This video is very useful. It will be a hint for builders all over the world to create beautiful model aircraft with a high degree of perfection. thank you.
And in 2221 the builders of that era will still be watching this definitive tutorial by one of the masters of the hobby. Thanks for the video Tom, this is a real legacy you are building!
Thx, that's a hopeful thought...but then again, 2000 doesn't seem that long ago. Time flies. Now is the time to share these experiences of the past 35 years of building for free-flight. I've been fortunate to have so many friends around the world thru this hobby. I can't imagine the course of my life without it. Thx to my dad, who gave me the bug for flight as a youngster in the 60s.
Over decades I have watched covering videos starting with DVDs for the original Monokote going through I don't know how many You Tube covering videos. This is the absolute best of all. After all this time and experience I learned more in this 30 minutes than I would have believed. And, I enjoyed every minute! Can't wait for installment 3 of your new Basics series!
Covering is probably one of my favorite parts of the build- and thanks I learned much from your tips and watching your techniques! We appreciate the effort you're putting into these episodes, Tom.
Yes, you do very good work, thank you for sharing your methods with us. I started building stick &tissue flying models in 1963 but the materials available today are not the same as back then. So these videos are most helpfull for this old dog to learn some new tricks! Laramie.
Thank you for making this video. My Dad recently passed away and I was going through some of his stuff and found an airplane kit that uses the tissue to cover it. Your technique is going to help me finish the project and remember him and his joy for flying.
I like the no.811 tape "masking." I've used repositionable Post-It notes in similar applications. I cut varying width strips off the top (sticky part) of the sheet, and they are easy to handle w/o sticking to all my "thumbs."
Glad to see I'm not the only one that puts glue on all surfaces instead of just the edges. The low tack scotch tape is a great tip for nice straight glue overlaps and I never thought to use alcohol to seal edges and make sure all surfaces are stuck down. I can't thank you enough.
Great video and it explained why I have had mixed results with gluestick use. I was expecting too much of it on the initial application. Seeing the alcohol soaking and rubbing with a finger to get it all stuck down makes all the difference in the world. I am anxious to try the gluestick again, so thanks for teaching an old doggy new tricks.
Just discovered your channel and am binging. I'm a bit proud to have stumbled blindly on many of these techniques over the years. I need to get back into this. I can build okay but could never get the flying down, never understood the braiding, winding, trimming thing until now. Many thanks. Craftsmanship, artistry, engineering, history...it's all rolled up into this. amazing. Thank you.
Tom, thank you for sharing your techniques with the next generation and me as well! I learned so much, especially with regard to gluing the tissue along all of the frame members- as it allows for much easier tissue repair- as this is something that I have struggled with, when damage happens, and will adopt your process. Most importantly, thank you for elevating our hobby!
Thanks for another very informative well produced video. I saw the write up about you in the latest AMA magazine. The picture of your build is great. It's nice to see some free flight stuff in a R/C dominated mag.
Same here...I was stunned. The white Hallmark tissue posted in the link above is even better than the Walgreens product. Picked some up today at the store. Almost as light as Esaki, with a definite grain, and a shiny & dull side. Go figure.
Thanks for taking the time to do this vid Tom, it was very helpful. Met you at Geneseo last yr, couldn't go in '23 but will be there in '24. Thank you again.
You have no idea how much this helps. I just started building last year and I have had very little to go on. I need a tutorial on working with music wire and how to secure it to the plane for landing gear.
Great background music, great content. Post retirement engineer here, harkening back to boyhood modeling. Lost the use of my thumbs for two years until I found a surgical prosthesis. You don't really appreciate what you have until you don't have it any more, and I am very fortunate. Time to build some models. Subbed. Will be watching.
Again, this is pure gold. Thank you and well done. The 811 low tack tape idea for tissue joints is very helpful as is the method of joining the curved fuselage top to the flat sides. Thirdly, I originally learned to apply adhesive to the perimeter of the piece to be covered. That is okay if you follow it with dope. These days I use glue stick and spray lacquer. From now on I will apply glue stick to the interior parts as well.
My stupid big sausage fingers would have torn the tissues and smashed the balsa to tooth picks. This is a labor of love, and you sir are an master craftsman. Thank you for posting these videos
This seems to work much better then the "brushing through the tissue with watered down Elmer's glue" method. Thanks for sharing. I'm definitely going to pull this up again when I'm covoring my Guillows Flyboy.
The alcohol re-activating the glue stick is an important thing, if you do this I’m pretty sure you won’t have tissue coming loose, as I have in the past. I’ve been specifically burnishing the tissue pretty hard into the adhesive, but this method means you don’t have to hurry, and can loosen the glue a bit to make small corrections
Thx Jonathan. To my surprise, the Hallmark stores have an even better product than the one they sell thru Walgreens. It's lighter and more uniform.The link is in the film description. They sell a number of types of tissue, so be aware...much of it is domestic. But this appears to be quite good for our F/F needs. Has a grain and a dull & shiny side.
OMG, This is excellent...Thank You Tom, You are a pro. A lot have been asking how to do this...Watching skilled hands at his craft is so pleasurable too, as enjoyable as the flights even...Moses
What an excellent video! I've been covering models for many years and there are some tricks you showed that I had no clue about. I am very close to covering my Dumas Beaver and will surely watch this video again before doing so. I also have to go out and get me some of that low tack tape! I would dearly love to see a video on setting up decalage on a biplane, strut attachment and rigging. These things have always given me tremendous difficulties. Thanks for the time and effort you put into these videos.
Thx, Glenn. While I haven't done a tutorial on setting up bipes, I've posted photos of a jig that I've used to set one up. Go to the 3:35 mark. th-cam.com/video/nhil_BqtyIM/w-d-xo.html The film also includes a link for the stooge (in the film description) that u can print out.
Returning to building and flying and appreciate the two videos I’ve seen in the series. Particularly the Krylon spray as I left the hobby when nitrate dope was the matter of course. You’re bringing me up to date. Although I know how to test for grain you may want to address the issue, along with the importance of grain direction. That is unless I was distracted when you posted it. Thanks again. Leonard
Tom, I love these videos! so much info is gleamed from them. Of course I have a question. When printing on tissue, you put the tissue on top of the image? How does it transfer? Great video! You have single handedly made this more fun and enjoyable! Thank you Tom!
