Flite Test | Balsa Building Basics

Josh and Peter go over some of the basics when getting started with balsa building.
More details and links available here:
flitetest.com/a...
Thanks for watching! Stay tuned for more Balsa build stuff and be sure to let us know what you'd like to see in future episodes!

[@taofledermaus]

Thanks for posting this! This was pretty much the only way to build RC planes back in the day. I enjoyed building with balsa as much as I liked flying it.

[@FliteTest]

***** Thanks for watching! We hope to do a balsa build follow up video soon.

[@taofledermaus]

It's a nice addition. Us old timers appreciate you showing the roots of the hobby.

[@jjb3point14159265358]

***** GOD HAS SPOKEN

[@rentacowisgoogle]

+TAOFLEDERMAUS I got a balsa kit for Christmas it looks like it will take weeks to build!

[@Agustx0]

Teofledermaus, didn't expect you here :)

[@memolei]

1:24 Racoon on the roof! :)

[@markpaterson6024]

Mehmet Can well spotted! that must be their mascot, Rocky the Racoon ;)

[@ulaB]

Mark Paterson They have an episode on FT Extra where they were trying to get a racoon out of the ceiling... :)

[@chrislohtt1960]

Balu Which Episode? Link?

[@myyotube8497]

Balu what episode name or link?

[@ulaB]

Christopher Loh Sorry, can't find it. It might have been on Instagram, Extra, Facebook, etc. It was not on the standard channel.

[@bradschak]

It's funny how things have changed. When I started flying RC in the late 80s, the majority of the planes built were either kit or scratch built. RTF aircraft were extremely expensive. Monocote was just starting to get popular. The first few that I built were covered in silk and dope. Talk about a lost art. I could get silk so taught it was like a drum. I really enjoyed building models and something I am going to do again with my son. FYI, back in the day, when you got your fingers stuck together with CA glue, Acetone works wonders in getting them unstuck.

[@robertvanhousen1015]

You started the hobby about the same time as myself. Can agree to all of the above, and balsa flies great. Repairs are the annoying part, lol.

[@JohnDoeEagle1]

Same here late 80's to mid 90's my first run. I just got back into it this year in 2021. I found some old gear I had bought around 1994 or 1995 still new in the box never used the other day. I found a O.S. MAX .40 FP 2-stroke nitro/glow engine brand spanking new. I also found a brand new in the box Futaba Conquest FM 72 Mhz 4-channel transmitter, receiver and 4 servos. Also found 2 brand new rolls of Navy Blue and Cub Yellow Monokote. The last time any of this stuff could have been bought was late Spring and early Summer of 1995.

[@bradschak]

@@JohnDoeEagle1 I had a 4 channel Futaba Conquest also. Great radio. I built a Cub that I used a .40 in as well.

[@JohnDoeEagle1]

@@bradschak I do have a Spektrum DX6 6-channel DSMX Gen 3 I just recently bought. It is a good radio but man that thing is busy with the gadgets and there will be a learning curve for sure. I think I am going to put that new in the box vintage Futaba FP 4NBF 4-channel into a new SIG old school balsa kit of some kind too. Maybe a Four Star 40 or 20. Lately I have been surfing Ebay buying up nice vintage slightly used and brand new in the box O.S. MAX 2-stroke nitro glow engines in the .25 - .46 size range. They sure don't give them away anymore and the price of inflation has been some sticker shock for me to get used to.

[@JohnDoeEagle1]

@@robertvanhousen1015 SIG is still in business still making laser cut old school balsa kits. This time around you buy them direct on their website and there isn't any middleman. The engines are best found on Ebay if you like the vintage stuff. I just scored two O.S. MAX .25 FX engines this week. Be ready for sticker shock. I remember when my local hobby shops had cases full of O.S. MAX engines and Futaba radios. If memory serves me correctly I don't really remember many if any of those types of engines costing more than about $75 to $100 bucks. I'm recalling more like $50ish for the FP Series. The FX Series were always quite a bit more with the ball bearings and that. The LA Series I heard about later on but back when I was big into it they weren't a thing. I had a buddy still into it in the early 2000s who bought LA Series engines.

[@jmpattillo]

You can heat the plastic pipette over a lighter and draw the tube out to a much smaller diameter. Turns a cheap pipette into a precision pipette.

[@cha3119]

John Pattillo Great info.

