to balsarite or not
05-30-2003, 10:35 PM
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other than balsa rite to prime wood for covering(monagoat) has any used any thing else,thinging about a thin coat of figerglass resin VERY thin,any help would be great..............8.00 bucks a can is a joke .........................
05-31-2003, 02:15 AM
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The several times I used BalsaRite I was sorry. I use both Monokote and Ultracote, and nothing on the wood except in a few small places, such as where the covering wraps around the firewall, the wing saddle, the edge of retract wheel wells, etc.
For these spots, let me share a secret that is very effective....get a tube of the old fashioned model airplane cement by Sig, called SigMent. Run a bead about the size of 1/16" music wire for a few inches around the spot to be super-secured, mash it in with your finger, then do another few inches until you have the firewall edges "primed". Give a few minutes (or hours or days, doesn't matter), then iron on your covering. It will lock it down and you will tear the covering before it will come loose. With lots fewer problems of bubbling than with BalsaRite. Try some on a test piece of balsa....you will be amazed. The dried Sigment somehow heat activates with the covering adhesive. And no, Ambroid or Duco doesn't work as well.
Clair Sieverling
For these spots, let me share a secret that is very effective....get a tube of the old fashioned model airplane cement by Sig, called SigMent. Run a bead about the size of 1/16" music wire for a few inches around the spot to be super-secured, mash it in with your finger, then do another few inches until you have the firewall edges "primed". Give a few minutes (or hours or days, doesn't matter), then iron on your covering. It will lock it down and you will tear the covering before it will come loose. With lots fewer problems of bubbling than with BalsaRite. Try some on a test piece of balsa....you will be amazed. The dried Sigment somehow heat activates with the covering adhesive. And no, Ambroid or Duco doesn't work as well.
Clair Sieverling
05-31-2003, 03:03 PM
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I don't like using BalsaRite under normal covering conditions, it's simply not needed and gets lumpy under the covering with anything but a low iron setting.
05-31-2003, 11:11 PM
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The main purpose of Balsarite is to use with covering materials that have no adhesive coated on them. You don't need it with Monokote or Ultracote.
Dave Segal
Dave Segal
06-01-2003, 01:25 PM
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I've had the same bad experience with Balsarite as Stickjammer.........and, even when it was smooth at first, had ugly bumps show up halfway through the summer. I'd just stick with a good vacuuming/tack rag preperation.
06-01-2003, 02:02 PM
#8
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to balsarite or not
A thin coating of any of the carpenter glues such as Titebond, Titebond II, etc. works well too. Just put on as thin a coat as you can, let it dry, then iron on the covering. Even works quite well over wood that has been oil soaked (remove as much of the oil as possible first of course) and will even work on wood to wood joints.
