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F24Steve

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  1. I suspect this question has been asked and answered many times. But, an attempted search of this forum I couldn't find the answer. I'm working on Model Shipways Prince de Nuefchatel. Her boat, launch, is a mini kit offered by Model Shipways separately. I've looked a the solutions many have tried and though they did arrive at a boat eventually, all had problems. I have built a few stick and tissue model airplanes. One of the techniques for making wingtips (wings and stabilizers) is to slice 1/16 sheet balsa very thin. I can make slices 1/64 thick by 1/16. When moistened, these are as flexible as paper. I make a simple cardboard pattern of the wing tip. Wax the pattern, moisten the balsa, add wood glue sparingly, wrap 3 or 4 of the laminations around the pattern, tape or pin to a building board to dry. If I was in a great hurry, the assembly could be put in the microwave. A lot of care is required as the glue can burn. So, unless you all advise me otherwise, I'm going to make the frames for the boat from balsa. I'll most likely use bass wood to stiffen the keel between the bulkheads. In the late 80s, I attended a few meetings of a ship model group. There was concern at that time regarding the use of Balsa and Super Glues in their models. Some of the members were concerned that the models they were building would not stand the test of time if balsa or super glue was used. Some of the ships were expected to go into museums or be heirlooms. I don't expect that my work will ever see the front door of a museum. I would not mind if my daughter or grandson wanted one of my creations. As to my other experience with balsa, I built a number of competition radio controlled sailplanes with 100 inch wingspans in the early 80s. The spars were 1/8 by 3/8 inch spruce and the forward sides of the fuselage were 1/16 thick aircraft plywood but all of the rest of the plane was balsa assembled with super glue (hot stuff). One crashed (pilot error), two were given away, and I still have one in the attic. The one I still have flew recently and has held up well. The balsa is still strong and the glue has held up well. My oldest (perhaps 10 years) stick and tissue model of a Stenson Reliant (24 in wingspan) has crashed a few times but was easily repaired and hangs in my den today.
  2. Hello All, I've either lost the pamphlet or it wasn't in the box. Model Expo referred me here since they no longer manufacture the model. A copy of the pamphlet would be fine. I can't tell from the build logs how difficult a project this model would be for a new ship builder. So any advice would be appreciated. I'm 72, retired from drafting and teaching, and have few distractions these days. I have a modicum of patience and some skill with models as I formerly built stick and tissue flying scale models.
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