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I've been papering my balsa and basswood fins for years, exploring and improving on various techniques along the way.
Adhesive labels, or gluing paper skins with wood glue? Or just sealing the wood grain with wood filler (CWF) or primer? Sealing the edges with CA, or not? Sealing the entire surface of balsa fin with CA?
I've developed my preferred approach (paper skins glued with TBII, then edges sealed with CA), but was mostly out of convenience and guesswork. I've never documented or run side-by-side comparisons for benefits and weight penalties from various approaches. Searching this and other forums, hasn't turned up documented comparisons on this subject either.
Thus, I've decided to setup and document my own set of experiments.
I will share the findings in this thread.
Feel free to send suggestions my way for other techniques I should evaluate.
Here is the list of variables that I intend to measure and document:
Fin preparation techniques that will be evaluated:
1). Balsa fin grains filled with Elmer's carpenter's wood filler (CWF).
2). Balsa fin grains filled with Elmer's carpenter's wood filler (CWF). Then primed, painted, and polished to "ready to fly" state.
3). Balsa fin grains filled with few coats of primer paint? Then primed, painted, and polished to "ready to fly" state.
4). Balsa fins papered with glued-on (TBII) skins.
5). Balsa fins papered with glued-on (TBII) skins. Then primed, painted, and polished to "ready to fly" state.
6). Balsa fins papered with stick-on adhesive labels skins.
7). Balsa fins papered with glued-on epoxy (BSI 30 mins?) skins.
8). Balsa fins soaked in CA, tip-to-tip. Then sanded, painted, and polished to "ready to fly" state.
Target output data matrix:
Feel free to comment, make recommendations on what other variables I should track.
Preferably before I get too far along in the experiment.
Adhesive labels, or gluing paper skins with wood glue? Or just sealing the wood grain with wood filler (CWF) or primer? Sealing the edges with CA, or not? Sealing the entire surface of balsa fin with CA?
I've developed my preferred approach (paper skins glued with TBII, then edges sealed with CA), but was mostly out of convenience and guesswork. I've never documented or run side-by-side comparisons for benefits and weight penalties from various approaches. Searching this and other forums, hasn't turned up documented comparisons on this subject either.
Thus, I've decided to setup and document my own set of experiments.
I will share the findings in this thread.
Feel free to send suggestions my way for other techniques I should evaluate.
Here is the list of variables that I intend to measure and document:
- Starting weight.
- Finished weight
- Finished surface smoothness
- Ease and total time of prep
- Strength ?
Fin preparation techniques that will be evaluated:
1). Balsa fin grains filled with Elmer's carpenter's wood filler (CWF).
2). Balsa fin grains filled with Elmer's carpenter's wood filler (CWF). Then primed, painted, and polished to "ready to fly" state.
3). Balsa fin grains filled with few coats of primer paint? Then primed, painted, and polished to "ready to fly" state.
4). Balsa fins papered with glued-on (TBII) skins.
5). Balsa fins papered with glued-on (TBII) skins. Then primed, painted, and polished to "ready to fly" state.
6). Balsa fins papered with stick-on adhesive labels skins.
7). Balsa fins papered with glued-on epoxy (BSI 30 mins?) skins.
8). Balsa fins soaked in CA, tip-to-tip. Then sanded, painted, and polished to "ready to fly" state.
Target output data matrix:
Weight before (in grams) | Weight after (in grams) | Finished smoothness (1-5 star subjective eval) | East and time of total prep (in minutes & 1-5 star subjective eval) | Strength (destructive test? 1-5 star subjective eval?) |
Feel free to comment, make recommendations on what other variables I should track.
Preferably before I get too far along in the experiment.
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