What's the dope on dope producers?

StefanJ · Post by **StefanJ** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 4:04 pm

I'm getting into tissue & balsa airplanes to take a break from model rocketry.

Colored "dope" is sometimes used for contest rockets (especially boost gliders). Balsa fillercoat and sanding sealer are used for filling balsa and basswood. That's about it.

What is the current word on dope producers? I went to a couple of hobby shops over the weekend and there was a rack for Aero-Gloss dope in each. Virtually all of the slots were empty. Only clear dope and the fillers seemed to be in good supply.

Are the colors getting hard to find, or is this a case of the stores just not bothering to order a slow-moving product?

Does SIG still make their own line of dope?

ADW 123 · Post by **ADW 123** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 4:27 pm

the same thing happens at my LHS. they have little to no colored dope. maybe because not to many people use colored dope too much anymore. i use nitrate dope/thinner and that works for me. i also use bannana oil on the smaller ones so the parts dont warp.

supercruiser · Post by **supercruiser** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 8:42 pm

I called the people that produce Aero Gloss, this was about 3 years ago. They said they were no longer going to produce that product any more.
I bought several bottles at that time.
Penn Valley Hobby Center still has them listed on their web site.
They are marketed by SIG. I am fairly certain that this kind of dope is butyrate. Butyrate shrinks the tissue less than nitrate.

Tinkerman74 · Post by **Tinkerman74** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 11:39 am

Midwest is now making their own line of Aero Gloss dope. They are out of Hobart, IN. I was on their website yesterday and saw it. They don't offer a broad line of colors. I use the clear for the tissue and use Testor's acryllics for the colors.

Cheers, Tinkerman

StefanJ · Post by **StefanJ** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 3:59 pm

Thanks for the responses. Even if the color variety isn't great, I'm glad someone is making dope.

One thing I've purchased in the past, for balsa fins and cones on model rockets, is dope-based "Sanding Sealer." It doesn't fill grain well, but does help make the surface nice and smooth, post-filling / pre-primer. (Dope based "balsa fillercoat" is sometimes used on rockets, but recently a certain kind of Elmer's wood filler has come to be preferred.)

Was "sanding sealer" made for a specific model airplane application? Perhaps treating balsa frames prior to gluing on tissue?

I'm a few days away from doing my first tissue application. I'll probably go with thinned white glue for attaching the tissue, but clear dope for coating it. I have some of that and may as well finish off the bottle!

Tinkerman74 · Post by **Tinkerman74** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 5:06 pm

Midwest has the sanding sealer also. I have always used dope to prepare the balsa for tissue. The sanding sealer is very good if you are using balsa as a final exposed part. I have used the sealer and it works quite well, sands easy and fills well. Might need more than one coat though.

Cheers, Tinkerman

StefanJ · Post by **StefanJ** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 5:17 pm

For someone who works in high-tech, I'm sometimes a bit slow in doing the google thing.

SIG appears to have a pretty good line of dope types and colors:

http://www.sigmfg.com/cgi-bin/dpsmart.e ... html?E+Sig

Midwest's own site shows a good selection of prep products, but just three colors, black, green, and blue!

http://www.midwestproducts.com/store/pr ... Paint.aspx

I recall hearing that SIG and Aero-Gloss are not compatible, but I don't know if this means that a coat of one will cause a coat of the other to bubble up.

flyright · Post by **flyright** » Fri Mar 04, 2011 9:42 am

Go to web site : Brodak Manufacturing. they make control line kits and carry all the products needed..including dope..

Guillow's Model Builders Forum

What's the dope on dope producers?

What's the dope on dope producers?

Aero Gloss Dope

Sanding sealer

colored dope