Your Comments on how to do this balsa glue job
 

I am making a more scale profile to a set of aluminum landing gear by sheeting them in 3/16" balsa with half round end pieces on both leading and trailing edge. I'm venturing into a whole new world here.

My plan on this initial go around is to let the 3/16" sheets float on the gear and to glue the leading and trailing edge pieces to the balsa-aluminum-balsa sandwich. At first I was going to do it with epoxy, but got to thinking using Titebond wood glue wood be easier and just as strong. I would love comments anyone would care to make.

RE: Your Comments on how to do this balsa glue job
 

I have sheeted gear similar to that a few times and can tell you that the only way that didn't come loose from the gear when it flexed was by using "Goop"
to bond the the wood to the gear . Any time I have tried to bond wood or plastic to gear that had any flex too it with anyhting other than "GOOP " I would end up with either the application cracking or it would free itself from the aluminum and float around and rattle. I believe you could use something other than GOOP but it needs to be flexible ,not brittle when cured .

RE: Your Comments on how to do this balsa glue job
 

Titebond will not maintain a bond to aluminum.

RE: Your Comments on how to do this balsa glue job
 

gosh man ..I tried that before and it does come off if glued solid..goop would work well cause it does flex... its flapped off on me in flight when glued solid..one remedy a friend did was custom build one from carbon then paint..or suspend it inside your wood exterior so it can still move..thats done alot with wire gear..<div>
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</div><div>guamflyer   P-40 Bro # 5  and 6</div><div>
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</div><div>  slope fast     soar deep</div>

RE: Your Comments on how to do this balsa glue job
 

Drill a small hole in the aluminum gear. Fill the hole with balsa. Then glue the balsa sheeting to the balsa you filled the hole with. That way, the balsa sheeting can't move, but you have no balsa-to-aluminum glue joint. Another way is just to make sure the large pieces extend a quarter inch or so beyond the aluminum gear on each side. Then put the balsa strips for the leading and trailing edges of the gear between the sheeting pieces and glue. The balsa is free to slide on the aluminum gear, but it has no place to go, because the fuselage and wheel pants will keep it in place.

RE: Your Comments on how to do this balsa glue job
 

Thanks for all the great comments. One followup point. I was not planning on gluing the balsa to the aluminum; basically, the entire balsa sandwich would "float" on the aluminum gear, but held in place as stated above, by the fuselage and wheel pants. What I basically want to try is what Top Gunn said in his post.

It really does look a lot better than the stock gear even before painting or covering. The plane is a Laird-Turner LTR-14 Meteor. If it breaks (the gear cover) not a big deal, just try another method.

RE: Your Comments on how to do this balsa glue job
 

Splais

I put balsa on the sides and a strip on the front and rear of the landing gear and I used 30 minute expoxy. I did this with a Balsa USA smoothie and two RC Nobler's never had a problem.

RE: Your Comments on how to do this balsa glue job
 

I do the same, but I then glass the structure. Besides adding a little strength, it seals the balsa, prepaing it for paint.