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General control line discussion => Open Forum => Topic started by: Joe Hunt on August 07, 2019, 07:12:00 PM
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several years ago I bought off of ebay a couple hundred 4x36x1/8 sheets of balsa wood for cheap. wow, was I in heaven-- until I got it. the sheets would curl up when taken out of the box. i realized that it had been made by rotary cutting the logs, the same way that plywood veneer is made. several years earlier i acquired a box (50 2x4 sheets) of 1/4" light grade tessellated (end grain) balsa wood. both items were put in the attic waiting for me to come up with a use.
today i took one of the 2x4 end grain sheets, the same stuff they are using for those windmill blades, and cut out a 4x36 piece that i sandwiched in between 2 of the 1/8" sheets using a light coat of titebond glue and placed it in the press. i actually did 4. what came out of the press three hours later were four, light weight, perfectly flat, stiff, and i think, strong profile fuselage blanks. ringmaster. thanks, joe
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A good idea Joe. I laminate thin (1/32) balsa cross grain to make balsa plywood for things like fuselage formers. My only suggestion is to use epoxy. Air- dry glues sometimes never set up and dry except very close to the edges. Decades ago I stripped fuselage sides off an old profile to replace oil soaked motor mounts. The glue was still wet years after it was built.
Dave
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thanks, glued up 4 more this morning. this time I added I a layer of .020 basswood veneer perpendicular to the cl on both sides of the end grain balsa wood. I believe this will stop any twist that may occur over time. I used a uf resin which is a thermoset for glue. it is a cold set that takes about 24 hrs to cure. I then will run them through the sander to remove the extra .040. we'll see how these do. thanks, hunt
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thanks, glued up 4 more this morning. this time I added I a layer of .020 basswood veneer perpendicular to the cl on both sides of the end grain balsa wood. I believe this will stop any twist that may occur over time. I used a uf resin which is a thermoset for glue. it is a cold set that takes about 24 hrs to cure. I then will run them through the sander to remove the extra .040. we'll see how these do. thanks, hunt
If you're going to sell them, leave the thickness on some of them -- not everyone defines a profile as being no more than 1/2" thick.
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With the Titebond (aliphatic glue), you can put a thin coat on both surfaces, let it dry and then reactivate the glue with heat. The question is, do you have a way to add heat to the platens you're using to press the sammich together. I don't know what temperature would be required, but would guess that 200F to 250F would get it done. One of those infrared guns from the LHS or Harbor Fright would be useful, and as always, if it smokes or bursts into flames, back off a bit! y1 Steve
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going with the uf glue (like weldwood plastic resin). shaped the ones I did with it last night and was very pleased. super clown profile. don't intend to sell, but if anybody wants one just stop by and I will be happy to give it to you. thanks, joe