[@MPorchat]

great video guys. I really think you should start designing simple small balsa planes to sell at the flitetest store.

[@DutchRC]

Great episode! And though I do most of my builds from foamboard / depron as well, it's great you show alternate options here :) Cheers and thanks for sharing :)

[@fullspektrum435]

What is that biplane at the beginning! I wanna know so i can build me one!

[@miharix]

Beginners don't use CA on balsa. its to fast to fix beginner errors(misplaced parts, bumping the part while gluing,over sanding/filing...) Use white wood glue + toothpick(for applying glue) + Sewing Pins(for temporary fixing parts to the surface) + time(15min,4h,24h) Balsa in great material if you enjoy the time building the model, so don't rush take your time sanding, filing, gluing... ;)

[@onniborg9065]

agree, wood glue is really better for balsa than super glue, and don`t have to be scared for gluing own fingers

[@robertvanhousen1015]

I almost never made build mistakes when I learned to build kits. Just take your sweet time, and make sure everything fits and is SQUARED before you use the CA.

[@kobudo]

Man this video was a flashback. I remember building my first plane, a Gentle Lady glider, with my dad. The nosecone came as a solid block of Balsa that had to be cut to shape and sanded... and sanded... and sanded some more before it was glued in place and covered in Monokote along with the rest of the fuselage. We eventually added the gas motor that was mounted over the 6.5 foot wing. Good times :D I need to get back into RC!

[@Turboboob]

kobudo My very first plane was also the gentle lady glider... all the guys at the hobby store called it the epoxy giant lol I was about 7 years old and what can i say... i wanted it to be strong so i pretty much used epoxy to put the whole thing together.

[@TheWaggishAmerican]

Now I think we need to see a simple Flite Test designed balsa plane... :)

[@oliverw782]

Yaaaaaaaaaas!

[@rscarawa]

I just love the smell of a newly opened balsa kit box. Very magical to me.

[@JustMike2791]

It brings back memories of my late grandfather. He gave me my love for building things.

[@MasterMayhem78]

Peter seems to be afraid of everything. Swimming, balsa dust, crazy glue. Lol

[@gwheyduke]

My Dad taught me the Wax paper over ceiling tile technique to build my first rubber powered FF airplane in 1963. Later I found a balsa building board by Sig products works better and is guaranteed straight and flat so you don't build a warp into your wing or fuselage. Good to see Peter back on your channel. Also use a sanding stick ( put your sand paper over a flat piece of wood)

[@thercenthusiast3817]

Great video guys! You always have great videos! You guys were the ones that got me into the RC flying hobby, and I got to say, it's really fun! Your videos are always immaculate, you guys are so talented, the way you build all of those planes. I love all of your custom builds, and seeing them fly. I also like your airplane battles that you occasionally have, awesome! I just want to let you know that I think you guys are awesome, and keep up the GREAT WORK! Great job guys!

[@tossedsaladandscrambledegg8576]

Nice to see some old skool balsa. Balsa is very cool. It has an elegance to it that harkens back to the way planes built in the beginning of aviation. Tip, sand parts before assembly when possible.

[@BrianPhillipsRC]

If you want to clean your tips and nozzles, fill a small jar or cap with acetone, and put your plugged nozzle in it for a few hours. The same can be done so that your caps will clip back together after a bit of CA dries inside them too. You can also unglue your fingers with some acetone, but don't make a habit of it as it's not the most healthy thing to put on your skin.

[@chrispychickin]

I'm really happy to see you guys branching into more traditional style building. Maybe one day you can release a flitetest quick build balsa kit? That would be pretty cool, considering how simple and easy to build your foam board kits are. I could see a simple laser cut balsa kit being really popular with people looking to expand their building horizons. I'd love to see more people getting into this style of building, it takes a lot of finesse and precision to build a good balsa model, but the end result beats foam hands down. One can build amazingly light, stiff and beautiful models when compared to foamboard. Maybe (well definitely) its not the easiest way to do it, but damn, it works great once you learn how.

[@hotliner]

... nice episode guys, showing us the ultimate RC model build knowledge from scratch :-)

[@RockyWearsAHat]

Did anyone see the raccoon in the roof at 1:23?