Thx, Rick. Oh, I see the confusion. I printed the design on the bond paper first, for positioning. Then I attached the tissue, and ran it thru the printer again...which printed directly onto the tissue.
@@maxfliart my first thoughts before seeing you tac the tissue to std paper was you must have a special printer.. gone are the days of stenciling nitro laquer onto wax paper & floating it off.. exercise in patience that was.. i have a vastly different method of applying tissue that ive never had a wing warp & always easily finishes with a drum tight skin.. my mother devised when i was an 8yr old kid.. using thinned powder cellulose wall paper paste premixed the day before, & using a fine paintbrush applied all over the tissue.. before you chuckle.. try it.. also.. the section of air frame/wing is sat/mounted on a flat building board/sheet of hardboard & the pasted tissue is draped over the frame section & adhered to the board.. as it dries the board takes the tension stresses.. & because the balsa frame absorbs & retains paste moisture longer than the tissue panel between.. the panel dries quicker & the tissue in contact at the frame is allowed to slip with the drying tension just enough, thus transferring the stress out to the board.. & the skin finish is evenly drum tight.. i always overlapped the edges after cutting, with a little paste to finger lap the edges sealed.. my later models as a teen were sealed with light dry spray coats of lightweight nitrocellulose laquer with a few drops of caster oil added as a plastisizer to the laquer, to mitigate air/humidity affects.. very easy system to retissue for repairs of whole airframe sides/wings.. Sections like wings tip need no relieving or letting in, the tissue easily shrinks to conform to the compound curves etc & join overlaps at edges etc stretch & form in a paper mache manner.. its much much lighter weight than dope.. any colouring was added to the paste
After dad had taught me how to cover rounded wing tips, I really liked doing that part. Boy, he was great at covering a model! Sadly though the old Areogloss, and Comet dope would get real brittle over the years. And the nitro engines especially the Cox engines, and their fuel would penetrate the dope and soak the wood with oil. Back then there weren't really any good fuel proofers to protect the finish. I also lost the last balsa model dad built to age. It was a Guillows Sopwith Camel, and had been hanging from the ceiling for years and one day when I got home from work, I found it on the floor and it had disintegrated. It was like 45 years old. But nothing lasts forever.
I haven’t put tissue on balsa in about 50 years, but your video and some of the indoor championships are enticing me to give it a try again. It’s the holiday season perhaps I should be looking for some tissue paper. Well done sir.
It's a quick 2-step process for me: Hit "like", then add to my "Maxfliart" playlist. Sure makes it easy to return to a specific video/tip! Thanks Tom, for all the work you do creating these wonderful videos--they are such high caliber creations! I've dabbled some with my GoPro/cycling activities, and it is no mean feat! BTW, really enjoyed the music in this one...
@@davidduganne5939 Thx, David. It does step up to another level of focus, but I'm really enjoying the process. Gets me to the field, too, where I never know what's going to happen. A bit safer than cycling, I'm sure. Glad u and the troops enjoy them.
Great video! One thing I noticed is that you apply glue to every surface that contacts the tissue (each rib, stringer, etc), whereas I’ve only been gluing around the perimeter of each piece of tissue. I’ll give your method a try on my next model. Thanks!
Thx for the feedback, Chris. Attaching to every surface adds strength, with the bonus of already being secure, should any of the sections of the wing or fus need repair.
Great Video! As a kid, in the old days, I used a 50/50 of elmers glue and water to put on the tissue and then shrink with water and apply 50/50 low shrink dope. Your methods seem so much easier and better. I never thought to pre shink tissue in the old days.
You are a good person, Tom, for revealing your procedures and advice. Not everyone is able to pass on their experience. You have my admiration! Tom, I have one question, do you buy the coated paper dyed or do you dye it yourself. If so, how do you do it?
Thx for the kind words & feedback. All of the colored tissue shown at the start of the film was purchased as is. But the blue tissue along side the purple and pink a few frames later, was originally the white Hallmark tissue. I simply air brushed it using the same air brush that I used to spray water on the orange tissue. The paints are the acrylic enamels shown in the box, the Americana "Gloss" Enamels. They're thinned heavily with water to a milky consistency, then lightly sprayed in many layers, until the desired color is achieved. They're an inexpensive source of paint, ideal for our needs.
Thanks to your recommendations, I scored two packages of Hallmark Inspirations tissue at Walgreens. They were $2.50 per pack on a post Christmas sale. Thanks for another great tip.
Cheap thrills. Glad u got the 2 for 1 sale. I did that last year, then shared the tissue with friends, as it's a lifetime supply!! FYI, Hallmark's 35 sheet pack, listed in the description above, looks to be even better tissue. Lighter, and a cleaner finish. Almost looks like esaki. But it's only in this 35 sheet pack, so go figure. www.hallmark.com/gift-wrap/tissue/white-tissue-paper-35-sheets-399TIS1016.html?searchterm=399TIS1016&searchkey=399TIS1016&oq=399TIS1016
@@maxfliart Yes, all well and trying to stay safe. Flying grounds are scarce here these days so I've been sailing model yachts for a few years. They don't crash either! Take care, Noel
I've updated the Rubber Turns Calculator for any newcomers to FF rubber. With the way rubber can change throughout the years, this chart will give you a good place to start. Use it only as a general guide. hallmanstudio.com/rubber_turns_calculator.pdf
Outstanding Tom! I think I’m going to have my middle school club watch this! I may have missed it, but did you show how to measure and mark the tissue pieces, particularly that wingtip? I find that is kind of a daunting thing for my kids.
thank you for another brilliant video in the series. I am currently re-reading the Don Ross books, and JUST this morning, i thought "there has got to be a more modern way" I've been using glue sticks, but never knew to use alcohol to loosen, stretch, reactivate. and the removeable scotch tape? absolute bonkers brilliant, thank you scalloping formers? wow! Towel as holding surface - cool i think my covering game (one of my many weak points) is about to get stronger. You asked for sharing suggestions on what next? - cutting balsa. for me? notching ribs and formers - sanding technique. how do you get such smooth, round surfaces, what tooling to you enjoy using thank you again, this series "gives me joy." (as MarieKondo seems to say)
Again I'm learning. Thank you. Alcohol to soften glue stick and a light aerosol clear coat. More steps than just slapping dope on, but man that stuff is noxious and it must be heavy in comparison.
