first build in balsa, some help neaded.

[Mouse]

Hi all

I have only been into flying for less than 6 months but early on I decided that I would like to build a plane of my own to fly.

With this in mind I recently brought a cheap balsa kit to practice on, to help me learn how to read plans and to see if I have the skills etc... however I have only just started and have run into two problems, the first is that the plans say to build one fuselage side on top of the plan and then build the other side on top of that and when dry split them apart.

my first question is surely if the glue joint is good then it should not be able to come apart or do I put something like tape etc. between to stop them sticking to each other ????.

Secondly the glue I was sold with the kit does not seem that good, it is UHU hart but it seems to take a long time to dry, normally a couple of hours which when gluing wing ribs is a right pain, is this right as the instructions seem to be in German.

Is there another faster glue or do I just need to take it easy and slow down a bit ??.

Sorry forgot to say I will not be flying this plane.

Thank you

Bill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited By Mouse on 10/12/2013 18:55:14

[Jim Newberry - Nuviation Ltd.]

Hi Mouse,

Glad you've decided to get into building as well as flying!

With the fuselage sides, you lay a sheet of clear polythene over the first before starting the second on top of the polythene. Some people like to use the backing sheet from covering film for this purpose although I find that I can get sheets of polythene from my local hardware store quite cheaply and they work perfectly well for me.

As for the glue, there are lots of different types. Personally, I use slower drying glues as much as I can - Deluxe Materials' Aliphatic Resin is my favourite - and I even use it for wing ribs, holding them in place with pins while the glue dries. An alternative glue is cyanoacrylate - superglue - which you can get in different consistencies from your local model shop. Trade names to look for are Zap and Rocket, although there are others. I use Zap medium and thin quite a lot. The medium takes slightly longer to set than the thin stuff but setting times are still measured in seconds rather than hours. Of course the downside with rapid setting glues is that you only get one chance to position the part accurately. Once set, they are also less flexible than their slower setting cousins - these two reasons are why I prefer the Aliphatic Resin.

Jim

[Andrew767]

Hi Bill

Take Jims advice to use film between the two sides....UHU Hart is balsa cement and is a least as good as any adhesive for this job because it was designed to stick.....well.....balsa!. If it is taking more than 15mins to set then there is something wrong. I wonder how long it's been on the shelf. I would be tempted to return it to the shop and complain if it's taking 2hrs.

Andrew

[Tim Hooper]

I use scraps of Sellotape on the glued joints of the first side before buildling the second.

tim

[Bob Cotsford]

Posted by Tim Hooper on 10/12/2013 22:47:42:

I use scraps of Sellotape on the glued joints of the first side before buildling the second.

tim

me too, I find it less hassle than a plastic sheet.

[Mike Etheridge 1]

In the good old days we used grease proof paper rather than polythene between the balsa sides, plus balsa cement as an adhesive. Recently I have used medium super glue but still had a tube of Durr balsa cement handy. The use of Sellotape seems a good idea to me?

Why not fly the plane Bill?

MJE

[David Davis]

Bob and Tim seem to have the right idea.

I use aliphatic glue and allow it to dry overnight then I build the other side over the first, again allowing it to dry overnight. I've never bothered with any sort of barrier between the two sides in the past, so both sides are stuck together at the glue joints. When the second side is dry I've always lifted both sides from the plan and sawed them apart with a bread knife!

In future I'll use the Sellotape tip.

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Sellotape works great, anywhere you don't want two parts to stick together.

If you want to make really, really sure, One piece can be stuck on the already built structure, then another, (unsticky side to unsticky side) can be used to place the parts on that you're building up. Not usually necessary, but I've been using this technique while constructing parts that need to be a snug sliding fit, one inside the other.

[Brian Cheyne]

To separate the top and bottom buiIt items I use "clingfilm" from my wife's roll and it works fine. It is so thin that you can feel whether the two parts are totally aligned in addition to being truly transparent which aids in sighting the accuracy of your build

[Depron Daz]

Posted by Brian Cheyne on 11/12/2013 11:24:58:

To separate the top and bottom buiIt items I use "clingfilm" from my wife's roll and it works fine.

You're a brave man describing the kitchen cling film as belonging to the wife! Top man, well done

Daz (scaredy cat dept..........)

[roger graves]

I have a large roll of non food safe cling film (cheaper) it works fine. One glueing technique not yet mentioned is the use of pva to make the joins held together with cyno "mails" whilst the pva dries.

[Levanter]

Same question Bill. Why not fly the plane? Having this as a goal focuses the mind on all the good disciplines such as lightness, strength, accuracy and should ultimately lead to a really good sense of achievement. I have a sort of mission and that is that all my models have to fly or at least attempt a flight once, hopefully ending up in one piece. I have two small models on the go (both Guillows kits) and once they have flown once they are destined to become ornaments. They will however always have been real aircraft first.

[Mouse]

Hi all

Thank you for all the reply's and advice, I particularly like the one about using superglue to start with and then p.v.a,and also the many votes for sellotape.

The reason that I was not going to fly the plane is because it only has a wingspan of 18 inches ( it is a Eastbourne monoplane) and is designed for rubber power, (even though the box says electric as well ????), and I was not intending to cover it, however after what has been said I think I will now give it a go and have at least one flight.

I was thinking at one point about getting the plan enlarged and trying to cut the parts myself to make a larger model but it seems to be designed for fixed wings which would be a problem to transport.

Mouse.

[Steve Hargreaves - Moderator]

An 18" wingspan model will be quite fiddly to build.....perhaps go for something a bit larger next time.

As a quick simple build something like a Mini Tyro takes some beating....

[Rob Jones 2]

I'm a bit surprised by the support for balsa cement. I was always told to chuck it and use white wood glue (about 40 years ago, admittedly).

[Peter Miller]

Well, you learn a new idea every day. Never thought of using Sellotape before but it sounds brilliant.

Have not used balsa cement in years. Deluxe products Aliphatic resin is my choice. If using balsa cement it is a good idea to precement the joints.

You apply glue to both surfaces and allow it to dry, the apply a second coat and join the parts, This makes a much stronger joint.

[john picton]

At 18inch span it would be ideal for indoor flight, rubber motor or electric powered, find a local indoor event and go along to see how its done, it great fun and out of the cold winds......JP

[Bob Cotsford]

Peter, I also use sellotape on the plan rather than a plastic sheet. I just cover any joint lines which seems to do the job ok.