[@inniyewtesfaw2003]

yes

[@jamesbonde4470]

Slow it down to .25, you see that the raccoon is fake, like Obummer's birth certificate. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ml6aZZSflMmmmNU

[@robertvanhousen1015]

That was funny.

[@DingBatSplat]

Building boards. Use plaster board, its smooth, flat, cheap, holds pins well and did I say its cheap and disposable when no good any more. You can also draw building alignment lines on the paper surface to aid building if you dont have a plan. Just tape up the cut edges to stop dust and make sure its on a flat surface as it will bow/deform to conform to the underlying surface. Been using it for years as have lots of us 'old timers'. Give it a try.

[@Rsfpv]

I spy a racoon in the roof selling

[@catherinestone9743]

I've inquired with the manufacturers of waxed papers available in my locale and all of them wax both sides of their household waxed paper.

[@warmfreeze]

"darn near build them in your lap" i wouldn't recommend that with CA at all XD you hot-gluers would never know what its like to superglue your manhood to your leg..and/or glue your womanhood shut.. :P

[@wilgarcia1]

I saw the raccoon =P cyanoacrylate I pronounce it cyan-no -akri-late

[@socialblade]

Good job guys

[@VulpisFoxfire]

I'm just amused that you think balsa is difficult enough compared to foam that people need a video on how to work with it. Meanwhile, I look at the airfoils in most balsa kits, and then at the 'flying plate' wings you guys keep using. :-)

[@mu2freighter]

I love CA, but balsa builders should keep aliphatic resin like Franklin Titebond handy, used sparingly and applied with a toothpick it's _really_ strong and waterproof. Also, thinned Titebond is lighter and better for repairing foam, and you can wipe off any excess with a damp paper towel. Lots lighter than other foam glues and gives you some working time. Another thing to keep in mind is that CA joints can be a bit brittle, the aliphatic resins absorb stress better. They just don't provide instant gratification since they take a bit of time to cure...but I'd never build without it. You modern younguns don't know how good you've got it with laser cutting...I had to cut and fit about every single balsa part from contest grade balsa in '04 when I built the 3 foot span Guillow's Stuka into a 5 channel R/C electric. Guillow's is notorious for terrible quality wood in their kits so I knew going in I'd be replacing them. The supplied parts? Even the outlines of their awful-grade 'balsa' die-crushed parts often don't match the plans. Haven't seen it for years since becoming disabled and unable to get in my basement, but one of these days I'll rescue it, replace the radio gear with modern mocro stuff and a 2.4 GHz Rx and it'll fly again!

[@DFX2KX]

Glenn Horowitz only things in balsa I've ever done where a model ship, and a few little Gallows models. lotta work...

[@zfotoguy71]

Glenn Horowitz I use a lot of aliphatic resin in my wood shop. I tried to apply it to scratch building foam. If the foam is too thick and doesn't breath like a closed cell foam, the glue never dries on the inside. I did some test pieces of foam and found after a week that only the first 1/8 -1/4" would dry leaving the inside still wet. Gorilla glue works well for gluing larger foam pieces together. I use blue painters tape on the outside to hold the foaming glue on the inside. Some people say to add water so it will cure faster. I strongly recommend NOT doing that. Let it cure overnight on it's own for a stronger bond. Only add water if you are using it for gap filling or very light bonding. Thanks for the tips and info about Guillows. I just picked up a P-38 and a Catalina at the Toledo show last month. Haven't opened the boxes yet. Good to know what I'm about to get myself into this Summer/Fall. :) Good luck to you too!

[@mu2freighter]

Lee K : Definitely correct. You can generally tell by handling the piece. I should clarify, I was talking about micros and minis, EPO is another animal. Gorilla Glue works, also the mystery Chinese glue that comes with many bigger EPO kits does too, and its lighter color helps hide repairs. Hobby King actually sells it: www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idproduct=17535 Have fun with your builds! you'll definitely want to avoid the lousy 'balsa' in those kits for lightness' sake. I found it a pretty painless process to turn out all the parts I needed in a couple of evenings. I plan to do it again at some point, though it'll be slower and I need to relearn techniques since multiple sclerosis ruined my dominant left hand's function (you can bet I'll mostly stick to ARF/plug-n-fly planes, though), but having crafted some small parts one-handed as a test I know it's doable, though annoyingly time consuming. If you're inclined, have a look at my Stuka build from '04 for my parts making technique, I hope it'll be helpful for you! www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=247946&highlight=5+channel+guillows+stuka static.rcgroups.net/forums/attachments/2/1/5/4/7/a266346-83-P7210002.JPG

[@rscarawa]

can titebond II be used in place of original tiresome?

