I am almost finished building my first balsa kit — sunbird glider. I really like the look of the wing structure and decided to cover it with natural solartex. I would also like to leave the fuselage as it is, but I need to put some kind of protective layer on it, because I imagine untreated balsa will get dented and dirty very easily. I am finding conflicting information on the internet, partly because most people like to cover their airplanes with some color film, so there is no information on natural wood finishes. What would happen if I used beeswax and linseed oil? Would it swell up and get ruined? I'd like the wood grain to be visible, and I don't mind it get darker, I just want to protect it, possibly harden it. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Wood finish
- Thread starter cessna186
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- natural wood finish
Hai-Lee
Old and Bold RC PILOT
I would not recommend any oil or stain as it may soak into and weaken the wood as well as possibly causing it to swell.
It is desirable for the wood to be sealed against water otherwise it may rot in a short period of time. I would recommend either a quick drying spray on Varnish applied in many very light coats until completely sealed or old school clear "Dope".
Balsa has a small amount of resilience and if you harden it too much the structure might become so brittle that it could crack and require repairs quite often.
Plastic films offer a resilient waterproof covering option which is hard to surpass in performance.
It is desirable for the wood to be sealed against water otherwise it may rot in a short period of time. I would recommend either a quick drying spray on Varnish applied in many very light coats until completely sealed or old school clear "Dope".
Balsa has a small amount of resilience and if you harden it too much the structure might become so brittle that it could crack and require repairs quite often.
Plastic films offer a resilient waterproof covering option which is hard to surpass in performance.
Thanks Hai-Lee. So I can just apply few coats of dope directly over the fuselage? I'd like it to look similar to the wings on this image http://twoscenarios.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c1ad753ef0120a5cb1328970c-450wi
Revere
New member
As above but, a light application of linseed oil won't damage the balsa so long as you don't slap on a ridiculous amount. Linseed oil will help protect the wood from drying out and becoming brittle while also accentuating the grain, then apply thin layers of dope or cellulose varnish to seal and add a little damage resistance. Too much linseed oil though will cause the wood to swell and warp so only a light coat and wait until the wood has absorbed it before applying dope or varnish.
Be wary of dope though, use only very light coats as it tends to contract when drying and if you put it on too thick it can also warp your balsa.
If you have access to an airbrush, that's probably the best form of application (use a face mask for cellulose products like dope and varnish and an open ventilated area), just be sure to thoroughly clean the needle and regulator before and after each liquid and use a lot of thinner when spraying dope or varnish. You can heat linseed oil a little to help it spray better.
Be wary of dope though, use only very light coats as it tends to contract when drying and if you put it on too thick it can also warp your balsa.
If you have access to an airbrush, that's probably the best form of application (use a face mask for cellulose products like dope and varnish and an open ventilated area), just be sure to thoroughly clean the needle and regulator before and after each liquid and use a lot of thinner when spraying dope or varnish. You can heat linseed oil a little to help it spray better.
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SlingShot
Maneuvering With Purpose
I'm sure others will chime in, but it seems to me that experimenting with unconventional coverings is definitely not the way to go on your first model. Stick with the film. Especially for a glider. My $0.02
SlingShot
Maneuvering With Purpose
Only to eliminate an unknown variable and help it to fly good.
Those films provide a lot of strength and durability while keeping things light. Light and strong is good.
I think you should practice anything different that you want to try on some scrap balsa first. Model airplane dope of any color will work fine on balsa. It might even be possible to tint some clear dope and get the effect you want. Sounds like a deep dark modeling secret. Likely to be buried in an old magazine someplace.
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