Building Tips and technical articles. > Building techniques
Laminating balsa
Motorman:
My experiance with laminating sheets is that they warp. The different pieces of wood change with the weather or something and warp. YMMV
Dan McEntee:
--- Quote from: John Skukalek on March 30, 2024, 10:38:27 AM ---I have some good light 1/16 balsa but am short on 1/8 balsa. I'm considering laminating 2 pieces of 1/16 to get 1/8. What is the best glue to use for lamination in order to minimize weight gain?
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One thing to consider is, do you plan to sand the wood after? What parts is it being used for? IS it necessary to laminate a whole sheet, or is it for smaller formers and such, so smaller parts pieces can be cut and glued?? If the latter is the case, use anything that you have, but sparingly. Weighting it down on a flat surface with a flat surface on top under the weight would be best I think. I think it really depends what parts you are using the wood for. If it's for a thing flap, the thin layer of finish cure epoxy would help with stiffness. Whatchya gonna use it for?
Type at you later,
Dan McEntee
doug coursey:
BUY AN RSM KIT AND YOU WILL DO A LOT LAMINATING...KIT DOESNT COME WITH BALSA BLOCKS
Dave_Trible:
--- Quote from: Tim Wescott on April 07, 2024, 06:06:31 PM ---Ambroid and yellow glues will dry just fine as long as you give them time. I've laminated 1/2" thick fuselage blanks from 1/4" wood using Titebond II. Get it glued up Sunday night, let it stay under weights for a week, build the plane as I get time -- everything works fine.
But I am by no means a fast, production-line builder. I'd give a fuselage like that a month to fully dry before I sealed the solvent in with dope. For me, that just happens naturally -- if you're blessed with the abilty to build faster, be sure to plan ahead.
For 1/8 laminated out of 1/16, I'd use Ambroid and let it dry for a week. Or, maybe I'd use finishing resin.
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The airplane I was talking about was over five years old....maybe If I'd have waited longer.......when the glue is completely trapped away from air it will not dry. Next time you have built one that way and are ready to scrap it, strip off the ply doublers and 'smell' the rosey glue.
Dave
Brett Buck:
--- Quote from: Dave_Trible on April 09, 2024, 11:43:47 AM ---The airplane I was talking about was over five years old....maybe If I'd have waited longer.......when the glue is completely trapped away from air it will not dry. Next time you have built one that way and are ready to scrap it, strip off the ply doublers and 'smell' the rosey glue.
Dave
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The kicker is that, even though it never quite dries in the middle of the face, just the 3/8-1/2" around the edge is enough to hold it together sufficiently most of the time. That doesn't make it a good idea to use something like Ambroid for this, but it does tell you how overbuilt they are in places.
Brett
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