Staining a wood Airframe with a color?

[Geeto67]

Hey all,

So I am planning my next kit and I started thinking about how to cover it. Although I have used "transparent" color tinted covering in the past as an accent I had a kind of wild idea: What about if I stained the air-frame a color and then used clear transparent film?

Has anybody ever seen this done? the only pics I was able to find online were really detailed static display models, nothing flying.

obviously there would still be some opaque parts like the wingtips, cowl and portions of the tail so I can see how the model is oriented when in flight.

the airplane I was planning this on is about 50% sheeted and 50% trestle in the fuselage and not sheeted at all in the wings so I think this might make a pretty wild look.

I'm probably not going to start my project till after thanksgiving this year so I have some time to noodle this around.

thoughts?

 

[AkimboGlueGuns]

It's probably possible. I'd do some strength test on scrap balsa before you build an entire air frame like that. Balsa can get saturated and become weak if it gets too moist. I certainly wouldn't want an airplane to flutter apart after putting all of the work to stain it. However, I do think that would be a really cool project and the final result would probably be pretty awesome!

 

[Hai-Lee]

Make sure you test the material or solution you are to stain the Balsa with to ensure that when dry the glue in the film will properly adhere.

A lot of stains are oil based or when dry have a high micro-particle content which either stop the glue from adhering or adhere to the film stopping the wood from being reached by the glue in the film, normally with disastrous results.

Test various stains on scrap pieces first to avoid a catastrophe.

Have fun!

 

[Geeto67]

It's probably possible. I'd do some strength test on scrap balsa before you build an entire air frame like that. Balsa can get saturated and become weak if it gets too moist. I certainly wouldn't want an airplane to flutter apart after putting all of the work to stain it. However, I do think that would be a really cool project and the final result would probably be pretty awesome!

yeah, I can't just go out and grab minwax from the home depot and slather it on. I know some guys stain exposed parts like biplane wing struts rather than covering them and from talking to them food coloring mixed with isopropyl alcohol is the preferred method to get color stains, and alcohol leather and fabric dyes are the for more of the woody earth tones. Alcohol evaporates fast so it doesn't warp the wood like water or oil and leaves a dry surface. balsa won't take conventional wood stain.

Can't use an oil based because the covering won't stick.

Some have recommended sealing over the top, but I don't think the old white glue and water wood sealer will work for something exposed. some of the crafts people have suggested minwax wood conditioner so the wood will accept the color and then it will take minwax stain without impacting the wood.

it will be interesting.

just for fun, here is the image that got me thinking about this idea today: