Question: I appear to have a split in my VCOTE2-3DS covering. What should I do?
Answer: VCOTE2-3DS is first painted by hand and the a final overcoat of polyurethane is applied to seal the covering and paint.
If a small split has occurred in the covering substrate layer during production it will have been painted and sealed with polyurethane. No further work is required unless you can see bare wood through the split in the covering.
If bare wood is visible through the split in the covering, the split occurred after production, likely in shipping or thereafter. Thoroughly clean any oil residue from the area of the split. We clean using Fantastic and a paper towel. Once you have all the oil residue removed, wipe the area again with a fresh clean towel moistened with plain alcohol. Using a clean towel, press down gently on either side of the split to ensure the covering is well bonded to the wood beneath.
Seal the exposed wood with ZAP/CA (pink bottle, thin). Use a small amount only and allow it to wick into the wood and under the edges of the covering on either side of the split. Let the ZAP/CA cure. DO NOT ACCELERATE.
A small split that is not overly noticeable to the eye is probably not worth further effort beyond sealing the wood. If you wish to try to "hide" the split, it may be difficult to match colors or patterns. When you run into this challenge, you might want to take a different approach. Rather than try to match the color or pattern, deliberately use a black, white or silver patch and cut it into the shape of a panel hatch. Detail this with lettering and a perimeter line and it will look like the hatch is supposed to be there. Another trick is to cut the patch into a shape such as a letter, flag or aircraft marking.
We recommend using after market VCOTE2-3DS patch material.You can also use polyester covering such as POLYCOTE, ULTRACOTE or ORACOVER. Monokote or SolarFilm covering material will also work. Cut the patch about 1/2 inch (12 mm) larger than the minimum necessary and cut it with rounded corners. Seal the patch in place with a heat iron and sock set at 225F first, and then only if necessary, tighten the patch and the original covering around the patch using a heat gun as outlined in a related article about tightening. Be cautious with the amount of heat that you apply, you do not want to end up turning a small problem into a larger one! To repair larger more extensive damage areas, you may wish to obtain the appropriate VCOTE2-3DS covering set for your model.
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