Mam'selle.......

[Danny Fenton]

Thanks Rich, I hope it gives enough info to help people decide whether it is worth a try. It comes in a small pack, I have bought three packs of cream for the mam'selle.

 

I just bought a load of heavy and lightweight from the Leeds Model Shop. I know Mike Woodhouse Free Flight Supplies only has white and green, so that is a bit ominous

You may have to dye some tissue or use this 'ere Litespan, or even Airspan, It comes in tissue colors.

 

I fancy this lovely cream Litespan with dark Burgundy trim and lettering on the wing

Cheers

Danny

 

PS should have said, the Balsaloc has to be left to dry before using an iron on it. Only about 15 mins at the most. It goes clear. It feels a lot like PVA but a bit more rubbery, sort of like a pva/rubber glue hybrid......

 

Edited By Danny Fenton on 27/11/2011 00:33:58

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Nice demo Danny.

 

I've long held the view that Balsaloc is just slightly diluted PVA It even smells like PVA!

 

BEB

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Posted by rob lyttle on 26/11/2011 21:34:06:

d'you guys all know each other?

Rob here-I'm newto all thisblog-message stuff. But i did build a mamselle afew years back.. as per rcme plan with rud&elev. I covered the fus and tail in tissue as recomended and fitted a Magnum 10. i loved it but the fuel proofing couldnt take it.ive rebuilt it in a redesigned way -less boat shaped and more Cub like. same original wing though-dont abandon the rubber bands method for bolts (if you fly/land like me) im going to follow the progress here if thats ok Rob

 

Hi Rob,

 

and welcome to the forum! Good bunch of guys (and few lasses to) on here. Why not introduce yourself via a "hello" post on our "Newbie Threads" - you'll get a warm welcome and meet some of the "regulars". You'll find the newbie area here just make a new thread there and tell us a bit about your modelling interests etc.

 

BEB

[Big Bandit]

Hi

Posted by Richard Harris on 27/11/2011 00:11:25:

Danny,

Thanks for all the photos and explanations, very neat work!

 

Talking of tissue, I wonder whether the coloured stuff is still available?

 

 

Rich

Hi Richard,

 

It is but now it's Jap tissue more like rice paper than the model span that most of us will remember using. I've got a few sheets of each colour, but TBH I'm not keen on using it apart from trim it has a glossy side and little wet strength. I might try dying some of the JP stuff but not sure how to go about it.

 

Cheers,

 

Chris.

[Danny Fenton]

Hi Chris, how about trying food coloring? The colors are certainly vivid enough

Cheers

Danny

[Richard Harris]

Wouldn't it shrink on applying dye?

 

 

I had a quick look around and found this, second one down. Could it be Jap?

 

Medium weight coloured tissue

 

Sorry for the off topic Danny.

 

 

 

Rich

[Tim Hooper]

Posted by rob lyttle on 26/11/2011 21:34:06:

d'you guys all know each other?

 

Welcome to the nonsense, Rob!

 

Yes, a lot of us do know each other personally - mostly as a result of talking on the forums first, and then meeting up at the fly-ins and meets. After that it's just a matter of trading insults at every opportunity!

 

So, feel free to follow along and join in!

 

tim

 

[Tim Hooper]

Posted by Danny Fenton on 27/11/2011 00:27:25:

I have bought three packs of cream for the mam'selle.

 

Your personal life is your own affair, Mr Fenton........

 

Just a couple of points from my own meagre experience;

 

Balsaloc and PVA may be closely related, but are not the same. I've tried using PVA to attach Litespan, and it's a no-go.

 

Food colouring will fade to white very quickly under UV light. In my younger days I dyed some white emulsion with blue colouring before painting a bathroom. It looked great for a day or two, and then the wall opposite the window just sort of faded away!

 

I've used Litespan on quite a few models and, withing its limits, it's a great way of covering a light model. The only flyin the ointment is the silver coloured variety though. Peter Rake refers to it as the 'devil's covering' and I have to agree - it's a nightmare to apply and to shrink, so I try to avoid it these days.

