Priming and Painting plywood fin edges.

[cornyl]

Hi all,
I have 3/32 plywood fins. The plywood takes paint well but the edges of the plywood do not take paint well. The raw edges act like a wick and suck the paint down.I was thinking of using some sanding sealer on the edges or maybe some white glue and prime again. Anybody have any ideas? Thanks

P.S. Just got my old renewed NAR (#29619) card. I'm officially a BAR!

 

[talkin Monkey]

Haven't actually done it yet, but I'm going to use (water dilluted) Elmers Wood Filler on the fins for my Madcow HoJo.

Try searching Fill n Finish and you should find all kinds of testemonials to the product here at TRF.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Hi all,
I have 3/32 plywood fins. The plywood takes paint well but the edges of the plywood do not take paint well. The raw edges act like a wick and suck the paint down.I was thinking of using some sanding sealer on the edges or maybe some white glue and prime again. Anybody have any ideas? Thanks

P.S. Just got my old renewed NAR (#29619) card. I'm officially a BAR!

Any wood filler, or even epoxy, will work, if the plywood has voids. If you are using aircraft or other high quality plywood with no voids, then they should be pretty smooth, and perhaps an application of CA, which will wick into the wood, should work. I would not use glue, since it does not sand well. I recently found Elmer's Wood Filler in a squeeze tube, and it works great to fill balsa, basswood, or plywood. You can squirt it on the wood, and rub it in with your finger. Easier to apply than digging filler out of a tub, like Fill 'n' Finish.

 

[Gym_Class_Hero]

Try something like car primer.

 

[Gillard]

Unsealed wood will normal "wick" paint in and sometime fluf out the wood, i always use sanding sealer on the edges. if the fin edge is thicker, then a put a layer of thin CA down first

 

[Stymye]

if it's not too late,
you could line the edges with thin strips of balsa, that would make rounding or airfoiling much easier also. very quick and easy.

 

[kandsrockets]

I seal the edges of my plywood fins with some 30 minute epoxy. I find it adds some strength to the edge and seals the ends.

 

[Johnnie]

I seal the edges of my plywood fins with some 30 minute epoxy. I find it adds some strength to the edge and seals the ends.

Same here, seals the grain, and really helps against dings etc...I go one step more and soak the grain in thin CA, then cover with 30-minute epoxy.

I don't build many, if any, rockets with fins that hang below the airframe, regardless of the design, the fins will "plow-the-row" from time to time on those tough landings...

Johnnie