[@hhhfghhh]

I'm building a plane out of Balsa from scratch at the moment (I'm not really old; 15 years old)... not following any instructions

[@wattwaster5936]

Wow, as long as I've been watching these videos, I have yet to see this one. Some good hints and tricks, but I was thinking the drop ceiling panels might be a bit pricey as a building board. Surely there is a cheaper option by now. Something self healing like a foamy cutting mat would be a good investment. Only need one around 1/2 inch thick to do the job, but a big one around 24"x 30" might be a tad pricey. What I miss is those round, hard plastic circles you could slide on a T pin shaft with a bit of resistance. They look like two thick washers made of hard plastic, normally black, around 1/4" on the bottom, and maybe 1/8" on top of that with a hole in the center to match the T pin you want to slide them onto. I think they use to call them pin clamps. They worked great to hold down small balsa parts on a building board so you wouldn't have to spear the wood and make a hole, or cross two pins over the part to trap it. Have yet to find anyone selling them.

[@lusicilusci4420]

That little biplane on 0:19 is super cute

[@jimmbbo]

Great stuff as always, guys! Agree with other posts that using aliphatic resin might be a good choice for new builders not familiar with CA, as it provides more "mistake making time", and if you plan the assembly, one component can be drying while working on another. Wrapping or gluing sandpaper around various size sanding blocks is invaluable to keep the sandpaper flat, and for evenly sanding adjoining parts or an area. Now, where did I leave my silkspan and Aero Gloss dope? ;)

[@peterharley1922]

Thought you might of covered the use of Dope. I used dope on all my balsa models, for hardening and extra strength.

[@inniyewtesfaw2003]

1:24 racoons in the ceiling!

[@henrybennett2450]

Anyone seen the raccoon at 1.25 ??lol

[@AndrewArndts]

Old school is tissue paper and a product call hot proof dope. I haven't seen that in so many ... decades. but that is old school.

[@cha3119]

Andrew Arndts Yes, and on larger planes silk and dope. Dope is very expensive because it is very flammable. But the best finishes are with dope. You can create any color you want. Sig and Brodak sell. I was in an old hobby shop and bought up all their silkspan because it is no longer made. Got $100 worth for $30, happy. Have to be careful, dope can add a lot of weight to a plane.

[@mu2freighter]

Andrew Arndts The substance is actually 'hot _fuel_ proof dope,' more precisely butyrate dope. It's okay for finishing large solid surfaces but you really don't want to use it for fabric coverings, no matter if they're tissue, silk, silkspan, whatever. Why? Because it _never stops shrinking!_ Use it on a framework and sooner or later your nice airframe will contort into a banana shape. Two ways around this: the first is to mix a plasticizer in the butyrate, but I have very little experience and never got satisfactory results. The second is to use _nitrate_ dope, which fills and seals the fabric's grain but only has minimal shrink. I haven't touched butyrate since 1980 or so and don't miss it. Nitrate gives a lovely, smooth and strong finish. If you're needing a fuel proof finish, as I recall you _can_ apply butyrate over nitrate dope, but I'd double check, and the reverse (nitrate over butyrate) won't work...again, check it, but I think I'm correct. I haven't used IC engines for many years and likely never will, the advances in brushless motors and lithium chemistry batteries assures that electrics can do everything as well or better than fuel powered, with the possible exception of giant scale, and then more for cost reasons.

[@cha3119]

Great info, Glenn - thanks.

[@tritowns]

that's what I started building... even did some scratch building... haven't done it for a long time.

[@RcFlyer49]

CA makes your work like glass. No flexibility. White glue thinned 50/50 with water and Duco thinned 50/50 with acetone is the way to go for planes under 40", IMHO. It's far easier to work with, yet gets tacky quickly enough (~20 sec) to build efficiently.

[@MrROTD]

Wood glue is fine used sparingly or try Gorilla brand super glue, it set quickly but not so quickly you can't move stuff around or take it part if you made a mistke

[@davidpuissegur1263]

Let Peter have the full balsa wood experience. Get him a tube of Ambroid glue , sometimes you can find it on EBAY, and let him build a plane. It will take him back to what it was like building with balsa in the 1960s. A great decade to be a kid building with balsa, JETEX and Ambroid glue!!!!

