Hey all,
Just got my firs kit today. I picked the elder 40. I have built many arf's with no problem. my question is, how do you glue these parts together without gluing everything in the room to it??? I labeled all the parts, and started on the stab, only to glue everything but my soul to 3 little pieces of balsa.

Use elmers yellow glue or equivlent for one thing. It makes sanding the joints possible. CA has it's place, but it shouldn't be used near something that will be sanded later. It hardens way harder than the balsa, so trying to sand of the runover is all but impossible. The yellow carpenters glue cleans up with water and with a bit of planning you keep a good work stream going.

When using the thin CA glue, get a length of capilary tubing and cut the end of your glue bottle so you can just barelly force the tubing in from the wide side. Cut the tubing off about 2" long and now you can put the CA where you want it without it over running the entire bench. Don't squeze the bottle, just wait for the CA to go down the tubeing. A little is good, a lot is a mess. You don't need to flood the pieces to get a good bond. The medimum and thick are a bit easier to use, but for balsa to balsa joints, use the thin.

Fit you parts together so you a tight mechanical fit, then any glue you use will give a stronger joint. Air gaps are problems waiting to happen. Fill the gaps with slivers of balsa and when you have a much as possible packed in, then spot it with a drop of CA.

Epoxy is used for joints that take the most load. IE the firewall. the landing gear mount, wing mounts. and gluing major pieces together, IE wing halfs.

To keep the glue from sticking, and this will be hard as it's your first kit, use the backing off Monokote for plan covering. Yes, CA will stick to it but no as bad as wax paper or parchment paper. By the way CA weeping under the part on the plan covering is you main enemy for glue problems. Use as little glue as possible.

I keep a mustard squeze bottle full of hardware store alcohol for cleanup. This is for epoxy. I keep another small bottle of acetone avaiable also for CA and a roll of paper towel handy. When using the carpenters glue, I keep a spray bottle of water handy for cleanups.

Oh yes, I about forgot. Thin the carpenters glue by adding about 10% water to it. This helps it to penitrate the balsa some. I mix up about an ounce of it and store it a small water tight jar. Use a small artist brush to apply it to the wood.

For epoxy, I pick up a tube of 100 small 1 oz plastic cups like you get condments in at some fast food restrants. I pick them up at a restrant supply for not much over $2.00 a tube. Get a box of round tooth picks for stir sticks. Mix you epoxy and then just throw away the little cup when you are done. I keep the cup and stick on the bench and when the stick is firmly glued to the cup, it is OK to move the parts you just glued together. Don't put any strain on them yet, but you can carefully move them.

Hope these tips help. I'm sure more will be following.

Don

You can get the different sizes of CA glue tips at most hobby shops. The epoxy cups I too get the 1 oz cups but I have bigger ones that I have kept after eating the pudding cup yummys. You can use these over and over. I pick up bags of acid brushes from Harbor Freight for mixing and spreading the epoxy.
I use A bunch of different types of glues but mostly CA. And yes, it does sand harder then wood glue but that's what I mostly use.
WAX paper under everything, Over the plans is the most important. There are other products but I always can get the wax paper.
Keep the CA off your fingers!! Sure, right, OK. My wife just loves the sound of me chewing off the CA and spitting it on the floor at night while watching TV.

aglaser, there are some rites of passage... 1st, 2nd, & 3rd. ALWAYS have good if not great ventilatoin when using any glue and painting products. Next open the CA debonder before you start using the CA... I build on a building board with waxpaper over the plans or with saranwrap, pin the pieces in place with tight fit everywhere, then feed in small amounts of glue. Esspecially if you use Elmers wood glue, let it sit long enough to set well. let us all know how you do, Doc

Since MOST of us do not have a lot of Monokote backing (and the stuff Tower sell IS expensive ), your local Wal-Mart sells plastic drop cloths for a dollar or two. Get 2 mil or thicker and cut what you need to cover the plans. (I can usually get 3 planes [or more] out of a 9'x12' plastic drop cloth ).

Most of the poly plastic is OK. The trouble with the cheep drop cloths is that they are so light that they easilly rip. The Monokote backing is about 6 mill and a lot of the dorp cloth stuff is only 2mill.

A word of caution should be given. Keep the glue joints away pins. The CA will run to the closest pin and run down it and glue the plans to the board. Also, the plan covering is a one time shot. When the part comes off the board, pull the cover up also and throw it away and place a new cover on for the next part. Even if there isn't a pin sticking through the cover, the CA will find the old holes and glue you plan down at first chance.

By the way, I've tried parchment paper and it is OK for white glues. I've tried Cling Tite and It is OK. I picked up a 18" x 100ft roll of restrant grade plastic wrap and it was sort of OK. Wax paper is sort of OK, and as long as there isn't that much difference, pick up a couple rolls at the Dollar store and use it. Keeping the glue from flowing all over the place is more important than the type of plan covering.

Don

GOOD IDEA

Remember the days when wax paper had wax on it?? You could run your finger nail across it and peel the wax off. Your Ambroids just lifted right off, no problems.
If anyone ever runs across the good stuff again please shoot me A PM. Seems the Micro Wave Oven melted the wax into peoples food so they came up with something else. Works great for cooking but not so well for building models.

Monocoat plan covering is the best ca does not stick to it.Just dont use to mutch ca.I WONT BUILD WITHOUT IT....

You THINK you are into building kits...but actually us builders are just glue collectors ........ :P

Hey guys,
What about the strength. Is CA as strong as wood glue?
Brian