I start at one wing tip and work my way to the other tip.
I usually dope the trailing edge for a rib bay or two, then the leading
edge for the same section. I work back and forth in this manner
until the entire edge is doped in place. Don't try to do too
much at once. The silk was tight before you started so if you see
an area start to slacken you should be able to fix it without adding
wrinkles to other parts of the wing.
Do not attempt to attach the silk to the back of the trailing edge
with this first coat.
By the time you reach the end of the wing, the dope where you started
should be dry.
Go back and recoat the exact same places you already coated to ensure
the silk is firmly bonded.
Do not apply dope to any other part of the silk such as the ribs,
sheeting or around hatch compartments.
Allow the silk to fully dry and inspect it carefully. Remember
when I told you that mistakes can be corrected? This is your last
chance.
If you find any errors then determine where the silk must be lifted
to correct the error. You can either use very small quantities of
dope thinner or thinned dope to loosen the covering.
Lift the covering, pull it tight and rub it back down. Dope
always melts itself so you can come back to this later if you like as
long as you haven't trimmed the excess covering or doped the interior
portions of the silk.
If no corrections need to be made then apply two more coats of dope
around the edges. |