I understand that the CA glue will harden the balsa wood.
However, in my assembly manual is states to install the screws for the servos to thread the holesand then apply glue. It never says that you should remove the screws after threading the hole.
Do they intend for you to just thread the holes, remove the screws and then apply the CA.
I am thinking leaving the screws in the holes with the CA applied might make it a little tough to remove the screws.

After drilling the holes, with the servo out of the way, use the screw to thread the hole, remove the screw and then apply a drop or two of CA. After it has cured, install the servo and screw into place.

OK, Thanks.
The holes are pre drilled in this case but what you are telling me is my first assumption that you would not apply glue with the screws in place.
The instructions were not clear at all and I did not want the screws stuck in the holes making the servo mounting tray useless.

Do not apply the CA with the screw in place. This will make your screw permenant in the location. Do as Geoff stated. Drill the hole, use the screw to cut the threads in the wood, remove the screw, and then apply thin CA to the hole and let it seep down through the threads. Make sure the CA is completely dry before you place the screw back into the hole. If you don't the screw will more than likely be glued in place in the hole and you'll have a difficult to impossible time trying to ever get it back out again.

Ken

As RcKen said. THIN CA.

Pearls of wisdom or the voice of experience or been there had that happen, your choice. Last year I ended up with a giant scale plane in a trade, servos were still in it. I tried to remove them. Had to grind off the heads, remove the servos and use vice grips to remove the screws. No way would they come out with a screw driver. They had them CAed in. I have been known to rush my work and installed the servos before the glue had cured 100%. I use hex head screws and even then they were a real thrill to remove!! Not the first time I had done that!! Probably not the last either!![&o]

Sounds like I caught the error or at least omission on the manuals part.
When it said to tread them and and then omitted removing them but had you applying glue I knew that sounded wrong.
I thought to myself but if I don't remove the screws they will not come out again~~or am I wrong and the CA won't bind to the metal screws? Can't be!
I just thought I would ask here first and make sure I was not missing anything.
It's hard for the people writing these manuals when they have to assume that you might be a rookie and might not know just how things are done or the intent of what they are saying to do.
But then again that's why forums like this exist!
Again, thanks for the help folks!

CA is also used to strengthen the wood and make it more crucsh resistant in areas like where control horns mount to control surfaces. Pin ***** the area and work thin or thick CA into the holes, nature will do the rest. This is especially valuable if you are using contest grade balsa wood and don't want to inlay hardwood where you need extra toughness..

It also depends on the type of plane you are building.

If you're building a trainer, the manual should spell out every little step. If you're building an Aeroworks P-51, the manufacturer should be able to assume that if you're building their advanced product, you should have all building/ assembling skills down already.

Yes, there is a fine line between over-writing a manual and assuming the buyer posses the knowlege to put their plane together, but it will vary by what you're building.

Just need some opinions.

Am soon going to build a 1/2 a sized Kadetito, sort of a mini sized Kadet. It has the typical Kadet birdcage rear fuselage and plans call for the upper and lower frame members to be out of 1/8" spruce. But no spruce or even 1/8 bass to be had anywhere in town.

Do you think I could take a hard balsa 1/8" stick and harden it with soaked in thin CA? Would this make it pretty strong?

Tom

Strength isn't the thing you need to worry about if you soak balsa with CA like that. Weight is going to be your problem. That wood is going to wind up being very heavy with that much CA on it. If it were me I'd put together an order to Balsa USA or Lonestar Balsa and get the correct wood for the job. Spruce and Bassword are used because they are strong woods and still relatively lightweight.

Ken</p>

TIP: Use some VERY thin wire to poke through the hole right after applying the thin CA to keep it open. Florist wire works well.

How well (or poorly)do spruce and basswood accept the different kinds of glues? Alephatic resin (Titebond, Elmers, etc)? CA?Epoxy? Do you prefer one over the other? Do you prep end grains or are they hard enough NOTto suck the joint dry? What's your preferred joint? Butt? Dado? Lap?Other? Enquiring minds ...

Oops - sorry about the thread sidebar ...

Hi!
Never ever use balsa for mounting servos!!!! At least not in a glow powered plane. Small electric is another matter
Servos should be fastened to plywood! Nothing else!
Here is a picture of my aileron servo in a Q-500 racer. 3mm plywood used. Holes drilled, then soaked with thin Ca glue , after Ca glue has dried the servo is bolted in place

Some plywood, especially "lite ply" is just as bad as balsa. I prefer hardwood myself, either spruce, bass or even pine is better than either plywood or balsa. Often a strip of hardwood under ply (if you have the ply already in the plane as some ARF"s do) works well too, it gives the screws a nice grip and spreads out the load on the plywood.

I think it's relative to your servo power and size of plane. No on just Balsa sticks, but a 1/4 x1/4 Balsa stick with a strip of lite ply on top is fine as well as a small stick of bass wood. A standard servo on a trainer type plane does not put out alot of force on the wood. A larger model with 100+oz servos needs another application.
As far as glue-all will work but once again high power heavy servo applications may require epoxy and screws or pinned applications where lite loaded servos need med to thick CA.

I use Elmer's wood glue for spruce or bass. Just don't trust CA on hardwood and that is what Elmer's was designed to glue.

Epoxy would work but is heavier and not as tasty when I chew it off my fingers. (Yep, I ate paste in first grade.)

Tom

Yeah, I was sort of surprised that anyone suggested applying CA to Balsa to hold servos in place. The balsa will "strengthen" with the application of CA to the servo screw holes, but they will eventually pull out. The best suggestion here is to either make a hardwood frame to mount the servos on or back up the balsa with some hardwood or 1/8" aircraft ply... something to take the strain of the working servos.

CGr.

To remove screws that have been epoxy or CA glued to the mounting holes, apply some heat through the soldering iron tip to the head of the screw. In couple of minutes the glue will loose the grip.

Very good tip!