 07, 2004 01:30 AM

#11 source

Yes, and alas, this is the stuff that fades rapidly. It sure looks nice when you first put it on.
--jt

>Dr Spark: The Sig Ply Span (actually from Japan) comes in
>red, orange, yellow and blue, and is essentially the
>heaviest grade of silkspan. Not lightweight at all.
>
>True, they also offer the tissue weight paper too.
>
>Currell

http://members.aol.com/johnt4051/northwestcl.html

GLBahrman · May 26, 2004 12:00 AM

edited#14 source

http://www.artsuppliesonline.com/catalog.cfm?cata_id=1844
HIGGINS COLORED INK

billjacklin · May 26, 2004 11:45 PM

#15 source

O.K., now for the $64 question -- does it work (or does ANYTHING work) on Polyspan?

Bill Jacklin
(A Ringmaster/Fox .35 kinda' guy)

Dr Spark · May 28, 2004 05:36 PM

#16 source

I just had another thought! (wow!). If I use dye in water or ink to color silkspan (or silk). It will dry and shrink before I put it on the plane.

If I wet it again, on another day, will it expand and then shrink as before? (I've never actually done that!)

But sounds reasonable..otherwise, how could they make the stuff in the first place?

Floyd