What glues do you prefer to put together a balsa and lite ply kit:
1. Wings
2. Fuselage
3. Tail feathers

What types and name brands for each of the three sections do you prefer to use and why? What do you find are pros and cons based on your personal experience building kits. This is posted in more than one forum so only answer once.

Which one should we answer?

All of it.

This is just my opinion and many on RCU disagree with me but it is just the way I do things.

I use thin and medium CA on all balsa and plywood airframe components no matter what part of the airframe or size of aircraft. I use Gorilla glue when glueing wing tube sockets, servo rails, balsa leading and trailing edges, tip caps and root ribs to foam wing cores and tail feather cores, and I use a thin epoxy laminating resin when gluing balsa wing and tail feather skins on foam cores. That's it.

Bob

I use the same glue Bob does, with one exception. I use laminating resin to glue tail components to the fuselage when I need some time to align the part. CA glue is a one shot deal and sometimes I need a minute to set the alignment.

Thanks for the tip, Bob. I hadn't thought of using Gorilla Glue for wing tube sockets. I have an opportunity to try it today.

Have you guys seen this? Page 6 is where things get interesting.
http://www.engr.sjsu.edu/sbates/imag...s_in_Shear.pdf

if we were using hard woods the testing would be good info

I use Franklin Titebond aliphatic resin (woodworking glue) for most joints.

Epoxy is used for high strength areas such as firewalls and joining wing halves.

I use thick CA for any balsa parts that have to be laminated like fuselage side doublers. I also use it for anything that needs a quick tack while the woodworking glue sets up.


Carl

All have stronger bond lines than the balsa to balsa or balsa to ply, so it doesn't really matter to me at all.

Bob

Yeah, same in regards to the CA and one shot deal issue with me as well. I know guys who will build an entire plane with CA and I don't know how they can do it, since when I build, I have to make minor adjustments after everything has been put into place and the glue applied. They must probably get everything in perfect place and use the most fluid type of CA and it just soaks in, I don't know. In regards to Gorilla glue, not sure how many different types there are, but I know guys who've accidently glued stuff shut because it swells up/expands when it completely cures, compared to how it was when it was first applied. So be sure to take that into consideration when using Gorilla glue in tight places where there are moving / movable parts and control surfaces.

Thin CA on balsa to balsa, 30 minute epoxy on hardwood to hardwood or high stress areas like the fire wall. I usually keep a bottle of titebond on hand as well as Sigment. Sigment is pretty good for things like balsa doublers where titebond tends to warp the large areas. I also use Gorilla glue for things like wing tubes and sometimes hinges.
A lot of time I will have 6 different types of adhesives on my bench but I use so much CA that I buy it in 8 ounce bottles. I like the speed in setting up. When I build I don't like waiting for glue to set up but these days I will also go out to the shop, epoxy in a part and not go back out to the shop again until the next day. I have slowed down a lot the last couple years. Not slow enough to just use titebond though.

My current inventory of glue is the following. Titebond wood glue, Greatplanes 15 min epoxy, Greatplanes thin and med CA, and canopy glue. I use the wood glue as much as possible, it is non toxic and cheap. Epoxy for critical joints and sealing firewalls etc. I do not like using CA but it speeds things up if your in a hurry and is good for quick repairs. everybody builds differently but I think most modelers will agree you need epoxy for critical plywood joints and the rest is personal preference. Use Canopy glue for as its name implies. CA will damage clear plastic. Never tried Gorilla Glue but sounds like a winner for certain applications.

I use thin and med CA for the framing ( IE-wing-ribs, bulkheads, stab ass'ly, fuse ass'ly, etc..)

30 min epoxy for higher stress areas, and joining major components(IE-firewalls, engine-mounts, stab attachment, wing-joiners, etc).

This combo has held all my planes together for many years...

I use a few other things too, they might have been mentioned,.. but I like RC-56 for canopys...

I also like using silicone sealer under tank hatches(along with screws) and usually put some behind the engine mount and also on strap/aluminum landing gear... The silicone definately seals out oils and makes a great final barrier/sealer. I just took apart a plane I built in 1989 that I'd used silicone on a few times.. and the inside of the tank compartment looked like new wood.. and its over 25yrs old...It doesn't take much and residual silicone just peels away.... so I consider that material a very good component used in moderation of course.

I use the same glues in the same way as P-40 Driver. Titebond Original is my favorite, Titebond III is rubbery. After a lot of testing, wood breaks before the Titebond.