Problem: I am gluten intolerant, and spackling paste is commonly made with wheat.  Worse, if a product isn't intended as food, then the manufacturer doesn't have to put an ingredients list on it, so you can't tell for sure what does and does not have a specific ingredient.  (I could be wrong on this -- I realized as I wrote the above that I should check the MSDS for the product -- I think I'm gonna do that for a few spackling pastes.)

So the problem I have (which is common to a lot of fellow sufferers) is if you are truly gluten intolerant then it doesn't take much: just a crumb or two of real bread is enough to give me a reaction.  This means that without insane filtration, the amount of dust that you ingest while sanding spackle is more than enough to cause at least minor problems.

The best advise that I can get from the various Celiac web sites is to hire all of your drywall work done, and leave the house when it's being done.  Oh my.  I feel helped.

So I'm looking for suggestions for things to use.  Basically, is there a putty that I can use that is as compatible with balsa as spackling paste, and is as easy to use?  Better yet would be something that's as compatible with everything as spackling paste, but I promise not to hold out for that.  Failing something as good and as easy, can anyone suggest something that's as compatible but isn't too much harder?

If worse comes to worst I can probably get some SuperFil and use it for everything, but it seems like a dreadful amount of work to go through each time I look and say "oops, there's another ding".

Problem: I am gluten intolerant, and spackling paste is commonly made with wheat.  Worse, if a product isn't intended as food, then the manufacturer doesn't have to put an ingredients list on it, so you can't tell for sure what does and does not have a specific ingredient.  (I could be wrong on this -- I realized as I wrote the above that I should check the MSDS for the product -- I think I'm gonna do that for a few spackling pastes.)

So the problem I have (which is common to a lot of fellow sufferers) is if you are truly gluten intolerant then it doesn't take much: just a crumb or two of real bread is enough to give me a reaction.  This means that without insane filtration, the amount of dust that you ingest while sanding spackle is more than enough to cause at least minor problems.

The best advise that I can get from the various Celiac web sites is to hire all of your drywall work done, and leave the house when it's being done.  Oh my.  I feel helped.

So I'm looking for suggestions for things to use.  Basically, is there a putty that I can use that is as compatible with balsa as spackling paste, and is as easy to use?  Better yet would be something that's as compatible with everything as spackling paste, but I promise not to hold out for that.  Failing something as good and as easy, can anyone suggest something that's as compatible but isn't too much harder?

If worse comes to worst I can probably get some SuperFil and use it for everything, but it seems like a dreadful amount of work to go through each time I look and say "oops, there's another ding".

This is what I use http://aircraftproducts.wicksaircraft.com/item/aircraft-fillers/superfil-epoxy-filler/sefk-1?&plpver=10&origin=keyword&by=prod&filter=0

Gil:

Yes, I know of that trick, and use it.

Robert:

That would certainly solve the wheat problem (in fact, it was going to be my solution if I couldn't figure out anything else).  Is that what you use for everything?  In other words, are there no fillers in your shop other than SuperFil and sanding primer?

Thanks for the comments so far.

I use Dap Dry-dex from Home Depot or Lowes. It is tinted pink and when it drys turns white. I use it for all dings. Easy to use and sand and drys fairly  I use Super-fil for fillets.

For dents along with filling other imprefections, creases and spots missed when I do fillets (hey, it happens), I use a catalyzed glazing compound like Dolphin Glaze or Evercoat. It's a car product. I like it because it catalyzes in about 10 minutes, sands very easily (very easily), doesn't weigh much and doesn't shrink. And I've never had any adhesion problems with paint. Ever. Cool stuff.

Either way, though why you might was to stick it to paint is unclear.

Not that my word means much on this forum, but I agree with Randy. I have been using dolphin glaze for a couple years on all kinds of stuff. A bag of it will last foever, and it is self leveling. It is thin enough you ca brush it on if you need to cover a wide area.

Pat Maset

in other words, ,naked balsa never touches anything hard sharp or pointed unless you intend it to,, so remove all those spare electronic whatzits from your bench,, the random car or truck parts,, and anyother thing that is not part of the plane you NEED to have on the bench,, then stay away from the lights when you swing the thing around,,

I already knew that.  Yet, I had to have it pointed out to me.  (Seriously -- my bench isn't as bad as you make it sound, but I'm not religious about keeping stuff from being dinged).

Mark, I think I can figure it out.

Randy, I agree, but when it comes to small very very shallow stuff that some people would brush another coat of primer on,, I actually would prefer a tiny thin dab of lacquer glaze,, in SOME cases, the catalyzed stuff is pretty hard and wont sand welll


I cannot beleive that I am advocating use of an air dry product,, sigh,, but there you go,, air dry over air dry,,

Tim,, I have gotten pretty good at steaming dents out of my balsa,, just for the record,,