| VCOTE - Care & Maintenance - Quick Tips |
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Question: Do you have any pointers regarding the Care & Maintenance of VCOTE?
Answer: Yes we have this Summary of Quick Tips and at www.richmondrc.com ( Enter Site > Support > Knowledge Base then Search on "Covering") we have an expanded explanation for each of these Tips.
VCOTE is a proprietary covering system engineered in Canada & available only from VMAR. Please note that VCOTE is NOT Monokote or Solarfilm, its different. As with any new modern technology, the maintenance methods may be different than those you used with your older covering so its important to read the Tips over FIRST. Whatever you want to do with VCOTE, test it on a small out of the way area first.
Here is our Summary of Quick Tips related to VCOTE covering.
- Avoid Hot Vehicles
- Cooking your model in your vehicle for hours on end is generally not a good idea! Temperatures can easily exceed 50C (122 F) under such conditions. You will get sags. Consult our Knowledge Base before attempting to remove sags.
- Cleaning After Flying
- We recommend Fantastic household cleaner and disposable paper towels. Mist, do not flood. Wipe along seams, not across. Do NOT NOT NOT NOT use SIMPLE GREEN, 409 or similar materials for cleaning a model airplane.
- Cleaning Initially
- Upon initial inspection if you see a thin streaky film on any of the VCOTE, work outdoors and after testing first on a small out of the way area, use a paper towel and wipe a slightly wet film of Alcohol over 1/4 of a wing or half a fuselage at a time. Rub gently while still wet. Change towels frequently. Avoid plastics.
- Cutting
- Use sharp scissors or an XACTO knife with a sharp #11 blade.
- Protecting the Finish
- Most Importantly - Follow the cleaning instructions. Use the recommended cleaners and method. Avoid raw fuel with nitro content higher than 15%. Dab away all raw fuel regardless of nitro content. Test a small out of the way area and all plastics first before applying any glue, solvent, cleaner, paint or other preparation. Patch punctures promptly. Avoid hours and hours sitting the direct sun.
- Removing & Using Tape
- Use low tack tape. When removing, peal tape back on itself so that the pulling is parallel to the surface of the covering.
- Repairing Punctures
- Patch promptly. Clean any oil residue from the area of the puncture. Patch should be 1/2" (13mm bigger) on all sides. Round the corners. Seal in place with a heat iron & sock. Tighten area with a heat gun.
- Resealing Seams
- Act promptly. Clean any oil residue from the area and reseal the seam with thin CA.
- Tightening Sags
- Remember SSB... SECURE the perimeter then SHRINK to fit then BOND to the structure. Use a heat gun and soft cotton cloth or glove and hand pressure to SECURE the perimeter, use a heat gun to SHRINK within the perimeter, use a soft cloth while the covering is warm to BOND the covering to solid substrates. Consult our Knowledge Base for further information.
- Tools for Working with VCOTE
- Scissors, XACTO with #11 blade, iron, iron sock, regulated heat gun, soft cotton cloth or glove.
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| Article ID: 4512 |
