New user has question on attaching paper

[miked]

It's been years since I've done this- When attaching paper to the ribs, formers, etc, is it doped to every rib, stringer and former or doped just to the outside edges of the paper only?

[SteveM]

Just the outside edges.

In those years since you last applied paper there have been some new techniques developed. In the kit Guillow's probably included a note saying that normal PVA white glue (eg. Elmer's) thinned 50/50 with water can be substituted for dope. Many people do this with success though it is not a favorite of mine. What I like to use is a glue stick, thought it has its own drawbacks such as difficult to apply to tight spaces.

[SteveM]

I should mention that using dope is still perfectly valid and people use it all the time, it is just that the odor can be offensive to some.

[miked]

Thank you very much, SteveM.

[kittyfritters]

If you decide to try a glue stick the Uhu purple glue stick seems to work best. The 3M Permanent Glue stick works, but does not seem to be as durable as the Uhu glue stick, and since it it clear, is harder to apply. Whatever glue stick you try make sure that it is "PERMANENT" not "REPOSITIONABLE".

The repostionable glue sticks have their place. They are very handy for temporarily gluing tissue to a carrier sheet when you want to do ink jet printing on tissue, and for attaching sealed tissue as masking when airbrushing.

[lukebozek1]

For forty years I used Butyrate Dope to attach tissue which was applied wet. The fumes cleared out the house/porch/cellar or wherever it was. Two years ago I started finishing up a P-51 I carried around for 10 years and after I read a brochure provided by Guillow's I gave the white glue-dry tissue a shot. Coat the perimeter of the frame with a 50%-50% mix of white glue and water. Let it dry, light sand, and apply a coat to the perimeter of the area to be covered. Tissue which is pre-cut, should be 1/2 inch to one inch larger than the area you are covering. Work out major wrinkles and lightly press the tissue in to the glue-coated frame. Let it completely dry, spray or mist lightly with water and it tightens up nicely. I allow it to dry indoors in an A/C environment which improves the moisture removal faster than the high humidity outside. They say that the 50-50 mix can be used to coat the tissue, but I am afraid that I can only jump one hurdle at a time. I still use 2 to three coats of thinned dope for finishing. I will do the next plane with the 50-50 mix. Good Luck! Let us know how it works for you.