 

Nice photo-tutorial on applying Litespan BTW.....

 

tim

 

 

 

[Danny Fenton]

Hi Tim, you will be pleased to hear that the cream is clearing the bad case of "open structure" that the Mam'selle is suffering from. Hopefully if I keep applying it then the "openess" will clear up in a day or two

Interesting to hear about the food dye thats scuppered that train of thought then

Can you say how the Litespan holds up over time? And how about sat in the high temperatures that we see in the Midlands, specifically around Greenacres during RCM&E events? All that sunshne! Does the covering slacken??

 

Hi Rich that does look like it is worth a try, certainly not a huge loss if it is wrong. I dread to think of the stuff I have ordered online thinking its one thing to find its something else

Hi BEB I had also heard that Balsaloc was just PVA, I was going to try some, but I think PVA's are not equal and you have to get the "right" type. I have been meaning to try a method of attaching wing sheeting using Aliphatic glue in a similar way to Balsaloc, but in this case you are ironing down balsa sheeting.

 

I am using the lightest smear of Balsaloc to cover, and that seems to be sufficient. The covered item "feels" like tissue and dope, except for the radiussed edges which don't have the nice doped smoothness.

 

Anyway, I have finished assembling a bike for Roisin, so I might actually get my knees near the bench for an hour

Cheers

Danny

 

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

I think buying Balsaloc gives you an adhesive that you know will do the job. Some PVA's may work but it sounds a bit hit and miss to me. Covering falling off in flight can be a tad embarrassing.

 

5 Star adhesives (who I really rate) sell two types of iron on film adhesive. A water based one that looks very similar to Balsaloc and a solvent based one that may well go on thinner?

 

Interestingly Danny, they sell another one designed for wood veneer. Maybe that would be best for your wing sheeting?

 

All three are here

[Danny Fenton]

Hi Chris, that glue does indeed sound interesting, quite a small tube though, might need a fair bit to do wing sheeting. But its well worth getting some in to try.

 

To give you an idea of how much the Lightspan shrinks, I (deliberately ) left a few wrinkles in this tailplane tip, to see if they would vanish with some heat......

 

And indeed it has

There are a couple of areas where a Wrinkle has crept in that I cannot remove, mainly due to the parts heights not being equal and the film cannot cope with a step But still another tool for the modellers arsenal.

Cheers

Danny

 

 

[Big Bandit]

Hi Danny, Richard,

 

The dark green looks like Jap tissue and the light green has the appearance of model span. You can buy tissue from art shops and stationers, but for covering models it's complete rubbish and is similar to Jap, I've tried it a few times and it's almost impossible to get a true tissue finish repeatably. I had some with a kit last year (Guillows) and tried it, wound up binning the completed airframe in disgust.

 

Model span is the one you want, and JP do a similar one, but only in white, wet it under the cold tap then unravel it and hanging it over the bench to partially dry, apply it over the model whilst still damp. It'll pull drum tight on it's own, then dope with a 50 / 50 mix. Other tissues refuse to shrink properly if at all even when doped. It's the sort you get with a new pair of shoes and are wrapped in, one glossy side and one dull side, just bin it.

 

I'll build a couple of Sharface wings next weekend and cover one in Model span and one in art shop tissue /Jap tissue and do a blog for the two, to highlight the differences.

 

Cheers,

 

Chris.

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Quite a few different tissues available here freflightsupplies from Mike Woodhouse but you have to go to the "LW covering" page.

 

Also RC World have a couple of weights listed. Has anyone tried this stuff?

[Danny Fenton]

Okay the first attempt to post seemed to end in tears lets have another go....

 

Getting the hang of this LightSpan and its okay, very like tissue

I have found that a Jenny brush is best for applying the Balsaloc

 

Just got to drill some irregular holes for that massive P.A.W. next

Cheers

Danny

[Steve Hargreaves - Moderator]

BA bolts, BA bolts.....must use BA bolts......

