Anyone build a Guillows Balsa Kit?

Last time I tried one was back in around 1969. Never got around to the skin, but do remember that the dope had an interesting odor.... I digress.
have they made the kits easier to build? I remember splitting lots of the pieces. And the ink for the number call outs for the pieces bled into the wood making them hard to read.
If I recall, construction consisted of laying down the plans and pinning down the pieces on them and glue away. Still done the same way?
I have no legitimate, logical reason to consider trying one as there are a few hundred plastic kits waiting, but I saw a B-17G kit with a 46 inch wingspan that caught my eye.
Are these things buildable or will it just turn out to be very expensive kindling in a few years?
thx - Craig

I've seen a few hanging in hobby shops so somebody builds them. They look good without the covering and the structure painted silver. Also, some have had the decal insignia cut out and glued in the proper locations. Keep a window open when working on them if you use real model airplane glue!
Jack G.

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Well, the technology has come a long way, as some kits are laser cut, which means minimal splitting and or cutting....but this kit doesn't state that it is. They usually do when they are, as its a *big* plus. Since they don't, I'd assume that its not, and hence much as you remember them.
http://www.guillow.com/guillowlist.asp?UID 218739&familyid=1&seriesid'
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Nothings changed there.....
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they also have three other kits in that series....get a load of the frame for the Liberator on the box.
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Welllll....I guess it would depend on your perseverance level, more than anything else. Also, remember that this is intended to be a Flying model, powered by two .049 engines (remember the old plastic Cox planes that you could by and fly on U-Control lines?) Scale fidelity isn't going to be nearly what you'd get with an injection (or vac) kit.
I'd think it'd be really impressive as just an assembled frame....but that's just me.
As for adhesives, most stick kits are now built using some form of CA, gel / gap filling and Kicker, which speeds things up.
If you intend to cover it with tissue, you'll still need to get friendly with the "dope" you remember. Be aware that there are two kinds. The butyrate (sp?) will shrink the tissue (and smells), the other doesn't shrink tissue, or at least not nearly as well. Its an art I never mastered, but there are instructions and tips on the web.
List on the kit is $100+, but I did see them online for ~$65. You might look around http://www.guillow.com/ . And I'd consider a smaller / less expensive kit first, and if you like it then dive in.
You can also probably find help and information in a group like rec.models.rc.air, as there's a lot of balsa building going on there.

I built one a good 40 years ago. It was pretty straightforward. Lots of wood glue to hold it together. I pinned the wood on the paper, forgot what I used for a backing under the plans, might have been another piece of balsa. Gluing the paper on the wood wasn't hard, though the secret was to wet the paper a bit so when it dries it stretched. The dope for the paper would get you pretty stoned, so keep the place well ventilated. Recall, this was the late 60s.
I seem to recall using all my mom's straight pins putting it together. Wasn't a lot of sewing done for a while in the house.
Paint was pretty simple, slop it on, not a lot of colors back then. Thinking about it, not a lot of plastic model colors, they all fit in a cigar box. Airbrushes were unheard of. Though Badger came out with one I used before I quit modeling for a good 35 years.

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did you resume modelling? what do you nuild now?

On Dec 3, 3:33 pm, snipped-for-privacy@some.domain ( snipped-for-privacy@some.domain) wrote:
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Eventually. Now I do a lot of armor, though there are some German subs and some aircraft that are just crying to be built and painted some interesting paint jobs I have run across in the literature.
One thing plastic is much easier, though I found balsa pretty forgiving. It was a decent model for a beginner and actually did glide pretty well. Was a PT-19 trainer as I recall, simple paint job, dark blue and yellow.
Dad said how he used to CARVE his out of balsa wood. He took woodshop. I tried to make a bookcase once. Had an interesting list to it. Severe list. With a warp. Thank God he wasn't around when I did that.
Now I stick to plastic.

Musicman59 wrote:
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There is a whole Yahoo group dedicated to the Guillows models. The first model airplane I ever completed (there WERE no plastic models in those days, only stick models and solid models) was a Guillows kit, so I have a fond place in my heart for them.
I am working on the SBD Dauntless kit- skinning it with styrene instead of tissue, embossing skin with rivet detail, adding full interior. Engine will be a real challenge.

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i can build them, so you will find them easy. biggest problem is the big. they are very. so make sure you have a plce to keep it.

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(the attic -that's where all the big honkers go, waiting to be built. Went up there a few weeks ago and was surprised as to how many were up there. I'm used to seeing the smaller ones just stacked up, calling to me...)

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yeah, that seems to be the sad fate for my big guys. i can't build anything bigger than a 1/48th 2 engine plane, there is just not place to display. many people like to mount them on walls or dangle them from cielings. the wall mountings can be ok, but hanging usually just displays the least favourable view. i hate seeing kits i want to build but have no space for. it sucks in a major way.

Musicman59 wrote:
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Shucks, thats nothing.
As a kid, I used to build gliders, avg wingspan around 80 inches. Ma and Pa loved them and made room for them.
Big problem was finding a large enough space to fly them. They would just go on forever...... (I'm not kidding either ! trees were the biggest threat)
AM