Papering fins, adhesive label paper vs glued on paper

[icyclops]

Yup, white glue will work I guess....adds some weight. 3M Spraymount 77 holds tight and is ready to go in a hour or less.....no mess or fuss and you won’t be peeling it off the balsa fin without damage after it dries.Try it and you may just be hooked. I was.

 

[neil_w]

Label paper has the adhesive already applied.

Just sayin'.

 

[icyclops]

True, but it is on the paper only. Spraymount adhesive spray gives you the option to not only spray a coat of adhesive on the paper, but also a coat on the balsa fin too. Put both together and you have a bond that I have never had delaminate. It is very strong and you can not pull it off without damage to both. Plus, an added benefit to using Spraymount, you can use the type of paper thickness and coating you wish and not just what the label paper thickness or type of top coat is. I have used a wide variety of paper stock from gloss coated to thick card stock, and they all stick very well. I find it just gives me more options is all, but both techniques will work no doubt.

The key benefit to label paper I think is the peel and stick easibility, plus no sticky over spray that you can get from spraying adhesives. It can be a mess if you don’t set up a spray area. I have sprayed into a garbage can before

 

[Woody's Workshop]

Regular paper is not good, the darn stuff always separates on me and leaves a flopping fin.
You either have to soak it through with thinned glue, or use something like onion skin paper.
You would be surprised at how strong that glued down onion skin really is.
Compared to regular paper that separates.
Just my experience.

 

[BABAR]

I haven't had much success with label paper. Bubbles appear... and then they are so hard to get rid of.

I've had a lot of success with papering with white glue. The secret is to smear the glue to a thin layer, immediately apply to the fin, and then immediately flatten it with a stack of books over wax paper. I usually cut out more than enough paper covers in the event that one gets trashed in the application of glue. Heavier paper/ card stock works better.

Definitely thin coat. I use a hotel key card to squeegee off as much as possible before applying.

 

[Bill S]

Interesting observation: While papering the fin for my Executioner, I didn't have any waxed paper; I had grabbed my wife's parchment paper instead, having a mental fart. It actually doesn't stick, PLUS because it gets all wrinkled up in the shape of the fin, I have to suspect its absorbing some of the water from the glue, allowing the glue to dry faster.

I did start putting the covered up fin in a book I don't care about though, to try that out as well. I also learned definitely do both sides of the fin at once, particulary if you have the cardstock wrapped around the rounded front like I did. I screwed up and did one side at a time on a fin, and the front is kind of ugly, not at all like the first fin or the third fin.

 

[lakeroadster]

I did start putting the covered up fin in a book.........

Lot's of talk here about putting the wet papered fin "in" a book? I put it at the bottom, of a stack of books. I've been using photo paper and white glue.. and have had no issues. That being said I always primer before painting and have found the paper really soaks up the primer... which is a good thing imo.

 

[jrap330]

Lot's of talk here about putting the wet papered fin "in" a book? I put it at the bottom, of a stack of books. I've been using photo paper and white glue.. and have had no issues. That being said I always primer before painting and have found the paper really soaks up the primer... which is a good thing imo.

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Gloss of photopaper never has issues with glue or primer?

 

[lakeroadster]

Gloss of photopaper never has issues with glue or primer?

I'm using matte paper, but to answer your question I haven't had any issues when using the paper shown above.

I also used the same paper to build multi ply fins for the Shooting Star Columbine rocket shown below. I've had good luck with it.

 

[afadeev]

I'm using matte paper, but to answer your question I haven't had any issues when using the paper shown above.

I've tried using regular printer paper (just looked it up - 75 g/m^2) and higher quality and thicker paper we use for printing color photographs (255 g/m^2).

Thicker paper hides wood grain fully, but produces much heavier fins. This can be a problem with long complex multi-piece sci-fi wings.
Thinner paper can show some of the grain (I glue it with TBII applied to paper, both sides at once), but since I almost always paint over the papered fins, the paint hides the leftover grain traces.

The few times I was printing a design onto paper to be glued to a fin, I always went with the thicker paper.

HTH,
a

 

[heada]

Has anyone tried wasi kozo or mulberry paper? Think thin like tracing paper but big fibers like kraft paper. I'd think it'd act alot like fiberglass cloth would.

 

[Sooner Boomer]

Regular paper is not good, the darn stuff always separates on me and leaves a flopping fin.
You either have to soak it through with thinned glue, or use something like onion skin paper.
You would be surprised at how strong that glued down onion skin really is.
Compared to regular paper that separates.
Just my experience.

I'm somewhat surprised at your experience. Maybe we're doing things just enough differently... I just papered fins for my current scratch build project. I used regular (20# ?) printer paper. I brushed glue on one side, added paper, did other side. Folded parchament paper around fins and clamped it between two plywood cauls. After an hour - hour and a half, I took the clamp off. I trimmed the paper from the edges and sanded the edges with a finger nail file to remove the last bits of the paper. I then applied thin CA to the edges. The only problems I had were that I cranked the clamp down a bit too hard on one fin and the grain pattern from the caul "printed" onto the paper; the other problem is that glue squeezed out and over the edges. I hate sanding Titebond-type glue, it's gummy.





Sorry, no pics of work in progress. I was too worried about getting everything into the clamps to take pictures. Oh, and the dots on the fin indicate fin position. I don't think it really matters, they're all the same.

 

[Lee]

I've tried using regular printer paper (just looked it up - 75 g/m^2) and higher quality and thicker paper we use for printing color photographs (255 g/m^2).

Thicker paper hides wood grain fully, but produces much heavier fins. This can be a problem with long complex multi-piece sci-fi wings.
Thinner paper can show some of the grain (I glue it with TBII applied to paper, both sides at once), but since I almost always paint over the papered fins, the paint hides the leftover grain traces.

The few times I was printing a design onto paper to be glued to a fin, I always went with the thicker paper.

HTH,
a

"Thinner paper can show some of the grain (I glue it with TBII applied to paper, both sides at once), but since I almost always paint over the papered fins, the paint hides the leftover grain traces."

I've gotten into the habit of "filling the grain" with yellow glue - the entire sheet - both sides at same time to avoid warpage - prior to cutting out fins. A thin coat of TBIII or watered down TBII does the trick with minimal sanding.

 

[Joekeyo]

I've papered many a rocket fin and I like it. It took a few tries to get it right. Once good results can be consistent, hours once used for sanding can be used for something else.

Here are some tips to make papering easier:

For rounded or airfoiled fins, cut the paper slightly smaller. I trace the fin with a precision fin point pen, then cut out the line Apply glue in accordance with the Appogeevideo cited above. The fin should be 100% covered with glue. Pay close attention to the edges. I use an old plastic card to squeegee extra glue. If the glue is applied properly, the should be little or no extra glue. It is messy. Have rags handy. Allow to dry overnight under a stack of books. Feather the edges of the paper with 400 grit sandpaper and sand off any additional messy glue mistakes as well.

Nice strong surface ready for paint. Much less sanding.