Thx, I agree. That's what I felt at the time. Hated the smell of dope...which of course, then entire house would know that the dope is flowing. Now, with the glue stick, I'm more stealthy. :-D
I'm trying this method for the first time after years of using the 50/50 white glue method. Since you didn't use waterproof inks, how were you able to keep the printed elements from bleeding when applying the water/alcohol after application? My test piece bled terribly when I sprayed it. Thank you!
I was going to ask the same question. I printed tissue recently for the first time and it came out nice. I glued it to my model then hit with the Rust-Oleum sealer. A day later I hit it with some water and just looked messy after drying.
I never had much luck with tissue covering when I was a kid. It never shrank right and was always full of loose areas and wrinkles. I wouldn't mind trying a tissue covered kit again sometime if I had any hope of better success.
Yes and no. I like how much of it is still the way my dad built in the 1930s...yet there are surely a few elements that step it up a bit in modern times. But I like how F/F will always be rooted in old-school, classic flying.
The videos in this series are excellent, as are all your videos. Hopefully these will contribute to keeping the art alive, and demystify the process for new modelers. Do you ever use dope to cover? Do you use this process for larger tissue models?
Thx, Mark. I've not used dope since my return to F/F in '88 with the 1936 Hydration MB floatplane. It's what I knew back then. Shortly after, my mentor, the late Bud Carson, turned me on to the use of Krylon. He called it "magic in a can" for F/F. Added very little weight, yet it contained a plasticizer of sorts that prevented the continual shrinking of the tissue, which is often the issue with dope, at least when using it on lighter structures. Our goal was to keep the models light, for lower wing loading and more duration (indoors and outdoors) without warping the frames. I have models that are 20 years old, and the wings and tails surfaces have remained true. Indeed, magic in a can. Just needs a dusting, is all.
Mr. Hallman, thank you for your detailed videos. They are certainly invaluable for all of us in this hobby. I have a question about the propeller shaft hook. Use of sliding peg certainly prevents bunching of the motor at the rear end; but how do you prevent bunching on the prop hook? With such long and many turns I see that you can attach the hook to the hard wound rubber so easily. Are you using the so called S-hook? I use O-ring and plastic tube that slips on the U-shaped (not diamond or round shaped hooks) hook. But even this prevents bunching only to some extend. Perhaps it is something you have tutored before and I have missed somehow.Greetings from Istanbul,Turkey.
Thx for your comments. You are correct, for the prop hook I use what my friends call the "reverse S hook". It's a bit odd to figure out how to bend one at first, but I'm going to do a short film soon, showing how it's done. What's beautiful about this hook is that (99% of the time) it prevents rubber bunching or wrapping around the prop shaft. I can typically make one in under a minute, so hopefully the tutorial will make it clear, so that anyone can make one.
I used to build and fly (U-control, or line control and RC) balsa planes in the early 70's to late 80's. I started building and covering with paper and dope. I eventually started covering with Monokote and never went back to paper. I like this paper covering method of glue sticks and alcohol. Recently I became intrigued about building balsa planes again. (I quit building around the year 2000). I have been building plastic models for about 6 years and want to try the balsa kits again, so I bought 10 Guillows kits. Where can I find all of these different types of tissue papers? Are there any that I should avoid? I will follow you for more tips - thank you for the inspiration!
This a fabulous video. I'm not sure about the inkjet process - I understand the goal is to transfer the art to the covering paper, but I don't understand the process. Can you advise please.
Thx, Rick. The pig art was by my six year old granddaughter, the type was a font that I have on Photoshop, and the wood grain came from a stock photography site.
I'm finding these Free Flight Basics tutorials really useful - and inspiring. I've followed this one, scaled my RAF roundels and printed on to yellow tissue - of course I forgot that the printer doesn't print 'white'! I've applied some white tissue but I suspect I may need to have a few layers before the white stands out. All was good until I sprayed and then the colours bled. Should I have sealed the roundel first before shrinking? Also, what pigments do you use? One last one - any chance of a dedicated 'Basics' on trimming? Many thanks for inspiring us to improve our model building 🙂
Thx for reaching out and for the kind words. For roundels on yellow tissue, I'd suggest printing them on white tissue, then before you cut them out and apply to the yellow, spray the back of the tissue with white, and then lightly with silver. Both work together to create a solid block of opacity, preventing the yellow from showing through. I use water-based Americana *Gloss* acrylic enamels, which are available here in the US at most craft stores. I thin them heavily with water to a milky consistency, They're very similar to the much more expensive Model Master Acryls or the old Pactra acrylic enamels. Regarding trim flying, check my channel for "anatomy of a trim session". There I've gone thru the trimming process with a number of models, step by step.
@@maxfliart Many thanks for the suggestions - I'll try that approach for the roundels. It's certainly more straightforward than what I was thinking 🙂. I'll try the thinning suggestion for the enamels as well. Keep up the excellent work - I watch your flying videos while I'm babysitting as they provide hours of relaxation and inspiration 🙂
Tom, Thank you for all the tips in your covering video. As for inspirations tissue from Hallmark, I bought some, used it to cover a 30" Mr. Milligan wing topside. I'm not sure it's as useful as standard Hallmark tissue available year round at Walmart. The standard Hallmark tissue seems more like Esaki, it's lighter than the Inspirations and has a shiny & dull side PLUS has some wet strength. If you have a chance, give it a try... Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Steve Probelski
Thx for the update, Steve. I too found the same to be true, as the Hallmark in a 30 sheet pack was really quite nice, as uv described, with a cleaner texture too...and yes, lighter. I saw some other Hallmark white in their smaller packets, 10-20 or so, and found that 1/2 was the good stuff, with the rest more like domestic with no grain. Bottomline though, for just pennies a sheet, it's a quick and easy fix when in need of some tissue. Cheers.
A great tutorial! I wonder what the equivalent brands are here in the UK? Sometimes I have seen tissue that comes as packaging for shoes etc, which looks a likely candidate once straightened out.. Most informative! 👍
Thx for the feedback, Peter. Yes, the same holds true for every rib on the wing, or stick on the stab. Adds strength, and also allows repairs to be easier, since u can spot repair the given section vs an entire wing panel or fuselage side.
