Has anyone ever tried this?

While cleaning my shop up for the next building session I opened the shop vac. I found that I had a 5 gallon bucket full of balsa dust. Thinking this would make a good putty. The question is if anyone has ever tried this what did you use as a bonding agent?

Remember I don't care for heavy.

I've done it. That use to be all I'd use back in the day before the premixed stuff (Hobbico, CG Model Mate). I would mix it with the aliphatic resins. Have to watch the glue to dust ratio. Too little glue and it wouldn't stick well, too much and it would be hard to sand, but would make for a strong filler though.

>I've done it. That use to be all I'd use back in the day
>before the premixed stuff (Hobbico, CG Model Mate). I would
>mix it with the aliphatic resins. Have to watch the glue to
>dust ratio. Too little glue and it wouldn't stick well, too
>much and it would be hard to sand, but would make for a
>strong filler though.

Chris what kind of resins? Finishing resins such as Z-poxy?

If I ever clean my shop up I'll think about that one!

>Chris what kind of resins? Finishing resins such as Z-poxy?

Something like SIG-BOND.

I've used balsa dust mixed with Ambroid, in small batches since it dries real quick, for small fillets/repairs. The mixture will come to you as you play around with it.
That's the lightest combination I could think of to use.
Bill <><

You can buy bags of balsa dust from Lone Star Balsa in Lancaster, TX. They get it from their cutting operations and it is really clean.

>You can buy bags of balsa dust from Lone Star Balsa in
>Lancaster, TX. They get it from their cutting operations and
>it is really clean.

Heh heh heh..

When I visited Lone Star during the Lubbock Nats, they mentioned the dust. They didn't know what to do with it. There was an ungodly pile of it out back. Lubbock isn't a wet place, so it was all pretty fresh.

One use for the stuff is soil conditioner. There's another balsa vendor online (can't remember the address) that was selling bags of the stuff. They mix it with soil in the garden and it makes the soil more fertile.

Mix it with clear dope...or I suppose colored dope would work too, then it would match!
--Ray

I just did a small patch with the balsa dust and SigMent. Sanded down nicely and is invisible except to a real micro look.

I use balsa dust and CA glue, the CA glue smokes and crackles, but provides
a good bond.

Sig used to sell it in little cardboard cans, blue in color, like rubber was sold in. Lots of free flight guys used the cans to store balsa dust. I still use it on occassion, but I mix it with Ambroid and clear dope to get that dark brown Pablum consistancy. Or like oat meal. I use it where strength is not an issue, just a big scratch or gouge that needs filling and I want to keep it light. Sands ok too.

LAST EDITED ON Aug-23-04 AT 04:33 AM (CDT)
 
Since I like foam wings, I frequently am sanding sheet wood and making lots of fine 4lb balsa dust. I usually save the dust from ths operation in a clean jar and use it as a filler.

Balsa Dust really does make a wonderfull filler when mixed with Ambroid or sigment. I especially like to use it when one of my finished planes gets a gouge. It sands esily and can be block wet-sanded and doped over without silkspan, filler coats and surface prep. Once you have the repair sanded flat just respray a bit of silver, hit that with 600 wet and go straight to color.

Works for me.

BIGS

PS: I never use balsa dust thats made it to the snop vac. I stick with whatever I can collect from the top of the work bench!

" What constitutes the dignity of a craft is that it creates a fellowship, that it binds men together and fashions for them a common language. For there is but one problem - the problem of human relations."

Balsa dust, as mentioned above, also makes a good gap filler when that B to B joint isn't as tight as we'd like. Just put a bit of dust in the loose joint and hit it with CA. Zap--intaant joint filler that is lighter than baking soda.

OS,
Isn't it hard to sand with the CA? Never thought to use it instead of baking soda.
I haven't used balsa dust in a long time. I think I've still got part of one of those SIG cardboard containers somewhere. There are much better (IMHO) fillets available now...but you can't beat the price.
I've tried it with Ambroid and other cements. Results good, shrinks a bit.
Tried it with white glue...never again!
Aliphaetic or other sandable wood glues should be OK but I haven't tried them.
Clear dope...I got shrinkage and it took forever to dry. Perhaps I mixed it wrong. I think I'll stick with cement. (pun accidental)

George,

You are absolutely correct about the ability to sand the balsa dust/CA concoction. I use it for interior joints that may be a bit loose to allow the thin CA to set and adhere correctly.