Covering tools

[GreggG]

I'm just getting started on covering and was wondering if anyone has a preferred list of tools. I bought a hobby iron that is garbage, and my ski wax iron doesn't get hot enough per my digital thermometer.

What size needle do I need to stitch the tail feathers? Do they need to be curved?

Scissors; I have a couple new Fiskars pinking shears and normal shears. Do I need a rotary pinking sheer like I see on the videos? Speaking of videos, I've been watching the Stewart System videos and Mitch's. Any other good sources you can think of?

Thanks in advance,
Gregg

[Daveembry]

I'm am just getting started on covering and was wondering if anyone has a preferred list of tools. I bought a hobby iron that is garbage, and my ski wax iron doesn't get hot enough per my digital thermometer.

What size needle do I need to stitch the tail feathers? Do they need to be curved?

Scissors; I have a couple new Fiskars pinking shears and normal shears. Do I need a rotary pinking sheer like I see on the videos? Speaking of videos, I've been watching the Stewart System videos and Mitch's. Any other good sources you can think of?

Thanks in advance,
Gregg

Gregg, remember that the irons won't read correctly if you shoot them with the gun onto their shiny surface. It will read much lower. You have to either put a piece of masking tape onto the iron and then shoot the tape to get a good reading or put a scrap piece of fabric over it and pull very tight. The problem with the fabric is that is has to be pulled across the surface until its very tight against the iron to read correctly. The masking tape works much better.

I found that not putting as much glue (tak) as they do in the video works better. The Poly Fiber manual says to only apply the tak under the fabric and not on top. The reason is that if you put it on top, it seals the fabric sometimes before the bottom layer has worked it's way into the fabric. Don't get sloppy with the glue.....just a little where needed, then pull the fabric over it and then use the dry (meaning not much glue on it) brush across it to work the glue up into the fabric. Also, I found that if you run your gloved finger or hand right behind the brush, it will slide along and really make a nice, neat glue job. By right behind....I mean with your finger actually touching the back of the brush and you slide it along the fabric. You'll see "Steve" do that alot in the video. It works great. The brush (with a little tak on it) will actually glide over the fabric if a bit wet but only for a couple seconds. If the brush isn't "gliding" over it....then put just a little bit more tak on the brush and quickly run it down the glue line.

Don't use more glue than you need and try to not have it all over the tube or other metal surface any more than just at the spots you need. That extra glue to the sides is unneeded and may leave a wavy edge on the fabric. If you get too much glue under it, it will be lumpy and require alot of ironing over it to melt the glue. That makes more of a mess and it never cleans up really smooth. I think that's the biggest mistake...using too much glue. I never had a single seam pull loose when ironing and it sure looked nicer without all the glue along the edges of the fabric.

After the glue has dried some (or anytime before you paint on color), you can also take a rag with a little MEK on it and run along the glue line if some of it oozes up through the fabric. Don't use too much and don't linger or rub over an area too much. Just quickly wipe down the glue line over the fabric and it will smooth right out nicely.

I riveted all the fabic, so don't know much about the stitching (thank goodness). The factory is doing all rivets now.

I don't think I would use rotary scissors. You there isn't that much cutting and its very easy and you want to really take your time and follow a solid pencil line. Also I found that when using the pinking scissors, after you make one cut and open the scissors back up, that matching the teeth in the scissors with the cut you just made so they line up....makes for a much nicer cut.

When putting the poly brush on the tapes, I kept the poly brush nice and thick, especially along the edges of the pinked tapes. After putting on the tapes and then adding 1 more heavy coat of brush, you can take your hobby iron and go along the edges pushing outwards, and the poly brush will melt right into the pinked edges. If you do that and then add your 2 spray coats of brush; 2 spray coats of silver and then color coats......those pinked edges almost dissapear. You don't want to leave a big, uneven "glob" of brush along the edges...just s nice heavy coat that tapers out onto the fabric.

Dave

[GreggG]

Thanks for the great tips Dave. I'll try the masking tape and see what I get. Are they riveting the tail feathers too?

Gregg

[Daveembry]

Thanks for the great tips Dave. I'll try the masking tape and see what I get. Are they riveting the tail feathers too?

Gregg

Greg, yes....everything is riveted now. Much quicker. http://www.cubcraftersforums.com/sho...7031#post17031. Check out this link too.