Spikey Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 I can't get the whole fuselage side of my next build out of one 3" wide sheet, so I need to butt join another length to the first to make a wider sheet - and unfortunately the resultant joint will run along a flat-sided fuselage which will probably be painted rather than covered! So, given that we're talking 1/16" balsa sheet here, what glue's my best bet - aliphatic or CA - and how do I increase the odds on the result being as inconspicuous as possible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glyn R Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Butt join the 2 sheets together with masking tape. Using the tape as a hinge fold the sheets back. Run a bead of Aliphatic down the edge. Fold back and lay down with the masking tape down. Clean off the excess with a wood or plastic scraper. Weigh down with a block of whatever you have. Leave to dry. Sand the untaped side. Lift and remove the masking tape. Sand this side it will be almost invisible at this stage. You now have a double width sheet. I skim wood with the lightweight Polyfilla advertised for deep holes in plaster. Its very light, a full tin feels empty it also dries fast and sand easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 The classic way to do this is to put the two sheets on a flat surface - a piece of glass is best if you can - butt them together and tape the joint along the full length on one side. Then turn over the two sheets and fold them back to expose the mating faces. Run some glue - some use medium CA, I'd prefer aliphatic, but it probably doesn't matter too much - along the exposed edges. Don't use too much glue. Finally fold it "shut" again, wipe any access glue from along the joint then put doown on the flat surface and stick a couple books along the length to keep it flat. Once the glue has set it will be like one very wide flat sheet! QED. BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Snap! Only you type faster Glyn! BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 That's the way i do it too but to keep the joint tight I put another piece of masking tape over the untaped side after the excess glue is wiped off.Note that you do't need to join a full sheet, you can just join on a little bit where the fuselage is wide. This can utilise an offcut from along the tail end which ensures it's exactly the same thickness. Beware getting one sheet slightly thicker than another when you join.But it's possible to get 4 inch and even 6 inch sheet from major balsa suppliers such as SLEC . Also 4 inch by 48 inch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Harris - Moderator Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 ...or go back in time and use basa cement - a thin wipe down both edges and squiggle them together on a sheet of glass - separate and let the glue dry for a few minutes - another wipe of glue and slide the two pieces together where they will bond very quickly. The advantage here is that balsa cement sands superbly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spikey Posted September 17, 2013 Author Share Posted September 17, 2013 Brilliant! Cheers chaps, that's got that sorted Ref balsa cement, btw, obviously that's what I used as a kid, so that's what I went into the local model shop for when I started back down the steep slippery slope. What they sold me was the UHU equivalent (not POR - the other one) and it didn't seem like balsa cement at all to me so it went into the bin and I started using yellow glue. Can you still get proper balsa cement, or has Brussels decided that it causes climate change? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 By the way. No one seems to have mentioned that sheets are not always straight. I have a meter long straight edge and use that to trim the sheets to a perfect straight edge. When buying straight edges do check that they are in fact straight. some of the cheap ones can be bowed which raather defeats the object of the excercise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Balsa cement is available from 5 Star Adhesives (shop4glue.com)at 1.99 pounds for 28ml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Tee Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Posted by Peter Miller on 17/09/2013 08:26:56: By the way. No one seems to have mentioned that sheets are not always straight. I have a meter long straight edge and use that to trim the sheets to a perfect straight edge. When buying straight edges do check that they are in fact straight. some of the cheap ones can be bowed which raather defeats the object of the excercise. I checked all of the Stanley steel rulers 2'+ in 3 DIY stores, none were straight, many were out by a lot too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spikey Posted September 17, 2013 Author Share Posted September 17, 2013 Cheers kc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanR Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 My straight edge is a 1 metre long length of aluminium from B&Q. You need to check as you're buying. Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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