Pink It | Dynamic Balsa https://www.dbalsa.com Custom RC Planes & Accessories and largest inventory of ready to fly planes in North-Central Illinois Wed, 23 Mar 2022 16:32:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.dbalsa.com/wp-content/uploads/cropped-favicon-32x32.jpg Pink It | Dynamic Balsa https://www.dbalsa.com 32 32 What is Pink-It? https://www.dbalsa.com/pink-it-home/ Thu, 03 Mar 2022 17:12:17 +0000 https://www.dbalsa.com/?page_id=95255
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Pink-It is a more scale option for modelers wanting to replicate the pinked edge finishing tapes used on fabric-covered aircraft. Full-size aircraft use a pinked edge finishing tape that has about 6 pinks per inch so at 1/4 scale that would be 24 pinks per inch. At 24 pinks per inch, the pinks quickly fill with paint and become unnoticeable. We have found that 16 pinks per inch works very well at 1/3, 1/4, and 1/5 scale to simulate and create a realistic pinked edge at these scales and can easily handle a proper coat of paint. Pink-It is cut from Solartex which is an iron-on fabric made for modelers. It is fuel proof, the weave is fully sealed, and provides a wonderful fabric texture with the ease of being ironed on. 


Unlike the Ceconite and hair net tapes, Pink-It is cut in true scale widths. Full-size aircraft typically use a 2″ wide tape over the ribs, thus our 1/3 scale is .66″ wide, 1/4 scale is .5″ wide, 1/5 scale is .4″ wide, 1/6 scale is .33″ wide and our 1/8 scale is .25″ wide…Try to find those widths in Ceonite and hair net tapes! Plus we offer the proper size “perimeter” tapes as well. Perimeter tapes are used primarily around the leading and trailing edges of the wing and tail feathers after the rib tapes have been applied. Perimeter tapes are generally twice the width of the rib tape used. 

Why did full-size fabric-covered aircraft use finishing tapes? Mainly two reasons first were to add reinforcement and the second was to cover/ seal puncture holes from where the fabric was sewn on. 

Why did they use pinked edge finishing tapes? First off, not every fabric-covered aircraft used pinked edge finishing tapes. Some older aircraft like the Jenny used frayed edge tapes, some newer aircraft use straight edge tapes without the pinks. The newer aircraft that do not use pinked edge tapes usually use a synthetic type covering that does not unravel like a normal fabric would.

They used pinking shears to cut fabric to help reduce the mess caused by the threads unraveling from the fabric. The “pinks” did not keep the fabric from unraveling, but it did help keep it to a minimum and made handling the fabric much easier. 

We also offer straight edge tapes without the pinks in most any scale needed. 

 Click Here for a good article concerning pinking shears.

Pinki-it styles

]]> Pink-It Directions https://www.dbalsa.com/pink-it-directions/ Fri, 03 Dec 2021 18:23:06 +0000 https://www.dbalsa.com/pink-it-directions/
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Directions
Pink-It tapes are super easy to apply. Put them in place, adhesive side down (the adhesive side is a little bit shinny), and iron them down with a trim iron. You are done. How easy was that?

Remember that “rib” tapes use one long piece that go all the way up around and over each rib. Start by ironing down a small portion of the rib tape at the top trailing edge of the wing. Then gently pull the piece of rib tape up and over the rib and gently iron down, then continue wrapping the same piece of tape over and around the leading edge ironing down as you go, then gently pull the remaining piece of tape back to the bottom trailing edge and iron down. One piece of tape is used to wrap all the way around the rib and trailing edge.
Once all the rib tapes are applied, it is time to apply the perimeter tapes. Start by centering the perimeter tape over the leading edge and ironing down just the very center section that touches the center of the leading edge. Do not iron down the top and bottom halves of the perimeter tapes (the part with the pinked edges that get folded over to the top and bottom sides) just yet. With the tape centered over the leading edge gently pull the tape towards the wingtip. Iron it down. Then while pulling on the tape with one hand and lightly heating the tape with your trim iron in the other hand (you will feel the tape stretch a bit as you apply heat) pull the tape down over the center of the wingtip. Heating and pulling the tape helps it conform over the wing tip better. Once you get it pulled and ironed down around the wing tip you can go back and finish ironing down the top and bottom portions of the leading edge perimeter tape. It may sound like a lot, but actually, it goes down very easily.

Can I use Pink-It tapes over Koverall or Stits covering?? Absolutely! Just make sure you have all the “fill” coats you need to fill the weave of those fabrics applied first, then apply the Pink-It tapes. Once the Pink-It tapes are applied continue with your color coats.

Pink-It tapes also work very well over 21st Century fabrics as well.

Pink-It tapes are fuel proof….but I still recommend at least a clear coat be applied. Fabric coverings have a weave. Dirt and grim can and will get down in the weave making it very hard to keep your plane clean. Applying a color or a clear coat will help seal the weave making your plane much, much easier to keep clean, plus it will help seal down all those little pinks on the Pink-It tapes. It’s a win-win situation.
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