 

Extra points available if you use brass ones!!!!

 

Please fill in the gaps in my education too Danny....what on earth is a Jenny brush??

[Martyn K]

Looking fantastic....

 

Jenny Brush

 

- basically a foam roller

 

Regards

 

Martyn

 

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Steve,

 

a Jenny brush looks like a ordinary paintbrush but instead of bristles its made of foam. The foam usually has tapered wedge shape to give you a "edge" on the end. So sort of like a small foam shovel if you know what I mean!

 

Often used for applying varnish etc. Very good for painting solartex with - also it seems for applying Balsaloc!

 

BEB

[Steve Hargreaves - Moderator]

Well there you go...you learn something every day.....never heard of a Jenny brush...

 

I thought it must have been something he nicked off his wife....

[Martyn K]

Posted by Big Bandit on 27/11/2011 18:03:53:

 

Model span is the one you want, and JP do a similar one, but only in white, wet it under the cold tap then unravel it and hanging it over the bench to partially dry, apply it over the model whilst still damp. It'll pull drum tight on it's own, then dope with a 50 / 50 mix. Other tissues refuse to shrink properly if at all even when doped. It's the sort you get with a new pair of shoes and are wrapped in, one glossy side and one dull side, just bin it.

 

One thing to add. If you are using dope (even thinned), make sure you pin the surfaces down (for at least 24 hours - preferably longer) with the desired warps (eg washout) built in otherwise they will add some of their own..

Regards

 

Martyn

[Danny Fenton]

Steve, you haven't discovered Jenny Brushes? They are fab. I use them a great deal for glass work, in fact anything where you don't want brush marks or stray bristles. Just bin em after use, but the Balsaloc does rinse out as long as you don't leave it too long.

 

I bought a box full from Flints, years ago, but I notice more guys are stocking them these days. I found them when I was restoring an olf Firefly Sail boat, they are great for varnishes and lacquers.

 

BA bolts...... mmmmm you mean I am going to have to drive for an hour to get some from my LHS, or wait for mail order? I have hundreds of metric screws in the workshop.... I tell you what, I will donate to children in need if you DON'T tell the Keil Kraft "chuck and duck" club (I so want a t-shirt that says that)

 

Cheers

Danny

 

[Danny Fenton]

Crikey a flurry of activity while I was posting, thanks chaps

I will second the warps Martyn, this is the lightest framework I have ever filmed, and it has warped even with the light shrinkage of the Lightspan. It was easily fixed by pinning the wings down and wafting the iron over tham as they cooled. But probably something to check over time

 

Cheers

Danny

 

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Ha! Cross posted Martyn!

 

BEB

[Tim Mackey]

Just ordered 10 sets of the Jenny stuff - thanks for the link Danny.

[Martyn K]

Posted by Danny Fenton on 29/11/2011 09:41:51:

I found them when I was restoring an olf Firefly Sail boat,

 

More memories - I used to race Firefly's - F2784, (Phoenix) and also sailed with the ex class masters - Bill Brockbank and Brian Heron...

 

(stop dreaming and get back to work - fool)

 

 

Martyn

 

[Steve Hargreaves - Moderator]

Yeah, thanks for the link Danny.....I had a quick Google & Jenny Brushes seem very popular with the boating fraternity.....applying varnish to hulls & that sort of thing.....I can imagine that they are excellent for avoiding brush strokes.....

 

Regarding the BA screws...well you can get them from Modelfixings so I'm a little disappointed you didn't plan ahead here Danny....I did warn you about the BA screw thing a while ago.... but since the motor is fully cowled I think you might get away with it.....it can be our little secret.....

 

Just thinking about fuel.....I trust you are planning on using one of these.

 

On a serious note (& apologies if you already know this) but the ether in diesel will evaporate in a trice if you let it....even through the walls of a plastic bottle!!! So if you are using a plastic bottle for fuelling then only transfer a small amount of fuel at a time & return any fuel left over to a METAL storage tin & remember to keep the lid on tight when not drawing fuel.......