KAVAN Iron-On Covering Film Light and Strong Polyester Iron-On Film for Model Aircraft Covering User Manual

Iron-On Covering Film Light and Strong Polyester Iron-On Film for Model Aircraft Covering
User Manual

Introduction

The KAVAN iron-on film is manufactured from a high strength yet very thin and light polyester polymer coated by a layer of heat-sensitive adhesive with high quality pigments.
Covering is done using separate pieces of the KAVAN film to each surface of your model. Do not try covering a whole wing or fuselage by wrapping around a single sheet of the film. Always cut over sized piece (extra 2-3 cm along the straight edges, 4-6 cm along the wing tips/curves). Before application, peel off the clear protective liner and lay the film (adhesive side down) over the part of your model and iron-on.
WING – Cover each panel separately, with one piece (or more in the case of a polyhedral wing) of the film for the underside and another piece(s) for the upper surface.

Covering the half of a polyhedral wing using four pieces of the KAVAN film: (A) bottom side of the wing panel, (B) bottom side of the wing centre section overlapping at least 0.5-1 cm at the centre, (C) top wing panel, (D) side of the wing centre section overlapping at least 0.5-1 cm at the centre.

FUSELAGE – Apply four pieces one by one: bottom side, left and right sides, top side.
CORNERS (e.g. in the tail area) – Cover the corner by a narrow (2-3 cm) strip of the film and then apply the film to the large surfaces in the same manner as with the wing.

Preparation for Covering

A little extra time spent in thorough preparation will pay of later. With just slight exaggeration, the final appearance of your model depends more on the quality of the airframe surface than on the covering film itself. The aim is to have a smooth even surface all over your model. Fill all holes and cracks with a suitable filler and sand smooth. The filler may not be much harder than balsa around, otherwise it is difficult to get smooth surface as balsa would sand off easier. Remember, any lumps or unevenness will show through the covering if not sanded smooth. Pay extra attention to hard non-porous surfaces (plywood, veneer). You can treat them with a thin coat of a heat-sensitive glue before covering.
Note: If you are covering e.g. a wing bottom and top side, you are about to trap the air inside between the ribs. Drill a series of small holes (1 mm is OK) through the ribs allowing venting the air. Otherwise, following the natural law, the heated air will expand as you shrink the film. Once cooled down again, you will be left with ugly loose film.
Finally, sand the entire surface of the model with a very fine sand paper (No. 360 or finer). Before covering, remove thoroughly dust using a vacuum cleaner (CAUTION – do not touch the surface of your model with the tip of your vacuum cleaner) and dry soft cotton cloth.
ATTENTION: Please take extra care thoroughly removing the sand/saw dust off of the model parts to be covered as well as your workspace. The dust not only hampers adhesion of the heat shrink film, but it also contains residual grains of the abrasive that might ruin the non-sticking coating coating of your sealing iron quickly.

Covering

Plan your covering and first do the small difficult parts (corners, complex shapes etc.) and finish with the larger easier areas. If you are new to iron- on filmstry starting with the tailplane. It is relatively small area but you will learn all the basics in here. And if you don‘t succeed the first time, only a small amount omaterial will be wasted.
Iron Temperature Setting
Correct temperature setting is the key to successful work wit the KAVAN iron- on film. It may not be too low, because the film would not stick to the surface of your model. It may not be too high as the film would wrinkle later. Actually, you will use at least two different temperatures: LOW temperature just to stick the film to the model safely. HIGH temperature to stick the film thoroughly and shrink it smooth. The HIGH temperature is also used for covering complex shapes (like wing tips.). You can determine the correct temperature setting with a simple test: cut 1-2 cm square of the film, peel of the clear liner, put it on your sealing iron (adhesive side up, indeed) and watch the film. If it just slowly, very lightly winks – it is the LOW temperature. If you touch it with a piece of balsa, it will stick to it. When peeled off (after cooling) it should take only a few balsa fibres off with it. Do not forget to mark the thermostat dial of your iron (if it does not feature a display). Now increase the temperature of your iron and put a new piece of film on it. If the test piece of film shrinks quickly and strongly – this is the HIGH temperature. Please note the square still remains “squarish”,

