Model Technics Trim Line (how do you get it to stay on?)

I'm having some difficulty in stopping the "Trim Line" stripe from staying on my model.

The trad built Acrowot has been painted using Flair paint on lightweight glass cloth.. The trim line seemed to stick on fine and I gave the model a spray of "Fuel proofer". The trim line has started to come off after a couple of flights. Any tips as to how to keep this on .(This is pretty much a straight line with no curves) I normally paint/spray my stripes on and was feeling a touch lazy!

Hi TomTom,

I'm not going to be of anyhelp here... it ALWAYS comes off after a short while... well mine does. I've had better results making lines from profilm/oracover and ironing on.

Thanks Stevo.

I've never ironed on anything on a surface as this. Pity as it looks pretty good. May have to revert to tried and tested method of painting it on!

How long did you leave the Trim Line before applying the fuel proofer? I seem to recall it takes a while for the adhesive to bond fully with the surface it's applied to....2-3 days I think.

Maybe the solvent in the fuel proofer got behind the Trim-Line & destroyed the adhesive. Which fuel proofer did you use?

For lifting sections of trim I've had great success in sticking them down again with canopy glue....takes a while to dry but it doesn't half stick plastics...

sounds like a reaction between the proofer and the trim/glue...ok until the proofer got to the glue.

ken Anderson...ne...1.............. reaction dept.

I know that some people will run Solarfilm Clearcote along all the trim lines and overlaps of film with a brush just to keep eveything tidy.

Hello Gents,

Many thanks for all your suggestions. I hadn't left it long ie I sprayed the "clearcoat" within a few hours of laying down the "trim line" so it could well be the thinners acting on the glue. I will take these up and re attach new ones . I will also brush some clearcoat on after a couple of days and see how it goes.

Just another thought to pop in here. You say that it has been glassed and painted- the problem with trim lines is that they like a really shiny surface to stick to - such as a nicely polished car or solafilm. When I put it onto glassed stuff I put a good coat of laquer on first and polish it before sticking the stuff on and top coating.

Good luck, Simon

Good point. I was debating spraying a coat of gloss fuel proofer before I re attached the trimline.

What do you polish the laquer with ? (I usually just buff it)

Many plastic films and trim have a memory. When you pull it tight to get a straight line you could be stretching it and it is trying to return to it's unstretched state.

I use Tcut normally and then give it a good wash and buff up with soft cotton - I find an old sock perfect. There is no alternative to elbow grease I have found!