Ok, here’s my issue, I’m re-covering my Fun Tiger profile plane because the covering that came on it was crap and glow fuel got under the seams and soaked into some of the balsa. So, not my problem is that the monokote doesn’t want to stick to those spots. My question is, does any one out there know of a way (short of replacing the balsa) to get the monokote to stick?

Try Coverite Balsarite. If the wood is really oil soaked you can use cornmeal sprinkled on it for a few days to pull some of it out, brush and vacuum the area and then use the Balsarite.

I have heard of people using Acetone on the wood. Soaking it and letting it dry repeatedly and it gets some of the oil out.

Right, wrong or other wise this is what I do when the balsa is fuel soaked.

I spray it down with denatured alcohol. Let it dry and do it again until you can see that all of the oil is gone. For a really wet, balsa it take three times. After the alcohol is dry I apply a coat or two of Balsa Rite. It comes in two formulas so make sure you get the one for film and not for coverite. The monacote will stick like crazt after the balsa rite.

Dru.

I have always used K2r spot remover it is white when sprayed on and and pulls the oil out of the wood then it dries and you brush off the white powder it leaves you might have to do it 2 or 3 times. I can not comment on other process as this is the only one I have used. But it has worked great for me.

Steve Hill

Hey will these techniques allow you to glue wood together that has been fuel soaked as well? I had a ruptured fuel tank and now i need to replace a bulkhead.

Cornstarch also works well in pulling out oil from wood. Messy, though.

Oil-soaked wood, even if cleaned can be problematic if you try to glue it. A lot of times, the glue just won't hold. About the only solution is major surgery on the model and replacement of the affected wood.

bax

Great! Thats all i need to hear! Anybody want to buy a used plane, cheap!

Believe it or not, I used Brake Cleaner successfully.