though wrinkled. The colour of the film becomes darker, but the original colour returns once cooled off.
The film may not shrink into a ball, get dark permanently or even burst in flames – that would be too high temperature setting. Again, do not forget to mark the thermostat dial of your iron. If your sealing iron features a display (or you have an infrared or contact thermometer), the LOW temperature should be about 95-100°C and the HIGH temperature should be 130-140°C; 140-160°C for “contouring” of curves. You should not use temperatures above 180°C.
Note: The above mentioned values are actual temperatures measured in the centre of the sealing iron shoe. Depending on the thermostat calibration/dial grading and performance/state of the heating element of your sealing iron you might have to set different values – therefore, you should always check the correct setting performing the simple test described above.
Open Framework (wing of spars and ribs, fuselage of longerons and formers)
A) Cut over sized piece (extra 2-3 cm along the straight edges, 4-6 cm along the wing tips/curves) of the film. Peel off the clear protective liner and lay the film (adhesive side down) over the respective part of your model. Set your sealing iron at the LOW temperature and SPOT TACK at few places around the edges with only light pressure from the toe of your iron.

Follow the numbers; pull the film gently to get a snug fit. If the film gathers into large wrinkles, untack with your iron, pull gently to remove the wrinkles and retack. Once tacked in place, seal the edges all around the framework or wing (wrapping the film around the edge); resting the sole of your iron flat on the edge of the framework and using a rocking movement around the edge of the frame. Next, set the iron to HIGH and re-seal the film all around the edges gliding the iron lightly over the surface. Now you can choose the method of shrinking – using a heat gun is preferable with the transparent covering film. With the sealing iron, shrink the film gliding your iron very lightly over the surface from the edges towards the centre. Work slowly and let the heat tighten the film. Finally, trim the extra film around the edges.
B) Another good method is ironing-on the film (LOW temperature) all along the length of the main spar first (between the points 9 and 10); then iron-on the film from the mains spar to the leading and trailing edges. Finally, seal around the edges and shrink at HIGH as described above. This method works on solid surfaces as well.
Solid Surfaces (sheet balsa, veneered foam etc.)
Cut over sized piece (extra 2-3 cm along the straight edges, 4-6 cm along the wing tips/curves) of the film. Peel off the clear protective liner and lay the film (adhesive side down) over the respective part of your model. Set your sealing iron at the LOW temperature. Start at the centre and iron outwards.
Use only light pressure to smooth the film down, at the same time gripping the film at the edge and pulling it outwards. Take your time, until the entire surface is covered, free of bubbles or wrinkles. Once satisfied, set your iron to HIGH and reheat the entire surface of the film, rubbing it down with a soft cloth as it is cooling, so that the film is firmly stuck everywhere.

Complex Shapes (wingtips)
Cut a piece of film at least 6-10 cm oversize all around. With your iron set at HIGH heat the film not only in the place to be actually ironed-on but also a bit outside (2-3 cm) whilst stretching the film out with your other hand (thus the large overlap to prevent burning your fingers). Continue heating and stretching the film in sections from one end of the shape to the other. You may have to go forth and back several times. If a wrinkle occurs, do not try iron it down. Heat the spot up, carefully peel the film off, touch lightly the film until the wrinkle disappears and the iron down again. Remember: The only wrinkles that may appear are only those made by yourself.
Under cambered Wing (concave surfaces)
Iron the film thoroughly to the bottom side of an under cambered wing with your iron set at LOW temperature. Then heat and shrink at HIGH setting only the film between ribs, do not touch the ribs and spars.
Fuel proofing
KAVAN covering film normally affected by model hobby fuels (glow, diesel or petrol). However, if fuel penetrates under the edges or between overlaps in the covering then it will soak into the wood causing the covering to loosen and weaken the wood as well.
To protect your model from fuel soak age give the entire engine and fuel tank bays (and everywhere fuel or exhaust fumes might get in) a coat of epoxy dope. Allow the dope to dry 24 hours and lightly sand with a very fine sand paper. After covering, apply another coat of the protective dope; this time apply the dope over the edges of the covering film to prevent fuel soak age under the edges.
Covering Tips
Using KAVAN covering film you can easily createe any colour schemes just by panelling film of different colours. Iron on the colour panels in a manner similar to spraying paints – light colours first, dark colours last. If combining different colours, e.g. rear part of the wing to main spar one colour, then front part of wing to main spar another colour, arrange the overlaps at panel edges facing “downwind“, when the model is flying. Using your sealing iron with a heat sock is highly recommended; it prevents scratches and also prevents creating of unevenly coloured “maps“ on transparent films (caused by quick and uneven heating of the film).
We believe your models will be lighter, stronger and nicer using the KAVAN covering film. Have a ball flying!

KAVAN Europe s.r.o.
+420 466 260 133
info@kavanrc.com
www.kavanrc.com
Doubravice 110
533 53 Parricide
Czech Republic
Made in China

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