filler and a canopy

[Dan Berry]

I need advice.

I have some Hobbico filler, balsa color. Can I dope over this stuff? Successfully.....?

I am looking at my canopy -Veco Hurricane-- and am wondering if I really want to glue it down before painting the plane.

Thanks in advance.

Another note: some of you guys knew my kid brother, Clayton Berry. I am stunned into wonderment that he was able to build a stunt plane with only one usable hand. I saw his Mister Happy and thought it looked pretty good. Amazing.

[Tim Wescott]

I am looking at my canopy -Veco Hurricane-- and am wondering if I really want to glue it down before painting the plane.

The super-zoot way to do this is to finish out the cockpit area to a bit past the canopy.  Do it up really nice, because you'll be gluing a canopy over it.

Then get every speck of balsa dust out of your shop, clean the cockpit and the canopy thoroughly, and glue on the canopy.

Then finish the rest of the plane, including about 1/8" or so up the canopy.

I haven't done this for a good long time, and I'm freaked out that I'll end up with balsa dust all over the inside -- whatever you seal inside there stays, and balsa dust shows up a lot better at the field than in your shop, for some reason.

Alternately, paint over the canopy.  You could even make a canopy out of a balsa block.  You see lots of stunters done that way.

[Jim Svitko]

Do not use dope over filler like the Hobbico product, Model (Tragic) Magic, etc.  They are not compatible with dope.  In my experience with these water based fillers, the dope softened them and they never re-hardened, leaving a semi-solid mess that had to be scraped off and then having to start over with something else.

Depending on the exact application of the filler, you might try the Elmer's Carpenter's wood filler.  Dope does not attack it like the other filler products but test it out for yourself first.

If you need a good filler go with the Super Fil.

[Randy Cuberly]

I need advice.

I have some Hobbico filler, balsa color. Can I dope over this stuff? Successfully.....?

I am looking at my canopy -Veco Hurricane-- and am wondering if I really want to glue it down before painting the plane.

Thanks in advance.

Another note: some of you guys knew my kid brother, Clayton Berry. I am stunned into wonderment that he was able to build a stunt plane with only one usable hand. I saw his Mister Happy and thought it looked pretty good. Amazing.

The Hobbico filler can present some problems with dope.  I've seen it blister and bubble.  Super Fil (blue stuff) is the best way to go for filler in my humble opinion.  suggest you stay away from just about everything else!

Randy Cuberly

[David R Bailey]

If you seal the waterbased fillers with thin ZAP you can dope over them with no problems.