Thanks for another great video. I finished my first tissue covering job on a Kirby Cadet glider following this video and was very happy with the results I achieved. These videos are priceless. I am working on another glider that has an under camber wing and was just wondering if this technique will work on that or are there some additional little tricks I should use.
Thx for the feedback...glad it's working out for you. Under camber should work fine. I tend to lay the tissue onto the ribs first, hit each rib with alcohol thru the tissue to secure, then finish by gently pulling the tissue over the LE & TE. I did this with the Gollywock and Martinsyde S.1 bipe, and it worked out well.
Thx, Mike. It's a normal stick. Inexpensive. Package says it's purple but dries clear. For some reason, the purple sticks seem to go on better than the clear or white, but I'm sure either would work.
That was beautiful as ever Tom. Even a bit elegiac, like many of your videos. Watching your hands is like watching the hands of a pianist. Maybe you play piano? But we need a video about motors, braiding and winding please. Thanks. Tom (from France)
Thx, Thomas. Not a pianist, but my oldest son picked it up naturally. Must skip a generation. Thx for the feedback. Check out the first in this series on braiding motors. I hope to elaborate on winding and motor sizes etc in the future. th-cam.com/video/EPP-6e_gTkI/w-d-xo.html
@@maxfliart thanks for replying Tom. And yes, I saw the video you mentioned after I had left my message above. At some stage in the future I am going to start building (for the second time in my life) the very large Tigerr Moth model by Rupert Moore. The first time I did it, I followed the plan scrupulously, and used all the old techniques. It flew nicely, though came in pretty heavy. It has gearing in the nose block, and I don't know if I'll follow that this time. Anyway, I won't go on about it now, but i may need to ask you some crucial questions at a given moment. Thanks again, Tom (me)
Thanks for a great video. I would like to know if there any advantages or disadvantages to covering any flat surfaces to the tissue while it is still in the frame. Looking forward to the next installment.
Thx Tim, great video. One question, with printing. You had printed the design out and after flue tissue over it and run thru printer. R U reprinting the design or just running thru printer, cheers Graham.
The print onto the white bond paper is merely to know the correct positioning of the orange tissue. Or think of it as a test run. Then I glue the tissue to the bond paper, and run it thru again...with the ink then printing onto the tissue.
I was framing and tightening my sheets of tissue tonight but it didn’t get the drum tight finish. I used the white Uhu gluestick and I noticed that with spraying the tissue the edges loosened on the frame. Do I need another type of glue stick or does it need to dry longer?
I've only used the purple or blue glue sticks, and never had any issues with it loosening from the frame while shrinking. It doesn't take more than a few minutes to set up solid, so I'd be ok with shrinking the tish at that point. Did u perhaps use too much water?
I tried the glue stick and I had issues with the tissue staying attached to the model. The sticks tough till gel are fairly old. Also issues with the tissue which was a very old peck tissue. One night 16 kit that was from 1998.
This video is very useful. It will be a hint for builders all over the world to create beautiful model aircraft with a high degree of perfection. thank you.
Thx, Jiro. Hopefully the series will create a foundation of the building process for newbies, and those who have returned to the hobby.
@@maxfliart yes it has my attention when I have spare money for a kit. Thank you for your very good video s and all the work involved.
The Bob Ross of balsa. Thanks for showing us your work.
And in 2221 the builders of that era will still be watching this definitive tutorial by one of the masters of the hobby.
Thanks for the video Tom, this is a real legacy you are building!
Thx, that's a hopeful thought...but then again, 2000 doesn't seem that long ago. Time flies. Now is the time to share these experiences of the past 35 years of building for free-flight. I've been fortunate to have so many friends around the world thru this hobby. I can't imagine the course of my life without it. Thx to my dad, who gave me the bug for flight as a youngster in the 60s.
Over decades I have watched covering videos starting with DVDs for the original Monokote going through I don't know how many You Tube covering videos. This is the absolute best of all. After all this time and experience I learned more in this 30 minutes than I would have believed. And, I enjoyed every minute! Can't wait for installment 3 of your new Basics series!
Thx, Mike. Glad u found it useful.
Covering is probably one of my favorite parts of the build- and thanks I learned much from your tips and watching your techniques! We appreciate the effort you're putting into these episodes, Tom.
These series of videos are a treasure.
Yes, you do very good work, thank you for sharing your methods with us. I started building stick &tissue flying models in 1963 but the materials available today are not the same as back then. So these videos are most helpfull for this old dog to learn some new tricks! Laramie.
And as her Dad flew to her the perfect gift, she took it with so much love!
Thank you for posting! If I had these videos 40 years ago, my FF planes would have looked and flown better. I am inspired to drag out all my FF stuff!
There is something so satisfying when the tissue tightens on a wing frame to produce a smooth curvature.
Thank you for making this video. My Dad recently passed away and I was going through some of his stuff and found an airplane kit that uses the tissue to cover it. Your technique is going to help me finish the project and remember him and his joy for flying.
Thx. You'll never regret the time spent covering his model.
I like the no.811 tape "masking." I've used repositionable Post-It notes in similar applications. I cut varying width strips off the top (sticky part) of the sheet, and they are easy to handle w/o sticking to all my "thumbs."
The instructional video I've always wanted to see. Thank you!
Consumate skills. I've been modelling since the 50's and still learning. Thank you.
Glad to see I'm not the only one that puts glue on all surfaces instead of just the edges. The low tack scotch tape is a great tip for nice straight glue overlaps and I never thought to use alcohol to seal edges and make sure all surfaces are stuck down. I can't thank you enough.
Great video and it explained why I have had mixed results with gluestick use. I was expecting too much of it on the initial application. Seeing the alcohol soaking and rubbing with a finger to get it all stuck down makes all the difference in the world. I am anxious to try the gluestick again, so thanks for teaching an old doggy new tricks.
Just discovered your channel and am binging. I'm a bit proud to have stumbled blindly on many of these techniques over the years. I need to get back into this. I can build okay but could never get the flying down, never understood the braiding, winding, trimming thing until now. Many thanks. Craftsmanship, artistry, engineering, history...it's all rolled up into this. amazing. Thank you.
