Do You Know This Covering?

Nov 07, 2009 4 Replies

So, I'm finally putting trim on the Nobler! It's amazing how good International Orange can look when you mate it up with black.



But, the black iron-on covering I have is just not acting right. It's stuff that I picked up at a garage sale almost 30 years ago, so I don't mind declaring it trash. The problem is that it seems to have a very narrow heat range between shrinking and the adhesive melting all the way and permanently letting go of the film.



Does that ring a bell with anyone? I'm thinking of just chucking it and buying a roll of Ultracoat tomorrow (so much for my grand plan of running out of plastic so I can just use silkspan from now on).



Please, someone tell me that Ultracoat won't just do the same thing!


D'oh -- I just answered my own question, at least the second half. Took some yellow Ultracoat & aimed my "way too hot Tim that's for car upholstery" heat gun at it and _mangled_ the Ultracoat. I could make it ugly, but I couldn't make the adhesive part with the film.

(It's gotta be Ultracoat, 'cause that's what the LHS has that'll stick to Econocoat without melting the Econocoat).

On Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:55:33 -0600, Tim Wescott wrote in :

It is possible to put on trim strips of Monokote with very low heat.

Just warm fingers will get it to stick a little bit.

Or you can use a heat gun with the heating element turned OFF (normally the setting used to cool the cun down after you're done shrinking something).

Once you get the trim very, very lightly stuck to the Econokote, then you go around the edges once (1 time only!) with a cotton swab that has been dipped in trim solvent.

Then you leave it alone for a day.

If you use too much heat, the trim strips will shrivel up and make an ugly mess.

If you go around the edges twice with the Q-tip, you will melt too much of the trim adhesive and it will wash out from underneath and you will be left with bare plastic that has lost its color and its glue.

When it is done wrong, it makes a mess. I am an authority on making messes. When it's done right, it gives an amazing result. I've seen what other people have done, so I know it can be done. ;o)

Marty

I'm thinking that covering would work fine with marty's method of trim solvent for trim. If you need it to cover a large area you may be out of luck. I consider Ultracore a high heat covering that wouldn't be good on econocote but I could be wrong, it might be fine for trim. mk

I never did see your "An Ignomious Moment"

D'oh indeed.

formatting link
Ultracoat certainly _sticks_ OK to Econocoat -- tomorrow (hopefully, it was supposed to be today but Kids Happened) I'll find out if it'll stick and go around corners and stuff without messing up the Econocoat.

Join the Discussion

Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.

Didn't find your answer?

Ask the community — no account required