Sand it off with your sanding block, or with a loose piece of sandpaper<\/p>\n
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Fuel proof “paint”<\/strong><\/p>\n In 1992\u00a0a friend showed me his second airplane. \u00a0This guy is actually my cousin in law, and when he does something, he does it right. \u00a0His second plane was a Sig 4 Star 40 covered in yellow Monokote, and everything was perfect. \u00a0The thing that really impressed me was that the cockpit and the engine compartment were glossy black. \u00a0I asked him what he had painted it with, and he told me it was dope. \u00a0At the time I didn’t have a ton of experience, so although the plane was very simple I found it very impressive because it was a really tidy job, and the dark color hid all of those details you don’t really want people to look at.<\/p>\n I never got around to using dope, but I bought a small jar of Formula U black polyurethane paint at the hobby store, and I used it for a long time to paint engine compartments, biplane struts, cockpits, etc. \u00a0Thinking back on it, I remember painting a landing gear black with this stuff\u00a0when I moved to Kansas City in 1996, and I used it\u00a0for the last time around 2016. \u00a0It was a 4 ounce jar. \u00a0I wanted to buy another one, but I think it went out of production a long time ago. \u00a0Probably because a single jar lasts 20 years. \u00a0That’s a good product but not a good business plan.<\/p>\n When I realized I needed a substitute, it occurred to me that I could color\u00a0my bare wood parts with permanent markers before fuel proofing\u00a0them with epoxy. \u00a0I found out that you can use up a black Sharpie pretty quickly this way, so I went to the dollar store and bought a big fat one with a wedge shaped tip. I’ve used it quite a bit and it isn’t showing signs of running out yet.<\/p>\n Here are a few planes that have received the epoxy-over-Sharpie treatment.<\/p>\n Cockpits and engine compartment painted with black sharpie and epoxy.<\/p><\/div>\n I used a brown art marker to color the struts on this biplane.<\/p><\/div>\n You can use epoxy for fuel proofing with or without applying color first. \u00a0From six feet away it looks great!<\/p>\n Use sanding dust to fill gaps<\/strong><\/p>\n Sometimes you glue things together and they just don’t fit. \u00a0You can use gap filling CA glue, but it tends to run away somewhere before it sets, leaving a gap. \u00a0So you fill the gap again and shoot it with accelerator. \u00a0Typically when this is done you are left with a protruding lump of CA that needs to be sanded away. \u00a0One potential solution is to stick everything together with thin CA, then sand the area around the joint. \u00a0Use your fingers to push balsa dust into the crack. \u00a0Brush away the excess so nothing protrudes past the surface, then use thin CA to glue the dust in the crack.<\/p>\n Put your wing spar where it belongs<\/strong><\/p>\n You have to balance your plane with the correct center of gravity before you fly it. \u00a0The center of gravity should be marked on the plan sheet. \u00a0Most of the time it will be right on the spar, or at the rear edge of the spar. \u00a0This makes it easy to balance the plane because you just put your fingers under the spar and hold the airplane up. \u00a0Some designers arrange things so the spar and the CG do not coincide, which requires you to mark the CG somewhere else to balance your finished model. \u00a0Make it easier for yourself. \u00a0Take note of the CG location on the plans, and when you’re cutting out the wing ribs place the spar notches at the designated center of gravity. \u00a0I’ve built a lot of planes like this over the years, and I always just move the spar to where it belongs.<\/p>\n Plastic covering for your plans<\/strong><\/p>\n Just about every construction article will tell you to put something transparent over your plan sheet, then build the plane on top of it. \u00a0Lots of people use plastic food wrap, which is just about the worst thing, or wax paper, which is a good idea if you’re using cement, but no good if you’re using CA. \u00a0The best thing to use is the clear plastic backing from a roll of Monokote. \u00a0Of course you’ll have to build a plane first and then cover it, and then you’ll be ready for your next building project. \u00a0This plastic can be used repeatedly. \u00a0I always save the backing from the wing covering on my largest building projects, which are big enough for just about anything I build.<\/p>\n Put wing sheeting on with the grain going in the correct direction<\/strong><\/p>\n When you put sheeting on the leading edge of a tapered wing, don’t orient the grain so it’s parallel to the spar, like this:<\/p>\n Orient the grain so it is parallel to the leading edge, like this:<\/p>\n When the grain is diagonal to the leading edge, it tends to make a series of bumps and dips along the edge. \u00a0When the grain is parallel to the leading edge it tends to lie flat, so it’s easier to make a wing with a nice, smooth surface.<\/p>\n Use glue dots for your center of gravity marker<\/strong><\/p>\n Put a dot of medium CA glue on each wing at the designated center of gravity location, and give it a shot of accelerator. \u00a0You can easily feel the little dot with your fingers as you hold the plane up to check the balance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Those who have built balsa airplanes for years or decades have a long list of shortcuts they have learned. \u00a0Here are a few of mine which I think will be helpful for new builders. Getting CA glue off of your … Continue reading ![\"DSC_0575\"](\"http:\/\/www.balsaworkbench.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/DSC_0575.jpg\")
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