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[tomway]

I've got a few boards worth of balsa to use up before moving on to a different kind of wood.

Up to now, I've been sealing inside and out prior to glass as per recommendations... but I'm not really convinced this is absolutely necessary for balsa which has sod all oil content.

Posters here have already ascertained that 'deep penetration'  of skins with resin is unnecessary and in peel tests I don't reckon that there's a noticeable difference between glassing on sealed/unsealed balsa. My epoxy is a bit thicker than pe too so i dont reckon it drains much except for endgrains.

I'll still seal inside as I've been using this method to glue all the planks together, but for outer lam do you think it's really necessary?

[mark venn]

Tom, I always seal the outside prior to lam, to fill thr pores with resin and improve the waterproofing of the wood to reduce penatration through dings.

[jeff matsuno]

Tom, I always seal the outside prior to lam, to fill thr pores with resin and improve the waterproofing of the wood to reduce penatration through dings.

Mark,  do you thin your epoxy when sealing?

[tomway]

Tom, I always seal the outside prior to lam, to fill thr pores with resin and improve the waterproofing of the wood to reduce penatration through dings.

Wouldn't adjusting your resin/lam ratio slightly accomplish pore filling anyway?
I remember the ding argument is that if you break or crush wood fibres you'll get water seepage (through the end grain 'breakages') whether or not the wood is sealed.

With the epoxy I'm using I have to wait til dry after sealing and scrub. No good laminating when semi dry. It's a pain in the arse and adds a day to the process.

I take it no one else does this then? Must be a good reason!!

Mark, I'll be in in the uk in a few weeks. I'll give you a call, and pray the biscay gods give us a south swell for kbay 

[soulvoid]

I've just had a board with water seeping in from the inside (through pin air I presume) So I'd say seal as best as you can.

I just did some work in the garden with copper impregnated wood. The impregnation go about one inch into the wood. Since balsa soak water like crazy and we're working with 2-3mm skins, there should be a way to impregnate it thoroughly?

Anyone ever had water seep into a pre-fabricated skin?

[tomway]

okay, points taken, i just sealed 

Looking forward to moving away from balsa. I've found a nice wood that I reckon is similar in weight to pawlonia and with a wide range of colour that goes from creamy white through pink to a rusty brown so lots of opportunity for prettiness. Much less of a sponge than balsa.

Don't think i've posted any pics of my early compsand efforts here yet, so here's one just sealed.




Chirst, that dcell looks awful on the rails. Going to have to learn to spray colour on this one I think.

[mark venn]

Hey Tom, yes give me a call.
Numbers are the same. A K - bay surf would be just what the doctor ordered
I don't thin the epoxy, although you can.  I use a product that is already thinned, called SP Eposeal.
There are other products on the market that do the same thing.  Can't remember the name of the one they have in NZ (where is Kit when you need him?)

[lemat]

I seal with a little bit of xylen (may be about 2%) and hot resin (stay in sun a couple hour in black bag) it's work very well, resin was like water and kick quickly so i don't wait for lam.

Sorry for my frenglish.