Welcome back, Jeff. Enjoy building and flying again. It's never too late.
Just a hint about the shrinking frame. Cover it with packing tape to make clean-up between uses easier.
This is a master class in covering with tissue. I can't wait to get back into it after 30+ years.
Wow this was awesome. Makes me want to higher my standards beyond "at least it flies kinda"
a member of the ''omg it works'' club
Oh my! You're not an airplane builder...you are an artist!
I concur David.
Tom, thank you for sharing your techniques with the next generation and me as well! I learned so much, especially with regard to gluing the tissue along all of the frame members- as it allows for much easier tissue repair- as this is something that I have struggled with, when damage happens, and will adopt your process. Most importantly, thank you for elevating our hobby!
Thx, Barry.
Thanks for another very informative well produced video. I saw the write up about you in the latest AMA magazine. The picture of your build is great. It's nice to see some free flight stuff in a R/C dominated mag.
Thx.
So helpful, as always, Tom. Thanks for posting and for putting in the work to produce these videos!
Hi Tom, so many Thanks for your great videos! This is pure gold!
These videos are gold! Thanks for your great contributions to this beautiful hobby.
I've always used Silkspan tissue. I never would have thought to use Hallmark tissue. Thanks for a welcome and informative video.
Same here...I was stunned. The white Hallmark tissue posted in the link above is even better than the Walgreens product. Picked some up today at the store. Almost as light as Esaki, with a definite grain, and a shiny & dull side.
Go figure.
Thanks for taking the time to do this vid Tom, it was very helpful. Met you at Geneseo last yr, couldn't go in '23 but will be there in '24. Thank you again.
I’ve learned so much from your new tutorials!
Please keep up the great work!
You have no idea how much this helps. I just started building last year and I have had very little to go on. I need a tutorial on working with music wire and how to secure it to the plane for landing gear.
Great background music, great content. Post retirement engineer here, harkening back to boyhood modeling. Lost the use of my thumbs for two years until I found a surgical prosthesis. You don't really appreciate what you have until you don't have it any more, and I am very fortunate. Time to build some models. Subbed. Will be watching.
Great tutorial again, also very therapeutic to watch. Thanks
Big thank you for sharing so much information and great tips. I will also keep this video for future reference.
Again, this is pure gold. Thank you and well done.
The 811 low tack tape idea for tissue joints is very helpful as is the method of joining the curved fuselage top to the flat sides.
Thirdly, I originally learned to apply adhesive to the perimeter of the piece to be covered. That is okay if you follow it with dope. These days I use glue stick and spray lacquer. From now on I will apply glue stick to the interior parts as well.
You are a true craftsman and your videos are inspiring and informative
Wow! I’ve been waiting for this tutorial. I’m always looking for a way to improve my tissue covering skills. Thanks for posting this.
My stupid big sausage fingers would have torn the tissues and smashed the balsa to tooth picks. This is a labor of love, and you sir are an master craftsman.
Thank you for posting these videos
This seems to work much better then the "brushing through the tissue with watered down Elmer's glue" method.
Thanks for sharing. I'm definitely going to pull this up again when I'm covoring my Guillows Flyboy.
I've always used the thinned white glue approach, but definitely going to give the glue stick + alcohol method a try
The alcohol re-activating the glue stick is an important thing, if you do this I’m pretty sure you won’t have tissue coming loose, as I have in the past. I’ve been specifically burnishing the tissue pretty hard into the adhesive, but this method means you don’t have to hurry, and can loosen the glue a bit to make small corrections
I also used thinned white glue / pva , but sprayed with metholated spirit / alcohol to shrink. Will definitely try this glue stick method. Thanks
Everything is so easy to see, and clear to understand. FANTASTIC JOB. Thank you for doing this.
Thx, David. Glad u liked it.
Thanks for making and sharing these. I especially liked the Q&A and commentary. I’ll have to swing by Walgreens this winter!
Thx Jonathan. To my surprise, the Hallmark stores have an even better product than the one they sell thru Walgreens. It's lighter and more uniform.The link is in the film description. They sell a number of types of tissue, so be aware...much of it is domestic. But this appears to be quite good for our F/F needs. Has a grain and a dull & shiny side.
Really excellent video Tom, inspiring. After 70 years of modelling always new things to learn.
Nigel R. Jones
Thx, Nigel. It's what I enjoy about our hobby.
I can just watch you work all day
OMG, This is excellent...Thank You Tom, You are a pro. A lot have been asking how to do this...Watching skilled hands at his craft is so pleasurable too, as enjoyable as the flights even...Moses
Great video, good lessons, I appreciate you posting it, thanks.
Thanks for the tips!Always a pleasure watching!
What an excellent video! I've been covering models for many years and there are some tricks you showed that I had no clue about. I am very close to covering my Dumas Beaver and will surely watch this video again before doing so. I also have to go out and get me some of that low tack tape! I would dearly love to see a video on setting up decalage on a biplane, strut attachment and rigging. These things have always given me tremendous difficulties. Thanks for the time and effort you put into these videos.
Thx, Glenn. While I haven't done a tutorial on setting up bipes, I've posted photos of a jig that I've used to set one up.
Go to the 3:35 mark. th-cam.com/video/nhil_BqtyIM/w-d-xo.html
The film also includes a link for the stooge (in the film description) that u can print out.
Returning to building and flying and appreciate the two videos I’ve seen in the series. Particularly the Krylon spray as I left the hobby when nitrate dope was the matter of course. You’re bringing me up to date. Although I know how to test for grain you may want to address the issue, along with the importance of grain direction. That is unless I was distracted when you posted it. Thanks again. Leonard
Tom, I love these videos! so much info is gleamed from them. Of course I have a question. When printing on tissue, you put the tissue on top of the image? How does it transfer? Great video! You have single handedly made this more fun and enjoyable! Thank you Tom!
Thx, Rick. Oh, I see the confusion. I printed the design on the bond paper first, for positioning. Then I attached the tissue, and ran it thru the printer again...which printed directly onto the tissue.
