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General Building Tips
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READ THE INSTRUCTIONS all the way through and study the plans BEFORE starting any
work on the model.
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PRE-SANDING: BEFORE removing any parts from the balsa sheets, use a sanding block
with 320 grit sandpaper and lightly sand the back of the balsa sheets. Our balsa suppliers
have been sending us wood that is over sized, so sanding the backs of the balsa sheets
reduces the thickness just slightly and removes any charring from the laser cutting process.
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Tape the plans to your nice clean work surface and cover it with wax paper or plastic wrap.
You want to keep your work surface clean and not glue the parts to the plans, right?
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Balsa is a lightweight and fragile wood, so you do need to be careful with it; however, you
will also need to use a little bit of force to make everything fit properly, so don't be too
timid.
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Do not remove any pieces from the balsa sheets until they're ready to be used. That way,
parts won't get mixed up or disappear.
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Do NOT glue anything until told to do so.
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Join all of your pieces using thin CA (Cyanoacrylate) glue, unless we tell you otherwise. In
general, only a small amount of CA is necessary to glue parts together.
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Don't over force your pieces together. If they aren't fitting together properly, make sure you
have the right pieces and that they are oriented correctly. If needed, you can lightly sand
the part to fit after making sure it is the correct part and oriented correctly. On balsa "tabs",
you can "pinch" the wood with your fingers to get them to fit in slots. (The tabs might be
tighter some times, due to tolerances in wood thickness)
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If you want to remove the charred edges caused by the laser cutting process, lightly
dampen a cloth with bleach and gently rub the affected areas. Removing the char will not
increase the strength but will make it look better. It also keeps that dark edge from showing
under the lightweight coverings. You can also remove it by LIGHTLY sanding with 400 grit
sandpaper.
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