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View Poll Results: What is your preferred Balsa Wood Sealer
Brodak sanding sealer 15 18.52%
Epoxy 0 0%
Diluted Elmers carpenter glue 3 3.70%
Full strength Elmers carpenter glue 1 1.23%
Lacquer automotive primer 0 0%
Enamel automotive primer 4 4.94%
Water based primer 0 0%
Plain old dope 5 6.17%
CA glue 2 2.47%
Elmers wood filler 28 34.57%
Spackle 2 2.47%
Other 21 25.93%
Voters: 81. You may not vote on this poll

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  #1  
Old 05-01-2020, 12:39 PM
RobVG RobVG is offline
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Default Your preferred method of sealing balsa wood

Items pulled from the 1st 20 pages of this forum.

Don't forget to vote even if it's "other". It'll be quick access data for us newbs

Last edited by RobVG : 05-03-2020 at 12:45 AM.
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  #2  
Old 05-01-2020, 01:43 PM
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ghrocketman ghrocketman is offline
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3 Coats of Pactra Aero Gloss Balsa Fillercoat followed by 2 coats of Pactra Aero Gloss Sanding Sealer.
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Old 05-01-2020, 02:38 PM
Scott6060842 Scott6060842 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ghrocketman
3 Coats of Pactra Aero Gloss Balsa Fillercoat followed by 2 coats of Pactra Aero Gloss Sanding Sealer.


I would vote for this as a preferred method. I like the way Balsa Fillercoat gets "sucked into" 40-50 year old balsa .... but have to admit lately I have been leaving out the two coats of Sanding Sealer and been using a coat of filler primer instead.
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Old 05-01-2020, 03:53 PM
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My preferred method has evolved over the years - and the exact method depends on how good the final result needs to be (e.g. display model vs. a frequent flyer). However I'm anal enough about it that I always do at least basic wood sealing and filling body tube spirals even for 'disposable' flyers.
My current primary method is a layer of Elmer's white glue (i.e. "Glue All"), sand, then a coat of thinned Elmer's Wood Filler, sand, then at least two coats of sandable primer (different colors). I like Krylon Industrial Tough Coat sandable primer.
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Old 05-01-2020, 05:04 PM
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ghrocketman ghrocketman is offline
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I only fill tube spirals on Scale jobs and even those not often.
Wayyyyyy too much tedium.
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, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !

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ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !
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  #6  
Old 05-01-2020, 06:20 PM
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tdracer tdracer is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ghrocketman
I only fill tube spirals on Scale jobs and even those not often.
Wayyyyyy too much tedium.

I said I'm sort of anal about it. There have been times when I was building a simple rocket for some public launch (and didn't even expect to get it back after it flew) and I still couldn't stand not filling the fins and body seams...
Yea, I know, but it's sort of 'if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right'.
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Old 05-01-2020, 06:30 PM
joltinjoecanada joltinjoecanada is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott6060842
I would vote for this as a preferred method..... but have to admit lately I have been leaving out the two coats of Sanding Sealer and been using a coat of filler primer instead.



Quick and easy method for sure, and a shortcut that many modelers use, but makes for a heavy rocket with the resulting performance penalty.
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Old 05-03-2020, 11:15 AM
RobVG RobVG is offline
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So far, 25% have selected "other". How about posting a comment and letting us know what
works for you?
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  #9  
Old 05-04-2020, 08:53 AM
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Rocketflyer Rocketflyer is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RobVG
So far, 25% have selected "other". How about posting a comment and letting us know what
works for you?



Rob, check the archives/posts here., this has been tossed around forever.
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Old 05-04-2020, 08:59 AM
Mountainman2442 Mountainman2442 is offline
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I usually use diluted Elmers wood filler but it depends on the situation. I have a Enerjet Hustler clone with it's long two piece fins that I used epoxy to fill and strengthen.

But to the point of the poll my preferred method is EWF since it is very easy to sand and doesn't react to any paint I've found yet.
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