@@maxfliart my first thoughts before seeing you tac the tissue to std paper was you must have a special printer.. gone are the days of stenciling nitro laquer onto wax paper & floating it off.. exercise in patience that was.. i have a vastly different method of applying tissue that ive never had a wing warp & always easily finishes with a drum tight skin.. my mother devised when i was an 8yr old kid.. using thinned powder cellulose wall paper paste premixed the day before, & using a fine paintbrush applied all over the tissue.. before you chuckle.. try it.. also.. the section of air frame/wing is sat/mounted on a flat building board/sheet of hardboard & the pasted tissue is draped over the frame section & adhered to the board.. as it dries the board takes the tension stresses.. & because the balsa frame absorbs & retains paste moisture longer than the tissue panel between.. the panel dries quicker & the tissue in contact at the frame is allowed to slip with the drying tension just enough, thus transferring the stress out to the board.. & the skin finish is evenly drum tight.. i always overlapped the edges after cutting, with a little paste to finger lap the edges sealed.. my later models as a teen were sealed with light dry spray coats of lightweight nitrocellulose laquer with a few drops of caster oil added as a plastisizer to the laquer, to mitigate air/humidity affects.. very easy system to retissue for repairs of whole airframe sides/wings..
Sections like wings tip need no relieving or letting in, the tissue easily shrinks to conform to the compound curves etc & join overlaps at edges etc stretch & form in a paper mache manner..
its much much lighter weight than dope.. any colouring was added to the paste
Simply beautiful work, thank you.
Thanks for the video. The technique has changed a bit since I last covered a model in the 1970s !
Thank you Tom. Finlay the tutorials are coming and they are gems.
Please make a tutorial about how do you make the Wing ribs and propellers.
After dad had taught me how to cover rounded wing tips, I really liked doing that part.
Boy, he was great at covering a model! Sadly though the old Areogloss, and Comet dope would get real brittle over the years. And the nitro engines especially the Cox engines, and their fuel would penetrate the dope and soak the wood with oil. Back then there weren't really any good fuel proofers to protect the finish.
I also lost the last balsa model dad built to age. It was a Guillows Sopwith Camel, and had been hanging from the ceiling for years and one day when I got home from work, I found it on the floor and it had disintegrated. It was like 45 years old. But nothing lasts forever.
I haven’t put tissue on balsa in about 50 years, but your video and some of the indoor championships are enticing me to give it a try again. It’s the holiday season perhaps I should be looking for some tissue paper.
Well done sir.
Thx, David. It's never too late to start putting balsa and tissue together. It's very relaxing, calming, and enjoyable. Give it a try again. Cheers.
Do you have any recommendations for suppliers of kits and supplies?
@@davidcole217 Yes, take a look at Easy Built Models and Volare Products. Their web addresses are in the description above.
Who else hits the “like” even before watching these videos?
Preeeeeety safe bet.
Haha...thx
It's a quick 2-step process for me: Hit "like", then add to my "Maxfliart" playlist. Sure makes it easy to return to a specific video/tip! Thanks Tom, for all the work you do creating these wonderful videos--they are such high caliber creations! I've dabbled some with my GoPro/cycling activities, and it is no mean feat! BTW, really enjoyed the music in this one...
@@davidduganne5939 Thx, David. It does step up to another level of focus, but I'm really enjoying the process. Gets me to the field, too, where I never know what's going to happen. A bit safer than cycling, I'm sure. Glad u and the troops enjoy them.
Fantastic video! I can’t wait until the next
Lovely old skills of precision work.thanks for the great effort.
Great video!
Unfortunately I watched it after my first attempt at tissue covering. The next one is going to be spectacular.
Thank you sir!
Great video! One thing I noticed is that you apply glue to every surface that contacts the tissue (each rib, stringer, etc), whereas I’ve only been gluing around the perimeter of each piece of tissue. I’ll give your method a try on my next model. Thanks!
Thx for the feedback, Chris. Attaching to every surface adds strength, with the bonus of already being secure, should any of the sections of the wing or fus need repair.
Amazing series keep em coming please
AWESOME video. Thank you very much for all you do to help us out. God bless you 🇺🇸🇺🇸
Thank you so much ! I'm with all the people who have commented here.
Excellent video !
Way cool video! Very useful lessons to me, I've learned a lot. Thank - you!
Hermosos trabajos!! Siempre es un placer ver tus videos. Muchas gracias por compartir tus técnicas.
Thx.
Great Video! As a kid, in the old days, I used a 50/50 of elmers glue and water to put on the tissue and then shrink with water and apply 50/50 low shrink dope. Your methods seem so much easier and better. I never thought to pre shink tissue in the old days.
That's how I started too. Then the glue stick started to become popular in the early 90s, and I've never gone back to dope.
Oh yes, off to Walgreens for sure - thanks again!
You are a good person, Tom, for revealing your procedures and advice. Not everyone is able to pass on their experience. You have my admiration! Tom, I have one question, do you buy the coated paper dyed or do you dye it yourself. If so, how do you do it?
Thx for the kind words & feedback. All of the colored tissue shown at the start of the film was purchased as is. But the blue tissue along side the purple and pink a few frames later, was originally the white Hallmark tissue. I simply air brushed it using the same air brush that I used to spray water on the orange tissue. The paints are the acrylic enamels shown in the box, the Americana "Gloss" Enamels. They're thinned heavily with water to a milky consistency, then lightly sprayed in many layers, until the desired color is achieved. They're an inexpensive source of paint, ideal for our needs.
Thanks to your recommendations, I scored two packages of Hallmark Inspirations tissue at Walgreens. They were $2.50 per pack on a post Christmas sale. Thanks for another great tip.
Cheap thrills. Glad u got the 2 for 1 sale. I did that last year, then shared the tissue with friends, as it's a lifetime supply!! FYI, Hallmark's 35 sheet pack, listed in the description above, looks to be even better tissue. Lighter, and a cleaner finish. Almost looks like esaki. But it's only in this 35 sheet pack, so go figure. www.hallmark.com/gift-wrap/tissue/white-tissue-paper-35-sheets-399TIS1016.html?searchterm=399TIS1016&searchkey=399TIS1016&oq=399TIS1016
@@maxfliartcongratulations for the comprehensive and enlightening video! Is there an alternative tissue paper we can find nowadays? Thanks!
