RE: Sealing and Painting Balsa
I think you will need to seal the Balsa completely because humidity will continually be changing the surface under the finish if you don't .. Balsa is thin and soft and very effected by moisture in the air.. That is why we have so many wrinkle's show up in our covering .. If getting a good finish on the wood is important you might need to do a little more work than you first thought or possibly come up with a different material or method.. What about covering over the balsa on the the gear with Iron on covering ? I have Century 21 covering on my Robart landing gear and it was easy to do and looks great.. It can also be painted if need be...