How smooth does it have to be?
12-10-2004 | 12:21 PM
#26
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From: BONAIRE,
GA
RE: How smooth does it have to be?
ORIGINAL: gow589
Wallering is the result of part of the surface being harder than the other. This could be epoxy glue joints, where hard wood meets balsa, or even harder sections of balsa. It doesn't matter if you are using a block. This came really aparrent when I was block sanding my car for paint. As soon as I hit metal, sanding stopped. If I continued to block sand, it would still "waller" (if you can come up with a better term let me know). With a sharp 60 grit paper it cuts through harder areas such as wood and epoxy glue joints without creating low spots. It is much easier to come up with a final shape.
Wallering is the result of part of the surface being harder than the other. This could be epoxy glue joints, where hard wood meets balsa, or even harder sections of balsa. It doesn't matter if you are using a block. This came really aparrent when I was block sanding my car for paint. As soon as I hit metal, sanding stopped. If I continued to block sand, it would still "waller" (if you can come up with a better term let me know). With a sharp 60 grit paper it cuts through harder areas such as wood and epoxy glue joints without creating low spots. It is much easier to come up with a final shape.
I like the word "undulation". Kinda got a ring to it.
12-10-2004 | 12:24 PM
#27
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From: Waynetown,
IN
RE: How smooth does it have to be?
I use everything from 60 grit to 1200 grit. 60 up to 180/200 is only for fast rough work. When you slowly work your way up to 1200 grit, you end up with an amazingly smooth surface that will look like paint after the covering is applies.
As Paul stated.......
sand, sand,sand,sand, sand,sand,sand, sand,sand,sand, sand,sand,sand, sand,sand,sand and then sand some more
As Paul stated.......
sand, sand,sand,sand, sand,sand,sand, sand,sand,sand, sand,sand,sand, sand,sand,sand and then sand some more
12-28-2004 | 10:41 AM
#30
RE: How smooth does it have to be?
Kirk RC -
I had been curious about the woodpecker so last year at Toledo during one of Faye Stilley's demos I asked him if he used one. You have to remember that he gets paid by some in the industry to cover for them and most likely gets freebies - with the hopes that he says nice things about the product. He very nicely said that a woodpecker is counterproductive to sanding - ie you sand to get a smooth finish, then hit it with a woodpecker which then causes little wood fibers to stand up, so you need to fill the holes and sand it again. So no, he didn't use one. Not letting go, I asked him what they were good for given that they are being sold - so he responded that he was given several when they first came out - learned that they didn't help him with his method of covering - but with all the sharp points on one, you could buy a cheap piece of meat and run the woodpecker over the meat to tenderize it - so that is what he does with his.
Dan
I had been curious about the woodpecker so last year at Toledo during one of Faye Stilley's demos I asked him if he used one. You have to remember that he gets paid by some in the industry to cover for them and most likely gets freebies - with the hopes that he says nice things about the product. He very nicely said that a woodpecker is counterproductive to sanding - ie you sand to get a smooth finish, then hit it with a woodpecker which then causes little wood fibers to stand up, so you need to fill the holes and sand it again. So no, he didn't use one. Not letting go, I asked him what they were good for given that they are being sold - so he responded that he was given several when they first came out - learned that they didn't help him with his method of covering - but with all the sharp points on one, you could buy a cheap piece of meat and run the woodpecker over the meat to tenderize it - so that is what he does with his.
Dan
12-28-2004 | 10:50 AM
#31
My Feedback: (1)
RE: How smooth does it have to be?
The wood peckers's are designed to release the trapped gas from excessive heat. If you do a good job covering, you often don't need to heat it that much and subsequently don't end up with that much gas. Just enough heat to tack it to the edjes and to the balsa rite if you use it and then just enough to make it tight. If you try to cover too much with one piece, you have to shrink it more requiring a lot more heat and generating a lot more gas. Breaking the covering up into more segments helps.
12-29-2004 | 09:54 AM
#32
RE: How smooth does it have to be?
GOW589-
If you get a chance to see a Faye Stilley demo, do it. You will learn more about covering in 30 minutes than most learn in their lifetimes. I ran into him when I started into the hobby again with RC some 20 years ago - prior to that I did UC. There are lots of techniques and opinions out there as to what the best this or that - I have tried many of them - but why mess with what a guy like Faye says works for him. The only thing that prevents me or anyone from doing a covering job exactly like he does is the time you want to spend following his methods. Several things talked about in this thread that he doesn't use are a woodpecker and balsarite. Next time I see him, I think it is about time he did a covering video, and will suggest he does one.
Dan
PS: For those who don't know who Faye Stilley is - he is the guy that generally wins the best in monokote finish at the Toledo show, or where ever he enters.
If you get a chance to see a Faye Stilley demo, do it. You will learn more about covering in 30 minutes than most learn in their lifetimes. I ran into him when I started into the hobby again with RC some 20 years ago - prior to that I did UC. There are lots of techniques and opinions out there as to what the best this or that - I have tried many of them - but why mess with what a guy like Faye says works for him. The only thing that prevents me or anyone from doing a covering job exactly like he does is the time you want to spend following his methods. Several things talked about in this thread that he doesn't use are a woodpecker and balsarite. Next time I see him, I think it is about time he did a covering video, and will suggest he does one.
Dan
PS: For those who don't know who Faye Stilley is - he is the guy that generally wins the best in monokote finish at the Toledo show, or where ever he enters.
