So I was peeling off the clear tape from the starboard bow that had temporaily repaired a couple of large cracks in the skin . However upon removing the tape the silkspan just peeled off the balsa over a foot length and the entire width of the panel. The silkspan did not adhere to the balsa . I had the hull resheeted during the winter . Looks like I had a bad batch of dope and the temperature in the workshop was cold and damp. I didn't allow enough drying time before I applied the paint so when the panels became wet the silkspan was peeling away from the balsa. I removed the entire section from bow to the armored belt starting point down to below the waterline and peeled off the silkspan. The balsa panels are intact and secured. So with a new mix of Dope and thinner and a much warmer garage I should be able to quickly repair this section and repaint it and apply the wL tape back on. I was relieved that it was only the silkspan and not the balsa panels themselves that was peeling away from the hull.
Do you paint the balsa with dope first? I find that by "priming" the balsa with straight, undiluted dope, when I then apply the silkspan, I can use a thinned dope without compromising the bond netween silkspan and balsa. Peeling silkspan off Rodney requires peeling a layer of balsa, too.
I prime the balsa with dope first. I believe the batch I used was a holdover which was sitting for a long time. I think it was just a bad mixture. I used a fresh batch last night and it went on well and dried quickly. I then doped the silkspan on and it ahered and dried very well and I was able to smooth out the wrinkles with no problem. I then applied another coat for good measure.
Yamato repair worked out nicely.Better than it was prior to the refit last year. The silkspan took hold very well and with no wrinkles. I painted the repaired section however the grey is a shade different then the grey currently on so I painted the entire starboard side and will do the same to match the color for both sides, on the port side. Touch up the forcastle and fore deck. Then just apply the red below the waterline and apply the WL on the repaired section. Should have Yamato back in action if the weekend turns out nice.
Yamato repair completed. The silkspan stuck this time and nary a wrinkle. I repainted both sides of the hull above the waterline and some deck touchups on the forcastle.
I soaked the balsa with water to soften it then curled it in position. i used a spray bottle andlaced it in pisitio . Held it there till ir started to take the shape. Once it did I dried it then glued in position.
Thx I've been dredding this procedure. How many sections for each side did you use and were you able to do it with one piece in the vertical direction?
Scroll down this page and you'll see my sheeting process for my Mogador. It's smaller than a Yami of course, but the curves were tight. I also didn't use dope but a Titebond II mix. Mogador Build - Fastgun | Page 5 | R/C Warship Combat
using bad brittle balsa and some spar urethane and a single layer of kemtech wipes i was able to get a dry piece of balsa to do a 90degree bend with a very small radius without cracking. still passes puncture testing as well and keeps back water nicely.
I used a lot of panels of various sizes. Sometimes it helps to cut a slit but not all the way to get the balsa to bend even further without cracking. However did you silkspan the inside of the balsa before attaching to the hull? If not that could be where you find the wood cracking. I have the panels silkspanned on the inside first before applying.
That's what I've done too. Usually I can get the balsa to bend enough with the outer surface untreated. When sheeting hulls with complex shapes, like the bulged Kent/Canarias Classes, I sheet each window separately so the balsa deals mainly with the vertical curves. I found that if trying to sheet over several windows where the hull shape changes significantly in 3 dimensions the result isn't as good and not all of the balsa gets glued to the ribs and stringers. I've run into the same problem you had in 2012 with the silkspan not adhering well to Yamato's balsa. I bought the HMS Cumberland/Suffolk back from Brechin this weekend and found the silkspan peels off easily. The balsa was applied in sections covering 3-4 windows, and there are areas where it didn't stick well to the hull. Given the problems with the silkpsan I'm going to strip the hull and reapply the balsa in single panels over each window. I may have to do the same thing with the Canarias - I stripped the balsa back to the start of the bow knuckle and found it was unusually hard. Penetrability testing will be done later this week - hope it doesn't need a re-sheet too.
Curt, where do you buy your model dope and thinner, and what sort of tissue are you using instead of silkspan? I have enough silkspan to re-sheet one and maybe both heavy cruisers but not enough for Indefatigable. Hopefully Stephen Mogret will get enough pre-orders to buy silkspan in bulk.
I bought my silkspan in large rolls at the local hobby store. The Dope and thinner was locally but I ordered cans of the dope and thinner from Battler's Connection.
Last night I found Great Hobbies sells SIG dope and thinner in amounts from 4 oz. up to a gallon - cheaper than from the US with the present horrible exchange rate! Seems that there's no silkspan available anywhere.
Stephen Mogret told me yesterday the Strike Models silk span order will proceed and it'll be available in about 3 months. I have enough silk span left for one cruiser. No rush because I have to revise the interiors of two heavy cruisers and build a new superstrcture for one, install the internals for a new light cruiser and build its superstructure. By the time that work is done the silk span order should be here.