[@BuildingFromScratch]

I love balsa builds. in the days it was what every RC airplane was made of. I have a channel that is dedicated to balsa scratch builds. In case anyone wants to check it out it is called "Balsa Scratch Builders"

[@xzqzq]

I used to use Elmers Blue School Glue and colored plastic wrap for my balsa models. I don't see Blue School Glue... Any other Elmer's products which will work ? Saw Clear School Glue... Anyone try this ?

[@williamcrane1886]

Lasercut kits? NOT die crushed? They should have to put an old Ringmaster together. Not only die crushed but not even die crushed the right size. Makes a better builder out of ya. My favorite to watch though is the indoor free flight guys who can make 3 bucks of balsa last a whole year while building 10 planes out of it. I hope we get to see some Easy B's soon.

[@cincycunningham]

What is the twin boom under the shinden?

[@sleepy-if7iz]

you can use foam board ,instead of drop ceiling

[@Rcvliegen]

Don't use CA use PU, polyurethane glue, this fills the cracks and is easy to sand. Just apply a small amount with a toothpick and bound the two parts with pins together. The glue will fizz between all the cracks. The colour is almost the same as wood and is almost invisible under your foil. Drying time is longer. The benefits are greater than the cons. An expert RC builder.

[@cha3119]

Excellent. Balsa is God's foam.

[@MV-qm9ne]

Instead of expensive & toxic cynoacralate (sino-ak-ra-late), use cheap old white, white water based glue and pins to hold things together while the glue dries. White glue bridges gaps between parts well. Used sparingly, it won't add significant weight and the wood, not the glue, will fail first. Tried & true!

[@davids1757]

Wait, hold on! Flite Test uses Balsa? This world is going under soon! :D

[@sleepy-if7iz]

will your guys start selling some balsa kits?

[@hyzenthlay7151]

CA is OK for some things, but you would get a lot better results with white wood glue and patience, because the white glue gives a more "rubbery" bond which is more absorbent in impacts, making the model survive crashes better, where as CA is too "dry" a bond, making the joint too brittle. But, then again, we live in an age where patience is a very rare thing!! Also, another good thing for sanding is using a nail file... just the ones that are like thick card sandpaper strips that you can get from almost anywhere... they are cheap, they get into every corner, and you don't need your full hand's pressure behind them. "Chick tip" hahahahaha

[@Starfighter-nk4mo]

Any website that sells kits like these?

[@williamstackler6721]

I usually use pink insulation foam for the pins. It's easier to penetrate (NO JOKES) than ceiling tile, and you can't get pink ceiling tile...

[@DingBatSplat]

Another point, plan protection film - backing film from heat shrink covering film works well and is very cheap. Have you noticed a common fact, it has to be cheap. They dont call me 'white knuckles' for nothing, you get them from holding on to your money!

[@vincentesquilin]

Question to the experience builders. So how many hours does it take to build a scale war bird? I've seen guys say things like a few months but I want hours of effort. So instead of saying something like "it depends on the person and the kit" why don't people answer this by posting time it took and the brand and model. I'm interested specifically in the top flight p51 but other models will help. Thanks.

[@michaelmontefusco896]

If you guys and gals like balsa building and or want to learn more, come on over to Balsa Model Aircraft Builders Association and become part of the family! facebook.com/groups/1510169962560076/

[@FINNIUSORION]

I own 1 foam plane. An apprentice sts. Other than that everything is wood. I started building guillows models when i was around 8 or 9. Built dozens of models before getting intrested in rc flying. For me its all about the build. I enjoy flying but nothing compares to turning a kit or scratch building a pile of wood and parts into something that defies gravity .

[@Electobat]

Charismatic funny as cuff. It is rubbish without David. He has now fear, he has a bad beard. But he has a great GF she knows he flys things.