Superb Tom - a Masterclass.
Noel
Thx, Noel. Hope all is well on ur end.
@@maxfliart Yes, all well and trying to stay safe.
Flying grounds are scarce here these days so I've been sailing model yachts for a few years. They don't crash either!
Take care,
Noel
Have been afraid to use glue stick but you got me trying it next build. Can't wait to see how you keep weight down? My kits are way to heavy
I've updated the Rubber Turns Calculator for any newcomers to FF rubber. With the way rubber can change throughout the years, this chart will give you a good place to start. Use it only as a general guide. hallmanstudio.com/rubber_turns_calculator.pdf
Thank you so much, these techniques will improve my results in future.
good tip on the walgreens tissue
I can see some room for improvement in my technique. Thanks for sharing!
Outstanding Tom! I think I’m going to have my middle school club watch this! I may have missed it, but did you show how to measure and mark the tissue pieces, particularly that wingtip? I find that is kind of a daunting thing for my kids.
Thx, Doug. No, I didn't specifically show the marks, although when I use the inkjet, I have short lines for the TE & LE.
@@maxfliart ooh! That’s an important detail too! One of the challenges of inkjet tissue is alignment, so that would be helpful as well
thank you for another brilliant video in the series. I am currently re-reading the Don Ross books, and JUST this morning, i thought "there has got to be a more modern way"
I've been using glue sticks, but never knew to use alcohol to loosen, stretch, reactivate. and the removeable scotch tape? absolute bonkers brilliant, thank you
scalloping formers? wow! Towel as holding surface - cool
i think my covering game (one of my many weak points) is about to get stronger.
You asked for sharing suggestions on what next?
- cutting balsa. for me? notching ribs and formers
- sanding technique. how do you get such smooth, round surfaces, what tooling to you enjoy using
thank you again, this series "gives me joy." (as MarieKondo seems to say)
Thx. I'll add those to the list. I hope to do a few "Basics Shorts" that focus more quickly on some of the concerns u and others have noted.
Thanks for this perfect lesson video.Gifs me the answers of many questions.
Again I'm learning. Thank you. Alcohol to soften glue stick and a light aerosol clear coat. More steps than just slapping dope on, but man that stuff is noxious and it must be heavy in comparison.
Thx, I agree. That's what I felt at the time. Hated the smell of dope...which of course, then entire house would know that the dope is flowing. Now, with the glue stick, I'm more stealthy. :-D
Thank you so much!!!
I found this informative, helpful and entertaining.
I'm trying this method for the first time after years of using the 50/50 white glue method. Since you didn't use waterproof inks, how were you able to keep the printed elements from bleeding when applying the water/alcohol after application? My test piece bled terribly when I sprayed it. Thank you!
I was going to ask the same question. I printed tissue recently for the first time and it came out nice. I glued it to my model then hit with the Rust-Oleum sealer. A day later I hit it with some water and just looked messy after drying.
I never had much luck with tissue covering when I was a kid. It never shrank right and was always full of loose areas and wrinkles.
I wouldn't mind trying a tissue covered kit again sometime if I had any hope of better success.
Haven't built or flown a model since the 1950's. Things sure have changed in how things are done. U.S. Army,. Ret
Yes and no. I like how much of it is still the way my dad built in the 1930s...yet there are surely a few elements that step it up a bit in modern times. But I like how F/F will always be rooted in old-school, classic flying.
The videos in this series are excellent, as are all your videos. Hopefully these will contribute to keeping the art alive, and demystify the process for new modelers. Do you ever use dope to cover? Do you use this process for larger tissue models?
Thx, Mark. I've not used dope since my return to F/F in '88 with the 1936 Hydration MB floatplane. It's what I knew back then. Shortly after, my mentor, the late Bud Carson, turned me on to the use of Krylon. He called it "magic in a can" for F/F. Added very little weight, yet it contained a plasticizer of sorts that prevented the continual shrinking of the tissue,
which is often the issue with dope, at least when using it on lighter structures. Our goal was to keep the models light, for lower wing loading and more duration (indoors and outdoors) without warping the frames. I have models that are 20 years old, and the wings and tails surfaces have remained true. Indeed, magic in a can. Just needs a dusting, is all.
Mr. Hallman, thank you for your detailed videos. They are certainly invaluable for all of us in this hobby.
I have a question about the propeller shaft hook. Use of sliding peg certainly prevents bunching of the motor
at the rear end; but how do you prevent bunching on the prop hook? With such long and many turns I see that you
can attach the hook to the hard wound rubber so easily. Are you using the so called S-hook? I use O-ring and
plastic tube that slips on the U-shaped (not diamond or round shaped hooks) hook. But even this prevents bunching
only to some extend. Perhaps it is something you have tutored before and I have missed somehow.Greetings from Istanbul,Turkey.
Thx for your comments. You are correct, for the prop hook I use what my friends call the "reverse S hook". It's a bit odd to figure out how to bend one at first, but I'm going to do a short film soon, showing how it's done. What's beautiful about this hook is that (99% of the time) it prevents rubber bunching or wrapping around the prop shaft. I can typically make one in under a minute, so hopefully the tutorial will make it clear, so that anyone can make one.
@@maxfliart Thank you Mr. Hallman.
I used to build and fly (U-control, or line control and RC) balsa planes in the early 70's to late 80's. I started building and covering with paper and dope. I eventually started covering with Monokote and never went back to paper. I like this paper covering method of glue sticks and alcohol.
Recently I became intrigued about building balsa planes again. (I quit building around the year 2000). I have been building plastic models for about 6 years and want to try the balsa kits again, so I bought 10 Guillows kits.
Where can I find all of these different types of tissue papers? Are there any that I should avoid?
I will follow you for more tips - thank you for the inspiration!
This a fabulous video. I'm not sure about the inkjet process - I understand the goal is to transfer the art to the covering paper, but I don't understand the process. Can you advise please.
Watching for the 2nd time and still fascinated! Where do you acquire the artwork or the emblems and lines you print?
Thx, Rick. The pig art was by my six year old granddaughter, the type was a font that I have on Photoshop, and the wood grain came from a stock photography site.
