Vintage Model Co 702785155554, Manual, Page: 25 / 40

25
Tiger Moth
THE FIN, RUDDER AND TAIL PLANE
1) For the covering you will need a glue stick,
PVA, fine brush, scissors, an old perfume bottle
or fine mist sprayer and a sharp knife. It is also
worthwhile to get a sponge and a dry cloth so
that you can keep your fingers clean and dry as
you work. Thin the PVA around 50% with water
(err on the strong side if unsure) in an old jar lid
or similar.
2) Cut out some spacers (about a dozen or so)
about 20mm long and 5mm wide from the
edges of the left over sheet and apply one layer
of sticky tape to one surface. These spacers are
used when shrinking the tissue – the sticky tape
simply prevents the spacers sticking to the parts.
3) Starting with the fin and rudder, cut out two
pieces of tissue that are about 10mm bigger than
the outline of the part. Lightly apply the glue
stick only to the face of the parts of the structure
that form the outer profile, keep the covering
smooth and avoid it gathering in blobs on the
surface and in corners. With the tissue flat on
the work surface, put the glued side down onto
it. Turn the tissue covered side towards you and
gently tug and tease the tissue until there are no
wrinkles and the tissue is nice and smooth. You
do not have to make the tissue tight, the water
shrinking will do that later. Give the glue stick a
few minutes to do its job.
4) Once the glue has set a little, cut the tissue
carefully leaving an edge about 1mm wider than
the part all the way around, apart from where it
fits to the tail plane. Here you should cut it flush
to the structure.
5) Working in stretches of a couple of inches at a
time, apply the thinned PVA to the tissue edge
that is sticking out and carefully roll the tissue
up so that it sticks to the edge of the part. Rub
all-round the edge with a dampened finger to
ensure that the edge is fully stuck down and nice
and smooth. Do not get the PVA on the tissue
or any other place other than the edges or the
tissue will not shrink properly later.
6) Repeat for the other side, once again
overlapping the tissue at the edges. Let the glue
dry for a few hours or preferably overnight.
VMC Instruction Booklet - Tiger Moth JAN19.indd 25 19/01/2019 12:26