[@mobzatz7129]

a little tip....cut these vertikal frames out at first and sand this after that cut out. (please excuse my bad english, i`m a german boy and build modelplanes out wood at my own :) )

[@joewynn2445]

Jeez, im in the process of building 2 big Ventage balsa R/C airplanes, 1st one is a P51 mustang .40 torpedo airplane and the other one is an old violett Flying Fork this ones a Styrofoam body and balsa wood everything else. The really cool thing is my grandpa gave me them, hes 99 years old and hes had them put up for such a long time that he completely forgot about them, but when we were packing all his stuff up so he can move in with me and my son we found them and my grandpa said that my son and i can have them but... we have to build them together and if my son doesnt want to build them than they have to sit until my son helps me finnish them againt i cant build them on my own. Thats the only stipulation my grandpa had for us. But what sucks is everything is so old that their arent any blue prints at all. Their is an instructions booklet but its extreamly small and it has so many holes in it , kinda like moths and cockroaches ate it up or something. So its extreamly challenging and hard to do, but its absolutely one of the best things ive done in a long time and the amount of bonding with my son and i is totally making all this so worth it!!! The day before Halloween is my grandpa's birthday and he said thats whats keeping him going write now. He said the only goal he had is to make it to 100 then he feels he completed his life!

[@DannyCruzCreations]

Yes! Episode on covering would be awesome.

[@oliverw782]

You have not enjoyed this hobby unless you have built and flown a balsa wood airplane.

[@pchandle]

And if you live in a warmer climate, don't forget to keep your CA in the fridge as it will harden in the bottle over several months otherwise. Or just build more planes!!

[@TomMarvoloRiddle01]

Balsa wood is actually much more high end then using your foam. But you must have really good building skills. Guys please start building with balsa !

[@danbenson7587]

White Elmer’s glue has these advantages: 1. Cheaper 2. Longer set time allows last minute check and adjust. 3. Washes with soap 4. Fills gaps 5. Slightly flexible 6. Can be diluted w/ water & used for sealer 7. No fumes, ingestion hazard, finger sticking 8. Can be heated, softened, part adjusted 9. Tastes better Disadvantage 1. Slow dry 2. Shrinks (which can pull out of align) 3. Not as strong, but balsa isn’t carbon fiber. Tan “Wood” glues like Titebond have finely ground wood particles which control bond line thickness when clamped. This is not a consideration w/ balsa and not worth the $$. I use all glues...CA, thickened CA, white, epoxy...it depends on the job. CHEERS

[@exotictoad]

im quite now to this hobby, but all i use is balsa(i get crapps balsa for free because i live balsa usa and i go dumpster diving). thanks for the video on balsa and im hoping for more!!!

[@zenhatter5821]

Nice Video FliteTest Can you please check out a video I just posted and give me some constructive comments as to how to improve. Thanks

[@_droid]

Cool. Been using wax paper since the 70's. CA is _terrible_ on balsa, do it right and use a proper epoxy, don't listen to these foam boobs.

[@TheTeufelhunden68]

I have been building stick and tissue planes off and on for about 45 years no. I wish they had those self jig planes when I started, it would have saved a lot of frustration for a little boy. Not to mention lots of cuts from a hobby knife.

[@sailorjohn2224]

This is a big leap for Flitetest . Really hope for more follow up especially for those who buy Balsa RTFS and can't repair them after crashes. Older "Builders" are disappearing and so much knowledge are going with them . Passing along methods learned from your father and others is admirable.

[@albinb5731]

Here is an CRAZY challenge do an 3D airplane with a pusher prop. good luck!

[@zfotoguy71]

are there other options that cure fast other than CA? I use regular CA in my wood shop from time to time and I have to ventilate really well because the fumes get to me fast. I find that foam safe CA doesn't have any smell. I still ventilate just in case when using it. Is foam safe CA not as bad to breath?

[@waynetokarz174]

You don't have to stick your fingers together with ca, old fashioned wood glue works perfectly fine.

[@cameroncooke8928]

Speaking of wood.... any ideas when you will have your electro hubs or even full rotor bones kits back in stock?

[@KendallHall]

This might not be the right venue for this suggestion, but what if you guys hooked up two of the exact same multirotor copters to a pod of sorts, like in star wars episode 1, do a little podrace challenge!

[@ashleyfroud5015]

Yellow carpenter's glue works best on balsa. It's not smelly, and it's not toxic.

[@mrfourtysevenman]

You guys don't nearly do enough balsa building. I build stuff out of foam too, but to laugh at it

[@felderup]

my first time... i didn't know what glue to use, the text on the filler putty was so small, i figured it was some kind of glue. found that hitting it with a lighter caused it to be a super strong glue, but it was ugly and scorched.

