User Instructions

ManualsBrandsTop Flite ManualsAirplanesMonoKote Metallic Charcoal 6'

Top Flite MonoKote is a thin, clear, protective  lm with

a pigmented adhesive on the back specially formulated for

model airplanes. MonoKote is applied with a Top Flite sealing iron. Heat from the iron shrinks

the  lm while simultaneously activating the adhesive tightly bonding it to your model. When

MonoKote is not heated, the adhesive is not sticky. The adhesive side has a clear, protective

backing that must be removed before application.

NOTE: MonoKote is best-suited for medium-size models in the 2 lb. [1000g] range and up. Smaller/lighter models may

be more suitable for MonoKote’s lighter, low-heat/low-shrink cousin EconoKote (though EconoKote may be used on larger

models, too).

One of MonoKote’s best qualities is its ability to resist creep. Creep is when overlapping seams, edges or trim lines pull

apart during the moment that the adhesive is soft and the  lm is shrinking. This results in wavy trim lines and seams

that can be seen on planes  nished with inferior covering.

BASIC TOOLS

Top Flite offers several useful tools and accessories for perfecting

your covering job, but we’ll keep it simple and show you how to

achieve a quality, durable  nish with the bare essentials, which are:

a Sealing Iron with a protective Hot Sock iron cover and a Trim Seal

Tool for applying covering to tight corners and nooks-and-crannies.

Don’t skip the iron cover—a Hot Sock slightly cushions the shoe of

the iron, distributes heat evenly and allows the iron to smoothly glide

over the covering. A couple of Hot Socks may be needed if covering

a large model. Other typical shop tools required are scissors, a

hobby knife (or two!) with plenty of new, sharp #11 blades, single-

edge razor blades, a straightedge and a clear and clean workbench

with a cutting mat. Finally, CA debonder is effective in wiping off

residual pigment that occasionally gets deposited during the

covering process.

A small platform and weight (such as a plastic bag  lled

with shot) are also indispensable for supporting parts

off your workbench and holding them down. The box

shown is a home-made wood stand with a foam top,

but a cardboard box and a small bath towel will also do.

Summary of content (13 pages)

PAGE 1
® Top Flite MonoKote is a thin, clear, protective film with a pigmented adhesive on the back specially formulated for model airplanes. MonoKote is applied with a Top Flite sealing iron. Heat from the iron shrinks the film while simultaneously activating the adhesive tightly bonding it to your model. When MonoKote is not heated, the adhesive is not sticky. The adhesive side has a clear, protective backing that must be removed before application.
PAGE 2
PREPARE THE MODEL A covering job’s worst enemy is a poorly-finished model with rough surfaces, gaps or uneven edges – MonoKote usually won’t hide these blemishes and sometimes seams to magnify them – especially darker colors such as black and insignia blue. When preparing a model for MonoKote, sand all surfaces smooth and even with progressively finer grades of sandpaper. No need to go any finer than 400-grit.
PAGE 3
2. Fold a crease near one end of the piece of covering, then use your Trim Seal Tool to iron it down into the corner. 3. Use the sealing iron to iron the piece down. Overlapping the edges of different pieces of covering thoroughly seals the covering to the part. There are instances where it’s best to underlap trim pieces, or overlap larger pieces, or both as shown below: 4. Use a single-edge razor blade or a hobby knife to trim the covering the desired distance from the surface (1/8” [3mm] is typical).
PAGE 4
7. Use the same techniques to seal the aileron cut out at the other end of the wing. The less-accessible parts of the wing are taken care of, so now it’s time to apply the main pieces of top and bottom covering. Take one last second to make sure the wing and your workbench are free from dust and debris. APPLY THE MAIN COVERING 1.
PAGE 5
. Going back to the middle, work the iron in a zig-zag pattern. Move the iron back-and-forth while gliding it toward the leading edge, pulling the film to keep it under tension—you’re simultaneously stretching the film while it is trying to shrink, thus laying it down tight. If working with an open-structure wing, skip the zig-zag procedure, but apply tension and bond the covering directly to the leading edge, and then to the trailing edge. 6.
PAGE 6
SEAL AND FINISH THE BOTTOM COVERING 1. You can slit the covering up from the corner (left), or use a straightedge to trim the covering past the end of the wing in the aileron cutout (right). 2. Pull and seal the covering down over the trailing edges. 3. Seal the covering to the end of the wing at the aileron cut out. 4. Cut excess covering at the trailing edge. 5. Make sure all the cut edges are thoroughly sealed down.
PAGE 7
6. Pull and wrap the covering around the leading edge of the wing for a suitable overlap between the top and bottom pieces—about a 1/8” [3mm] overlap is usually desirable for medium-size models, so wrap the bottom covering up over the leading edge about that much. FINISH THE WING TIP AND ROOT Now it’s time to tackle the wing tip. Wing tips are actually pretty easy with the right tools and techniques.
PAGE 8
There are two methods for trimming the covering from around the tip and the leading edge… A. You can peel the covering back to the point where it is to be trimmed… …then cut along the crease (a singleedge razor blade usually works best here)… B. Or, you can apply 1/8” [3mm] masking tape to the wing and use it as a guide for cutting. Either way, the result should be the bottom covering tightly wrapped up and around the top of the wing with a clean, even-cut edge.
PAGE 9
5. Use your trimming guide to trim the covering the desired overhang – approximately 1/8” [3mm] is suitable in most areas such as this. 6. Cut small “petals” into the overhang material around curved edges – the tighter the curve the smaller the petal. 7. Use your Trim Seal Tool to lightly pull and seal each petal to the end of the wing. 8. Examine the entire piece, looking for any areas not shrunk or bonded to the wing. Use your covering iron to repair any areas found. The bottom of the wing is finished.
PAGE 10
2. Position the graphic, then wipe away most of the solution with a paper towel. 3. Use a piece of soft balsa to thoroughly squeegee out all of the solution. Allow to dry at least overnight – 24 hours or more is even better. 4. After all residual solution has evaporated from between the graphic and the main layer of MonoKote you must iron it down with medium heat.
PAGE 11
3. If the corners are rounded like the one in this wing, cut “petals” the same as the around the root of the wing. 4. Use your Trim Seal Tool to iron the covering down around and inside the edges of the opening. 5. Because the corners of this hatch opening are rounded, we switched to the rounded shoe of the Trim Seal Tool to iron the little petals down. 6. For the aileron hatch cover, iron a piece of oversize covering into place. 7.
PAGE 12
8. Because the corners of the hatch cover are rounded, the “petal” technique was used here again. 9. Cut the opening for the servo arm and iron the covering down around the inside for a thoroughly sealed hatch. 10. When covering tail surfaces that have open structure, expanding air trapped inside causes the film to expand, not allowing it to tighten.
PAGE 13
Try to avoid seams directly at corners. ● If possible, try to avoid seams directly on corners. Instead, wrap the covering around the corner so it will be less likely to lift or catch from handling or cleaning. Better ● For large or more complex covering jobs the 21st Century Sealing Iron is the ultimate because it has an accurate, indexed heat setting dial, a contoured shoe and a longer cord. Use a 21st Century cover sock with the 21st Century iron.