Solid balsa prow

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Steve

Batter onward with the rough sandpaper (or a razor plane). You won't get through hardened glue with the fine stuff, but you can make good any gouges with something like Model Lite filler and use the finer paper on that.

Dave M

[mark69Participant @mark69]

Steve try sanding 90 degrees to the glue lines with a hard block !! are you glassing the hull if so a bit of filler wouldn't harm ! …..mark

[Steve Walker 1Participant @stevewalker1]

Hi Mark,

No hull yet I am just doing a bit of practice before I start a model. I'm thinking of a PT type with a very curvy pointy bit so used some bits of balsa to mock up a bow. My efforts to date include 3 Tritons and a Sea Princess. I'm going to fit RC to the Princess over the summer to get the feel for that and then start a bigger boat over the winter.

I wasn't too bothered by having to bodge about with the bow, I just wondered if there was a more efficient way of doing the work than I had been able to think of. Taking more off then re-filling seems to be the way. Hey Ho!

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Steve

For carving and roughing balsa bow blocks I use a David Plane and a Permagrit Block. If you Google them you'll find full descriptions and various prices. In my experience these are the very best tools for the job, along with a cork sanding block and a selection of decent abrasive papers. Avoid sandpaper and glasspaper – they wear out too quickly.

Dave M

[Dodgy Geezer 1Participant @dodgygeezer1]

I second Dave's recommendation of a David Plane – I have two and use them pretty much constantly. And shavings are much easier to clear up compared to dust…

[mark69Participant @mark69]

Hi Steve no worry's I thought you had started ,choosing the right glue make all the difference ,my next project also shows solid balsa for the bow ,you could even make some profile templates ……mark

[Steve Walker 1Participant @stevewalker1]

Thanks everyone, esp for the pointer to permagrit contour blocks. I was toying with the idea of making something similar, with my vast Blue Peter experience of bits of wood and sticky tape, but these look the business. I presume I'm never going to need another ?

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

I presume I'm never going to need another ?

How long is a piece of string?

Dave M

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