wonwinglo

We have completed the two halves,installed any control rods and glued and taped everything together,next job is to finish off the fuselage properly,whatever finish that is used it should be applied sparingly as we do not want to build up too much excess weight.The next job is to seal the pores of the blue foam,for this we need some micro balloons,go to your model shop and buy a big bag of them,the bag will weigh nothing,while you are there see if they have any tubs of 'Red Devil' filler this is ready prepared mico balloons and very convenient to use,failing that mix up a jam jar full of these tiny micro chippings with ordinary water,next add a spoonful of PVA adhesive to act as a binder and stir the lot up to make a smooth paste,apply this all over the fuselage and hang up out of the way to dry properly in a warm place.Next day put your face mask on and goggles and go outside to do the fine sanding,by progressively using finer grades of glasspaper you will get a nice smooth finish,do this part of the sanding dry using the mask to protect your valuable lungs,otherwise you will end up in a right mess as the filler pulls away,once satisfied the next job is to apply a very thin application of PVA adhesive,just enough to seal and knit together the tiny sanded balloons.
Get hold of some lightweight model aeroplane tissue ( SAMS sell it ) and cut some one inch wide strips,these will run lengthwise from nose to tail down the fuselage and really stiffen up the relatively soft surface finish of the blue foam,lay the tissue onto a towel in lengths and with a diffuser spray bottle ( obtainable from art shops ) spray the tissue with ordinary water ( if you do not have a spray then grab a domestic brush,dip this into water and spatter using a domestic food knife ) carefully pick up the tissue and lay it onto the surface of the fuselage blowing it into place carefully,smooth out and wrinkles carefully with your fingers,next take a brushful of very thin PVA again,and simply apply this straight onto the surface,dont worry it will soak into the tissue and bond itself to the previously applied thin coat of adhesive,keep on going until you have reached the other side,set aside to dry out.A simple jig can make life easier when handling things like this,place a piece of wire either side ie one in the nose and the other at the tail,with two blocks of balsa glued to another strip of wood place the ends of the wire into these,you can then rotate the assembly just like a spit ! it certainly makes life easier when handling a sticky assembly such as this.
Once everything is dry apply a second ( very thin ) coat of PVA and by now you should have a nice smooth taught surface finish all ready for painting,for this you will find automobile spray cans ideal,they give an excellent finish and are durable as well.
Next time I will tell you how to use the blue foam to make tough components for your models.

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'And there I was oil on my goggles from a broken pipe,then I looked at the altimeter,all I could see was the makers name !'
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