RE: Baking Soda
Lee
Bi-Carb can be used as an accelerator, or a filler, but it hardens like concrete, so sanding it is a real chore.
You can dust balsa with it and add thin CA to make it a completely different material, great for around screw holes through balsa, or even ply.
Be aware that it is CA based, and therefore more brittle than resins.