Besides the iron on method what other methods are there for attaching balsa sheeting to a fuselage when clamps can't be used to hold the sheeting? How is the sheet held in place while the glue dries?

Ace bandages work wonders for this type of thing. Or, get Co-Flex. You can buy it in the Wal-Mart Pharmacy section. But if you can find a feed store or Co-op store you can get it a lot cheaper. I use this for exactly what you are doing here. I wrap the fuselage with the Co-Flex and wait for it to dry. It will hold everything in place without any issues

http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.h..._content=12123

Ken

Rubber bands. I spray my sheeting with a 50/50 blend of water and ammonia, let it soak for a while until it gets soft then I start bending around the fuse. It can be held with rubber bands while the glue sets up. If I can I like to use CA glue when sheeting curves.

I use masking tape. Very simple and holds tight.

I have used masking tape, but it doesn't have any stretch or give. and it's difficult to get off. You can stretch out the ace bandage, or Co-flex, which will then keep very even pressure on the pieces you are gluing together.

Ken

Next round plane I build I will be giving the coflex a try. The RBs tend to leave traces that need filling after the wood drys. Coflex sounds like it would be a lot better. Thanks Ken.
Gene

Gene,
 once you try it you will wonder why you didn't try it before!!!! Of the better reasons why I like it over rubber bands is that you don't have to work it down from the end of the fuselage. then when you take your hands off to feed the next band the parts slip. With the Co-Flex you simply start wrapping where you want to start, and keep constant touch with the parts. Plus, you can control how much pressure you want on the parts. More pressure wrap tighter, less pressure do a loose wrap!!!!

Ken

Makes lots of sense ken, I have learned something new for whenever I happen to build again. Always learning in RCU thats why I love this site so much.

Co-flex? is this the same as Co-ban?
If so get it at the farm supply store, it is used to wrap horse tails etc. and it comes in colors.
Some of the guys wrap this over the foam over their battery and receiver packs.

A layer of foam around a fuse then wrap with Coban or ace wrap might help conforming to concave shapes.
I am a home health nurse and I bet there is 10 rolls of that stuff in my work car

I also like to use sand bags. I got a 5 gal bucket of sand and use baggies in diferent sizes, they conform to shapes well. Sand bags for wing sheeting was my prefered method until I made a vacuum press.

For curved surfaces I always use a two step process. Soaking the wood with ammonia and water (windex) and then using masking tape to hold it in place until the wood dries. Now I have a dry piece of wood that conforms to the curve. Very easy at this point to apply wood glue, put it back in place, and hold in place with masking tape or painters tape.

Brad

Most grateful to know I'm not scratching my head for no reason.

I was wonder what that bandage that you are given after you give blood for the Red Cross. That is some good stuff. Someone said wrapping battteries with that stuff and foam, that is not a bad idea. I'm gonna try that.

OzMo,
Same stuff. Co-Flex is what they sell for animals, but it's the same thing as Co-ban. The only real difference is that it's a LOTcheaper. WhenI cut my hand with a prop my doc wanted me to use the Co-Ban for dressing the wounds.Instead Iwent to Atwoods (farming supply store)and bought enough Co-Flex to last 10 days, for less than 4 days worth of the Co-Ban would have cost!!!! Of course Ipicked up a few extra rolls to keep around my shop as well!!!


This is absolutely fantastic stuff for wrapping batteries and receivers with. I used to wrap with foam and put a rubber band around it. The problem with that is that in a crash the rubber bands can break and the foam can come loose then. If you wrap with Co-Flex around your foam it won't pop loose in a crash. Plus, rubber bands get old and brittle and can break while in the fuselage.Co-Flex won't do that!!

Ken

I've found that Ace bandages worked like a charm. (Used what was handy). Spritzed the outside surface of the sheeting with water and formed it using the bandages to hold the pieces in place, then used the bandages to hold the pieces after glue was applied. I was about to use hold down straps, but this is a much better method for this application. No big buckles to gouge the wood.

Good call RCKen, this should be in a book somewhere.
Just one other question, why would a person use ammonia in the water used for curving wood?

How bad of a mess does Co-Flex leave behind on the plane if it accidentally gets "glued" to the plane? Well....I'm a messy builder!

I use laggy bands a lot too. The BIG ones for holding wings on.
Depending on what the task is, I use external strips of spruce or stiff Mylar (I use a lot at work) or even cardboard, to stop the bands cracking the wood or producing "sags" between formers.
EVEN THEN, I often need to build up the force at the edge of the balsa with extra thick strip, just to make sure it seats down and doesn't set proud.
I've never been a fan of steaming except for thin strip balsa. The ammonia is a good tip:- sends the cellulose all bendy for a time.