Filler block material

Make up your mind El Capi.
In post #2 you gave a thumbs up regarding my comments on using balsa.
Then in post 16 you say “ Never use BALSA WOOD”
Post #17 you state “A hell lot of work”

Frankly I don’t give a rats a** what you use.
For over 50 years of model building it works for me.
I gain you with 10 years. for your info by July 1Th, I shall not disturb you anymore. using balsa is a hell lot of work. I have never used balsa.
no more posts to you and all the other members end June 30.
will inform management this evening or tomorrow morning.
 
a hell lot of work.
It wasn't too bad. One afternoon cutting blocks to thickness on the band saw and gluing them in place, with scraps to fill any leftover holes. The resulting smooth hull form seems worth it. What trouble have you had using balsa blocks? They are soft, but makes for easy sanding (and a big mess to clean up!).
 
I am just curious. I have seen pictures like the previous one where all the bulkheads are filled.
I am wondering if it wouldn't be easier to just buy or make a solid hull kit?
Richard
 
I am just curious. I have seen pictures like the previous one where all the bulkheads are filled.
I am wondering if it wouldn't be easier to just buy or make a solid hull kit?
Richard
I think it’s up to the individual as to how much filler to use. I only use filler in the areas of extreme curves requiring the planks to be bent/formed such as you find in the bow and stern. The filler is used to maintain a smooth curve.
 
I am just curious. I have seen pictures like the previous one where all the bulkheads are filled.
I am wondering if it wouldn't be easier to just buy or make a solid hull kit?
Richard
Solid hull kits are typically thick everywhere on the model, and if you want to do any internals, it is a real pain hollowing them out. Also, most solid wood models are aging, mostly being from the 1960's and are small in scale. Imagine the weight of a 1:48 scale triple deck ship with a solid hull. Funny how much weight my Sovereign of the Seas gained with all that balsa. There are few very detailed, medium scale kits in solid wood out there, and most are vintage.
 
I think it’s up to the individual as to how much filler to use. I only use filler in the areas of extreme curves requiring the planks to be bent/formed such as you find in the bow and stern. The filler is used to maintain a smooth curve.
That's all you really need. I filled my hull all the way just out of choice. This was mostly to avoid the days it takes repeating the process of using filler to fill in flat spots, wait hours for filler to dry, sand filler, inspect, fill in more spot, wait to dry, sand, inspect, repeat. Getting the last model to the shape I desired took a week of futzing with filler. Balsa fill cut that to about 3 days to get the final shape. I won't go into the stern shape accuracy modifications which followed.
 
Olha is great, I follow her on YouTube, she is a great model builder, even down to making her own ropes.
Thats her name. Yes she is good. I am not even going to talk about her rope making. When I was in the Navy I used to make lanyards for BM pipes and I learned a lot of the old way knot tying and rope splicing. Not only is it hard to do but it is pretty to look at. One more day until my balsa wood is supposed to be here. I have been making sure everything is all lined up and at the same level.
 
A lot of passion around this…in my experience I have not had the need to use filler blocks. For my POF models I found that careful shaping of the false bulkhead edges to the required hull curve is critical. Then planking strips will lay smoothly across the bulkheads with the bulkhead glue points being adequate to form a smooth hull curvature. I rarely use filler blocks in the bow or stern as I found that the false bulkhead glue points were adequate to maintain the hull curves. The exception is the blunt bow ships with their very sharp, blunt, bow curve. Still, I use balsa coated with poly with very good results…obviously being aware of the softness of balsa when shaping. Even so, my observation is the primary glue/anchor points for the planking are the false bulkheads rather than the filler blocks. If I find a need I would prefer to build an additional false bulkhead insert glued to the false keel as opposed to a filler block. When I am dry fitting the false bulkheads to the false keel I make note of potential gaps that would need additional support. Then I can trace out a copy of a bulkhead to use to fill a particularly large gap. Just my experience…
 
A lot of passion around this…in my experience I have not had the need to use filler blocks. For my POF models I found that careful shaping of the false bulkhead edges to the required hull curve is critical. Then planking strips will lay smoothly across the bulkheads with the bulkhead glue points being adequate to form a smooth hull curvature. I rarely use filler blocks in the bow or stern as I found that the false bulkhead glue points were adequate to maintain the hull curves. The exception is the blunt bow ships with their very sharp, blunt, bow curve. Still, I use balsa coated with poly with very good results…obviously being aware of the softness of balsa when shaping. Even so, my observation is the primary glue/anchor points for the planking are the false bulkheads rather than the filler blocks. If I find a need I would prefer to build an additional false bulkhead insert glued to the false keel as opposed to a filler block. When I am dry fitting the false bulkheads to the false keel I make note of potential gaps that would need additional support. Then I can trace out a copy of a bulkhead to use to fill a particularly large gap. Just my experience…
Jim Thank you. I am still learning and I am a bad perfectionist. That is my bad down fall. Since all my reading of others experience and getting pointers. I have built out bulk heads and the mounting points for decks. I believe once I get comfortable in my learning I will drop some fillers except the ones fore and aft. Working on the Corsair American with balsa I have learned how to control my heavy sanding hand. Being this is the first one that I am trying them on.
 
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