sealing paper/balsa/basswood

Sanding sealer is good for balsa, though if the grain is course you may well need several coats. Depending upon the surface of the cardboard tube I might not bother with sealer and just use primer. For tubes with a rougher finish I sometimes use a coat of finishing epoxy, which also works on balsa.

You can add 10% baby powder by volume to sanding sealer to make it fill better and sand easier. Also you can apply two coats before each sanding the first 2-3 times. Reduces labor.

Please pardon the tech post.

Jerry

Resume:

I meant coarse of course.

This suggestion may have come up before, but I've obviously missed it. I've never tried adding baby powder to sanding sealer. I'll have to try that! ... in spring, though.

I'm stuck with water-based finishing products until I can work outside again. That means using some long-time out-of-production Featherweight Spackle. It fills, but its pretty soft stuff.

Thanks Jerry.

Dwayne Surdu-Miller SAROS #1

I post rocketry content occasionally :)

Thanks kindly, Will. I will try to get hold of some of Pine Pro's sanding sealer and try it out.

I can advise against one product for finishing. Mod Podge. It fills okay and does not give off much odour, but is perpetually soft and sticky, doesn't fill in brush strokes very well, and doesn't sand worth a darn.

Dwayne Surdu-Miller SAROS #1

-----------------------------------

Several rocketeer folks apply Japanese tissue or silkspan with a 50/50 mixture of clear dope and dope thinner. That keeps the weight down, seals and smooths surfaces, increases strength, and doesn't take much labour. This method works great with balsa and basswood, and would probably work well with virgin kraft paper tubes and heavy-duty tubes.

Dwayne Surdu-Miller SAROS #1

It is what ever you can get that works well for you.

Sounds like a builder skill issue, but you can thin dope, and try different sand paper and techniques.

A good primer should seal the material.

To be clear, you want to apply a single coat of sanding sealer, clear dope, or whatever, first. This will raise and seal loose wood fibers. Sand the rough fuzz off. Then you can apply multiple coats between sanding, if that technique works for you.

Alan

Bring back the 1960's and 1970's techniques!

Jerry

-------------------------------- Yowza!

Use cardboard baffles, rubber shock cord, and yellow and white glue, too.

They still work! :-)

Dwayne Surdu-Miller SAROS #1

If your aircraft dope is goopy, then it is really old and you need to throw it out and get a new can/jar! Dope really should be one of the thinner paints around.

I think he was referring to the "sanding sealer" variety, with added fillers...

-dave w