[@robertlunsford1350]

Baking soda will also cover gaps and instantly cure the glue. I also like to sand the tabs off before I assemble them.

[@davidg.3226]

Guys, so you apply the glue with the piece mounted? You don't apply glue on the piece separately and then put them together? Please someone help :D

[@Gavs_rc_hobbies]

I thought that CA stood for "contact adhesive"?

[@ulaB]

xrayracer1 That's the problem with abbreviations. You can use them for everything. Contact adhesive, Cyanoacrylate, ... :)

[@DAS-Videos]

Oh, you guys are cheating with that kit. Normally the pieces are pinned down to a blueprint and each piece glued one at a time. As they come together I would always sort of lay completed components together and get excited about how it was going to look. I never thought of using ceiling tile. The wing of your plane is only as straight as your building board. Before CA was invented, special wood glue was used and the wait time was pretty long. But there were no fumes.

[@wtfiswiththosehandles]

Dasdfjkl I always use wood glue, because it is not brittle like CA and fills gaps better. But, honestly, balsa build basics I expected to see some scratch-builds from plans, not piecing together laser-cut parts. That's like putting 3d puzzle together - not exactly a challenge...

[@snaprollinpitts]

hey Josh, behind you and to the left, is what looks like a canard with a blacked out canopy, and swept back wings, do you guys make that, or who makes that, it looks pretty cool. thanks

[@keithdouglass3618]

🐨🏠the racoon is the other camera from ceiling. Keith Australia

[@cybrdave]

Wax paper is only waxed on one side? How come I never knew this? Thanks!!

[@TheSateef]

i'm guessing balsa planes are a lot less crash resistant than foam?

[@LemberTheMember]

My first plane i build was an Balsa motor glider from robe iam 15 and i do this hobby since 2,5 years

[@kenkingsflyingmachines2382]

55 years of stick and tissue modeling and I didn't know waxed paper was only waxed on one side. I just framed up a laser cut Messerschmitt and the difference between it and the die-smashed kits of my youth is amazing. Until laser-cutting came along, buying a kit was a waste of money. But the new kits are just incredible and fun to build. If I extrapolate what you have done with foamboard, your balsa efforts will be superior. I can hardly wait.

[@paulverling3758]

the oil in your fingers accelerates the adhesion process of most quick glues. cool tip is to rub your finger across the surface you're trying to adhere and it will set faster.

[@Hoverbot1TV]

h tip for Peter, Nomex honeycomb sheeting. Really cool stuff, will take 1-2 layers of carbon fibre fabric and be rock solid. Good memories with this balsa stuff. We used to use that soft cieling tile board and push ppins galore for holding balsa in place. CA reacts with water and will kill video lenses.

[@Raycefan]

Um, isn’t that drop ceiling tile made from asbestos???

[@gregtanouslasering]

What's weird is FT used to support Depron foam. Whats up with that??

[@mrcrazypyro]

You guys should get that raccoon problem looked at.

[@habiks]

Oldschool. But why not white glue instead of CA?

[@gwheyduke]

Racoon? What Racoon in the ceiling?

[@micahmorton]

I took way too much time out of this hobby... this stuff is normal to me. :) After building one of your silly toy foam board planes, I feel pretty confident in my RC building skills. :)

[@micahmorton]

Micah Morton It should be said, however, that I fly that silly toy foam board plane more than any other plane. :)

[@xCouragexAbility]

When will the racing quadcopter pack be made?

[@evilwhatarethose]

I tried building a p-40 it was in a box after moving and sadly a few ribs and spars broke

[@CallmeDaBreeze1971]

That structure should be pinned down while glueing to keep it from warping. I like to tack-glue, then pull the structure off the board then go back and complete the glue joints. I like to take a 1/4 sheet of the sand paper, fold that into fourths to sand the edges of laser cut models. Sanding blocks are vital tool for balsa work.

[@pritenshah8709]

Hey that's the shinden plane behind josh at 1:14. Come flitetest we want the plans and the build video😁

[@my_dear_friend_]

Weird. No comments about the racoon in the ceiling. Nice touch.

[@godfreypoon5148]

You don't need a laser cutter if you have a laser printer. Just print it out on plain old paper and iron the toner onto the balsa. Works great and it's easy.