# What do yall use to seal Balsa wood before painting?



## baytownboy

I am ready for painting some of my boats I built in Balsa wood, so what do yall use to seal the wood off before painting, and what procedures do yall use?


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## baytownboy

Where have all the RC boys gone to??


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## macattac

I always used clear dope with a little talc in it, thinned out the first couple of coats. Sand in between coats to get it smooth then one or two more to finish.


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## Pocketfisherman

before you seal it, wipe it with a damp microfiber cloth. That will raise the grain, let it dry, sand it again, wipe with a tack cloth, and then seal it. I also use dope with talc powder added.


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## baytownboy

I found this sanding sealer product called Pine-Pro, Competition Compounds, 2 oz plastic bottle. Water-Based, Non-Toxic
I put on one coat with a super fine brush, lightly sand and then another coat. Seals extremely well and takes water based paint great.
Now my biggest problem is finding a Mahogany Water Base Paint.
I Tried to stain my Balsa wood models with a Mahogany oil base stain and just toooo dam ugly. Mixed some model paint from the 2 oz tubes to cover and looked great, but I have a lot more boats to paint on the insides with and need several ozs or a pint can premixed Mahogany paint, NOT STAIN.
Anyone know where I can buy some of this paint, thanx.


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## baytownboy

Man I wish this forum still had the rc boys, I bet some of those guys would probably know because they deal with stuff like this every day. Where have they all gone to?????

I have had paint mixed before and you have to buy a gallon, and I don't need a gallon, just a pint or so, thanx.


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## Gary

They were car guys and know nothing about balsa. I would go with what the other guys suggested. I deal with a lot of balsa but with planes, so I have no idea how to seal balsa and I am wondering why you want to since it's a static model. If you were going RC where the boat would be in the water for hours and see some abusive, then you would go with fiber glass.


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## baytownboy

I am building a copy of a 1948 Skeeter bass boat that I am building in Balsa wood approx 14" long that will never hit the water unless there is a flood at my house because it will be on shelf as soon as it is finished. I have 4 to build and would like them to be authentic looking as possible, with Mahogany stained interiors and painted outside in the old Skeeter boat colors. 
The Pine-Pro sealing sanding sealer is super for what I am doing, just need some Mahogany paint to finish the interior.


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## Gary

There is no reason to seal the balsa then. I would just stain it and leave it be.


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## baytownboy

Gary, I tried staining with a good Min-Wax Mahogany stain, AND IT TURNED OUT REAL FUG UGLY, more like a very ugly black looking color than the reddish brown color of Mahogany color. I used the sanding sealer on the outside to seal the very porous grain of the Balsa wood. The first time I tried painting the Balsa, it took approx 3 coats to seal of the grain and still was not looking toooo goood.
So I used the water based sanding sealer (Pine-Pro seal to off the grain and now the paint shows off real good and slick.
Pics below of the real boat I am basing my model from:


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## Gary

As far as I know, then macattack and Pocketfisherman are right. Dope and talcum powder. Thats what the old school plane builders did before we got modern covering. As far as the paint, I would just use regular old latex house paint and then seal it with Minnwax polyurethane high gloss. Spray a coat and hit it with either very fine sandpaper or better yet, Scotchbrite. It easier to get around complex corners. And you may need several coats with light sanding in between coats. Also, go very light with your coats. What I would do is spray a light coat in the hard to reach places like the corners. Let dry and then spray the "open" flat areas, let dry. Do that as many coats as you think the finish is thick enough so when you sand you dont go through into the paint.

Good luck and take some pictures.


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## baytownboy

I just got back from Sherwin-Williams and the lady mixed a quart of the closet thing to Mahogany stain that could be in a water based paint. First coat looks like a stain, and the second coat covers so great.
Looks just like Mahogany stained wood, super for what I need.
Course I only need a pint or less, but real happy to get the color. 
The pics below only has one coat and no clear coat finish yet.
Balsa is hard to stain.
See pics below of my model boat, and what it will look like when finished, I HOPE!


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## Gary

I like it! I'm not sure I would go over the stain with clear. It has a rustic, well used look with patina. Your building a vintage/scale boat and if were me, I would stay as close to scale as possible. That boat is part of history and I would build it to represent that part of history.

I'm currently building a WWW1 Sopwith Pup and I will intentionally make it look well used and ragged out. I'm going to mix some coffee very thick and wipe that mixture down the sides just behind the engine in order to represent what the true vintage plane may of looked like.

Keep up the good work. :doowapsta


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## baytownboy

Gary said:


> I like it! I'm not sure I would go over the stain with clear. It has a rustic, well used look with patina. Your building a vintage/scale boat and if were me, I would stay as close to scale as possible. That boat is part of history and I would build it to represent that part of history.
> 
> :doowapsta


Gary, there is no scale on this boat. I had no plans, drawings or any dimensions to go by, only pics. I have read it is 13' or so long and approx 46" on the bottom. This is my first attempt to build any kind of boat model. This is a trial and error model, "LOTS of ERRORS". I had to figure the transom angles to start with and go from there. I have probably built approx 6 "junkers" and started over and used the scrapes for other boats. The transom angles is the key for everything, if it's off a little, then the two sides are way off also. 
Thank God there are more Balsa wood trees still around!
The pics below are what I have to build off of.


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## baytownboy

Finished the original Skeeter boat below, finally got some paint on it, first pic.

The second pics are of a Skeeter boat, 1948, this is a wheelchair model built for an amputee from the war in Boosier City, La. the original is the the only one known. The owner sent some pics so I could build this boat, it is longer and wider with a higher transom than the original. The center section is a livewell. They drilled a hole in the floor and the water would seek it's own level, neat hugh? Worlds first livewell??

This is what I start with to build my Skeeter boats. Balsa wood, 3 different thickness. It has taken awhile to figure out all I wanted and needed for building my boats.
Glue is Mercury adhesives M300M, and a "WATER BASED SANDING SEALER" for Balsa wood Pine-Pro, and a special water based Mahogany paint/stain mixed for me by Sherwin-Williams in Baytown. 
Paint for boat is a water based acrylic.


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## Gary

Wow! Very very nice! :cheers:


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## baytownboy

Thanx Gary, it sure took a lot to get there for sure, lots of trial and error!!. 
That sanding sealer for Balsa is the best. Now I have all my stuff together, it sure makes it a whole lot better for sure.


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## Gary

What's next? 

Keep going brother!


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## baytownboy

I just found another model Skeeter I have not seen before, and it will be next. 
I have 5 of the wheelchair models to build.
I have 4 of the regular models to build.
I have 3 of the newest model to build
All the models are going to folks who suppied pics and info to me, all free of charge. Just keeps me busy and not too expensive, just fun.
I have already shipped one wheelchair model to the son of the amputee.
I built some shipping boxes from 3/4" white pine and 1/4" paneling. I nail and glue two sides and the bottom on on, and lay the top on and wrap three times with shipping tape and wrap with brown paper and mail off, therefore they don't have to tear up the box to get the boat out. 
Works good so far.


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