hi
been using clear dope for over 50 years on and off ,to seal balsa and install silk covering on open bays at times -only thing we had then
you can save some dollars SIG thinner is acetone and can be used with SIG butyrate and nytrate to thin it is cheaper in quart cans at LOWES and HOME DEPOT than local hobby shop
CLEAR dope is lighter than epoxy so i choose to use it in my glo fuel tank areas to fuel proof them (LIGHTER IS BETTER )
if your balsa should get fuel soaked use K 2 R dry cleaning spray to draw the fuel and oil out of the soaked balsa ,then apply a few coats of clear dope the balsa will get hard again an regain its original strength
you can use clear dope under monocoat or ultracoat wherever you choose under those film coverings to prevent glo fuel seepage into the balsa at its seams ( for ex : at the aileron seam just behind a glo engines exhaust ) the films will have no problem sticking to clear coated balsa wood,
clear dope can be used to seal any seams a film covering may have or around decals to prevent them from lifting for the long hall-,when dry it cannot be seen on the films
two or three coats will seal a balsa surface and fuel proof it -,a coat dries fast about 15 minutes-,when dry to the touch you are ready for the next coat
butyrate and nytrate have different curing rates one takes a days longer to cure and should not be top coated until the curing is complete- there will be some shrinking and drying off of solvents going on for days as per the instructions
all balsa wood surfaces must be sealed from HOT glo fuel ( with a film or a fuel proof sealer of some kind be it clear dope or SIGMENT(SIGS glue in a tube ) )to prevent glo fuel seepage into the wood-, fuel seepage will make the balsa very soft long term and cause the plane to come apart prematurely a some time in the future
i have a 20 year old -,40 size SIG UGLY STIK that has been recovered twice with monocoat-the third attemp at covering it (restoring it ) i could not get a film to stick to the surface -even after much surface prep ,i coated the balsa wood surface with SIGMENT glue and a brush-,the fuse is a natural balsa wood color now and is fuel proofed for sure
the surface came out very smooth surprisingly with no sanding-this was a last try attempt at keeping one of my most relaxed flying airplane in my fleet flyable-,still flying now with 800 plus flights it worked great for me -, it was a very last resort
the diaheadral in this top wing plane has improved the planes flying characteristics much for the better less control coupling now try it you will like it
the plane is an RC IKON in my opinion and a KEEPER after flying it for 20 years
BEST REGARDS TONY