I'm finding these Free Flight Basics tutorials really useful - and inspiring. I've followed this one, scaled my RAF roundels and printed on to yellow tissue - of course I forgot that the printer doesn't print 'white'! I've applied some white tissue but I suspect I may need to have a few layers before the white stands out. All was good until I sprayed and then the colours bled. Should I have sealed the roundel first before shrinking? Also, what pigments do you use? One last one - any chance of a dedicated 'Basics' on trimming? Many thanks for inspiring us to improve our model building 🙂
Thx for reaching out and for the kind words. For roundels on yellow tissue, I'd suggest printing them on white tissue, then before you cut them out and apply to the yellow, spray the back of the tissue with white, and then lightly with silver. Both work together to create a solid block of opacity, preventing the yellow from showing through. I use water-based Americana *Gloss* acrylic enamels, which are available here in the US at most craft stores. I thin them heavily with water to a milky consistency, They're very similar to the much more expensive Model Master Acryls or the old Pactra acrylic enamels. Regarding trim flying, check my channel for "anatomy of a trim session". There I've gone thru the trimming process with a number of models, step by step.
@@maxfliart Many thanks for the suggestions - I'll try that approach for the roundels. It's certainly more straightforward than what I was thinking 🙂. I'll try the thinning suggestion for the enamels as well. Keep up the excellent work - I watch your flying videos while I'm babysitting as they provide hours of relaxation and inspiration 🙂
Tom,
Thank you for all the tips in your covering video.
As for inspirations tissue from Hallmark, I bought some, used it to cover a 30" Mr. Milligan wing topside. I'm not sure it's as useful as standard Hallmark tissue available year round at Walmart. The standard Hallmark tissue seems more like Esaki, it's lighter than the Inspirations and has a shiny & dull side PLUS has some wet strength. If you have a chance, give it a try...
Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Steve Probelski
Thx for the update, Steve. I too found the same to be true, as the Hallmark in a 30 sheet pack was really quite nice, as uv described, with a cleaner texture too...and yes, lighter. I saw some other Hallmark white in their smaller packets, 10-20 or so, and found that 1/2 was the good stuff, with the rest more like domestic with no grain. Bottomline though, for just pennies a sheet, it's a quick and easy fix when in need of some tissue. Cheers.
Thanks so much for sharing your expertise.
A great tutorial! I wonder what the equivalent brands are here in the UK? Sometimes I have seen tissue that comes as packaging for shoes etc, which looks a likely candidate once straightened out.. Most informative! 👍
Hi Tom brilliant video as always. When dissolving glue with alcohol, is that rubbing alcohol you use?
Thank you
Thx, Alan. Yes. The 70% isopropyl seems to work best.
Great video, like the idea of attaching to every part of fuselage frame, please confirm you attach to every wing rib, thank you
Thx for the feedback, Peter. Yes, the same holds true for every rib on the wing, or stick on the stab. Adds strength, and also allows repairs to be easier, since u can spot repair the given section vs an entire wing panel or fuselage side.
Thanks for another great video. I finished my first tissue covering job on a Kirby Cadet glider following this video and was very happy with the results I achieved. These videos are priceless. I am working on another glider that has an under camber wing and was just wondering if this technique will work on that or are there some additional little tricks I should use.
Thx for the feedback...glad it's working out for you. Under camber should work fine. I tend to lay the tissue onto the ribs first, hit each rib with alcohol thru the tissue to secure, then finish by gently pulling the tissue over the LE & TE. I did this with the Gollywock and Martinsyde S.1 bipe, and it worked out well.
Again thank you Tom, I'm learning a lot! One quick question...is that normal glue stick or something special?
Thx, Mike. It's a normal stick. Inexpensive. Package says it's purple but dries clear. For some reason, the purple sticks seem to go on better than the clear or white, but I'm sure either would work.
@@maxfliart thank you!
very helpful for me, thank you sir
That was beautiful as ever Tom. Even a bit elegiac, like many of your videos. Watching your hands is like watching the hands of a pianist. Maybe you play piano? But we need a video about motors, braiding and winding please. Thanks. Tom (from France)
Thx, Thomas. Not a pianist, but my oldest son picked it up naturally. Must skip a generation. Thx for the feedback. Check out the first in this series on braiding motors. I hope to elaborate on winding and motor sizes etc in the future. th-cam.com/video/EPP-6e_gTkI/w-d-xo.html
@@maxfliart thanks for replying Tom. And yes, I saw the video you mentioned after I had left my message above. At some stage in the future I am going to start building (for the second time in my life) the very large Tigerr Moth model by Rupert Moore. The first time I did it, I followed the plan scrupulously, and used all the old techniques. It flew nicely, though came in pretty heavy. It has gearing in the nose block, and I don't know if I'll follow that this time. Anyway, I won't go on about it now, but i may need to ask you some crucial questions at a given moment. Thanks again, Tom (me)
Thanks for a great video. I would like to know if there any advantages or disadvantages to covering any flat surfaces to the tissue while it is still in the frame. Looking forward to the next installment.
I think that would be difficult to manage, and not worth trying. But maybe it could work for u for some applications.
Good lessons..thank you , for your educational, next , I wont to know sesion trimming
Thx. Check my channel for the "Anatomy of a Trim Session" films. There are quite a few with various types of models.
Thx Tim, great video. One question, with printing. You had printed the design out and after flue tissue over it and run thru printer. R U reprinting the design or just running thru printer, cheers Graham.
The print onto the white bond paper is merely to know the correct positioning of the orange tissue. Or think of it as a test run. Then I glue the tissue to the bond paper, and run it thru again...with the ink then printing onto the tissue.
@@maxfliart thx mate
I was framing and tightening my sheets of tissue tonight but it didn’t get the drum tight finish. I used the white Uhu gluestick and I noticed that with spraying the tissue the edges loosened on the frame. Do I need another type of glue stick or does it need to dry longer?
I've only used the purple or blue glue sticks, and never had any issues with it loosening from the frame while shrinking. It doesn't take more than a few minutes to set up solid, so I'd be ok with shrinking the tish at that point. Did u perhaps use too much water?
I tried the glue stick and I had issues with the tissue staying attached to the model. The sticks tough till gel are fairly old. Also issues with the tissue which was a very old peck tissue. One night 16 kit that was from 1998.