How to glue steps and channels to side of ship

[HardeeHarHar]

[Oldsalt1950]

I use PVA for almost everything. For the steps definitely as you have a little working time to get things right. Level and align vertically. For the channels again I'd use rods or pins along with the glue. Once you start pulling lines taught the extra anchoring power is a bonus.

 

Jim

[HardeeHarHar]

14 minutes ago, Oldsalt1950 said:

I use PVA for almost everything. For the steps definitely as you have a little working time to get things right. Level and align vertically. For the channels again I'd use rods or pins along with the glue. Once you start pulling lines taught the extra anchoring power is a bonus.

 

Jim

Thanks Jim, I am going to follow your advice.  I am pretty good with CA, but leveling and aligning 5 teeny tiny parts would be stressful and the odds of success fairly low if not zero.  PVA gives one time to recover, but I am wondering if it adheres well to parts that have been treated with Danish Oil.  Is there enough penetration to allow a good adhesion?  Also, it seems like pins are the way to go, as for sure I want tight lines ;-), but wow, I'm not looking forward to drilling holes in the ship either.  This is a difficult hobby 😃  Since I have oiled the side prematurely it appears =(, perhaps I should buy some Weldbond glue to use?  Anybody have any experience doing this?!?  Apparently Weldbond will adhere to just about anything....including Watco Danish Oil.

Edited November 12, 2022 by HardeeHarHar

[Oldsalt1950]

When in doubt, test! Take a piece of scrap and coat it with the Danish oil, then take a few pieces of untreated scrap and try gluing them using PVA. Weldbond and CA.

 

Jim

 

[HardeeHarHar]

23 minutes ago, Oldsalt1950 said:

When in doubt, test! Take a piece of scrap and coat it with the Danish oil, then take a few pieces of untreated scrap and try gluing them using PVA. Weldbond and CA.

 

Jim

 

 

Well that's certainly one way to do it.  But then we wouldn't use the forum as much =(

Edited November 12, 2022 by HardeeHarHar

[OllieS]

Wood to wood PVA is best; CA is convenient and not as strong. 

The good news is channels generally pull in the direction they are stuck in. ( Using the mechanical principle that rigging works  ).

Danish Oil is not something I would expect to be able to glue to at all, if I had to I would be epoxy and pins probably.

As far as the steps are concerned I would PVA and eyeball it.- If you can: I just had to reposition some posts I carelessly placed with my close work glasses on.

[AlanDavison]

I align  the steps both horizontally and vertically using fine pencil guide lines then glue with PVA wood glue or Super-‘Phaltic glue.

For the channels I drill and pin the channel, offer the channel to the hull, mark the pin positions then drill and glue with PVA.

I can’t use superglue as an allergic to it, but apart from that I think superglue dries too hard and is not able to accommodate any slight movement in the wood and ends up cracking.

I also use Super-Phaltic for attaching PE parts to the model

Alan

[allanyed]

 

15 hours ago, AlanDavison said:

Super-‘Phaltic glue.

I looked up reviews of Super phatic glue and most are good, but with a cautionary tale from several users including this one.

I've used Super Phatic glue for the last 3 years after I developed an allergy to CA. I penetrates balsa pretty well and holds better than any other glue I've tried and it dries pretty quickly. I have only two issues with this stuff.
1. After it dries, it remains very slightly flexible which is good for strength, but it means it can't easily be sanded smooth. So keep it off the external side of wing or fuselage panel joints.
2. If stored for more than a few months without having been shaken, the glue separates in the bottle and can't be re-mixed. I bought 2 bottles at Toledo (from the Deluxe Rep) last year. Used one immediately, the other (from the same box) sat on the self for 10 months, when I finished the first, I grabbed the second and it was a solid chunk. I also just received a "new" bottle via Amazon that had hardened - I suspect it sat in a warehouse too long. So keep it moving. Otherwise, Great Stuff!

 

Do the channels have standards on top or hanging knees or similar supports on the underside?  Either of these should give a lot of support sans the use of pins which are a challenge to align in the hull and channel.  I have used pins, but the only way that seemed to work for me was to insert pins in the channel first with a tiny protrusion.  The next step was to mark the hull with these pins points and then drill the receiving holes.  Last was to remove the first pins in the channel and replace them with pins that were long enough to penetrate the hull planking.  I used bamboo rather than metal for the pins so I could use PVA rather than CA or epoxy.

 

Allan

[glbarlow]

Make a little jig for the entry steps. A simple L or T. Set the first step, generally the wales can be your guide for it. The long side of the jig is the spacing between steps, the short side lines up the side edge. Glue on one at a time, I use CA and had no problem, PVA also works.  Weldbond is overkill and likely messy. I can’t speak to Danish oil, but CA does stick to WOP (lightly) covered services as does PVA. My overkill is sometimes lightly etching the two surfaces to be glued. 
 

Definitely pin the channels using the method others have described, since you’re using pins, either CA or PVA are fine, My models use both depending on what’s being glued. 

Here’s the ladder and a channel on my Granado, built in 2009.  I used mostly CA back then, everything is still attached. I’d use a scraper or my mill to make more interesting steps now, skills and tools I didn’t have then. 

[HardeeHarHar]

Thanks Glen, great help that is much appreciated!

 

Thanks Allan too, you both are extremely helpful!!!  

Edited November 13, 2022 by HardeeHarHar