if your wife uses aqua net hairspray just lightly sray the balsa with that.it has the laquer in it that balasaite has.but balsaite works well and yes you can carefully thin it a bit.and it doesnt add much of any weight.I use it on sig koverall or coverite.monokote any more rots..ultracote is better but somewhere along the line monokote changed and I prefer other stuff especially with bigger planes.