A guide to using balsa
 

Hello everyone,

Been quite some time since I last posted around here but I have been busy.

I've created a new (sub) site about balsa and things associated with balsa (tools, glues, coverings etc etc etc), since I found myself answering these questions a lot both on and off the flying field.

The main balsa site is - http://pldaniels.com/flying/balsa
... which is part of the larger PLDaniels Flying site ( http://pldaniels.com/flying )

If there's something you'd like to see added to the balsa or flying site, feel free to let me know.

RE: A guide to using balsa
 

Wow great site.
Looks like it will keep me busy reading it for a little while

Thanks for the link

RE: A guide to using balsa
 

Agent Miget,

Thanks for the compliment :)

I've just converted my couple of videos over to use Flash-video format, that'll make it a lot easier for people to view them now, though I still use the ogg-theora videos for when people want to download/store them.

Got a lot of new pages lined up, just takes time to write them, not to mention taking lots of photos :)

Paul.

RE: A guide to using balsa
 

Although not directly related to balsa - I've put up a new tutorial, however this time it's about making printed-circuit-boards using the water/toner system, a lot safer/simpler than pens or UV developing.

(feel free to spread the link around)

http://pldaniels.com/flying/howtos/c...boards-part-I/

RE: A guide to using balsa
 

So when is part 2 to be expected?

RE: A guide to using balsa
 

Should be in a couple of days - just waiting for a new batch of PCB's to arrive and then I can put them into the etch tanks :D

Paul.

RE: A guide to using balsa
 

Good site, I just pretty much read the whole thing, great start. Along covering, let me know if you need some content about Ultracoat, it's something I use for all of my stick builds, I like the extra strength and how far it can streatch in spite of the extra weight, in some obscene angles, you still reach the boundries of it's thickness to streatch capacity so need all of the plastic you can get.

RE: A guide to using balsa
 

I would love more content. Obviously I can't research everything - and most certainly I can't be "all knowing", so having contributions is always welcome.

Paul.

RE: A guide to using balsa
 

I'm an x paper covering only guy so this plastic stuff is really nice to work with in comparison, I like how you broke down the weights, makes me want to get into solite rather then Ultracoat, but keep it as something I use when weight is much more critical and I don't mind having to cut up the coverings into more pieces.

Ultracoat is just insane compared to what I was used to, it's so versatile, I did my last build with some rather hard core angles and curves just seeing how far I could push this stuff, it's almost like paint as far as to what it can cover. The idea behind complex angles, you end up with a cupcake wrapper on the edges that are creased much more on the sharper corners and curves, but you are trimming that away since none of it is attached to the plane, i'ts just where you were pulling the material, all you are doing is heating up the edge/area you are trying to streatch around and pulling in a logical manner, the heavier and more flexible the material, the stronger the heat activeated bond, and the more it shrinks the better, it takes more time and finesse for the harder angles, but keep at it and don't push it too far, too quickly and you can cover entire wings, fuses, rudders, elevators with ease in one piece much of the time, just read the mfg.'s instructions as well as make your own decisions as to how skilled you are with it, this stuff does take some practice regardless.

You can quote that for your web site.

I'll eventually video document how I do it, just have alot of projects going on at once so leave that one on the back burner for now.