I've built balsa planes for 15 years. I finally bought an electric foamie. A Great Planes Electrifly Pluma bipe. Pretty cool plane! But this foam safe CA drives me crazy! Does it normally take like 30 minutes to dry? Maybe I'm not using the right stuff? I'm used to the regular CA that dries on wood in a matter of seconds!

You need to use foam safe kicker to get it to dry faster, but it also sounds like you're using a low quality FS CA as well.

Give BSI Foam Safe CA+ a go. I use it exclusively now, and it dries on it's own in about 5 seconds tops. Also, the kicker is cheap too, and the regular sized bottle will last through about 2 ounces of CA for me, as I use it quite sparingly. (oh, and they have refill kicker for about $10- a whopping 8oz of it too! )

Originally Posted by KC10Chief

Does it normally take like 30 minutes to dry?

Yes it does, if you're using the thick version. CA is generally sold in Thin, Medium, and Thick versions.... with correspondingly longer drying times for each.

Chuck

I have two brands of foam-safe, Mercury and Great Planes. Both need kicker. You put CA on one part, kicker on the other, then join.

I've never seen a viscosity choice for foam-safe.
..a

Thin, Medium & Thick or Crack filler. Some foam safe CA will take for ever to dry unless use with accelarator.

You can either put glue on one piece and the acc. on the other or put glue between both piece and once joined you spray the acc. Voila. I have assemble my new plane using only this stuff and it works great. Beats mixing and waiting for epoxy.

Originally Posted by Andy W

I've never seen a viscosity choice for foam-safe.
..a

Now you've got me wondering.... when I get home tonight I'll see what viscosities are from what version; foam safe or regular. I could swear my foam safes are different viscosities but don't quote me on that yet.

Chuck

FS is all medium consistency that I've been able to find.

mw

Look harder.

http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s...4&v=&sortlist=

rc

Originally Posted by Mark Wood

FS is all medium consistency that I've been able to find.

mw

You haven't looked hard enough . Several have them in medium and thick, "Hot Stuff" available through Tower also has thin. I've been using both the Bob Smith Industries (labeled with your local hobby shop label) and the E-Flite brand. I prefer the E-Flite and love their kicker. You could pour the kicker on and it still doesn't generate heat which is what really affects the foam. Both bond in seconds anyway. I've used the Mercury and could never get it to bond without using their kicker, which is impossible to use in some construction.

Azarr

Originally Posted by RCBABBEL

Look harder.

http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s...4&v=&sortlist=

rc

Super Gold... that's the brand I use. And yes, it's the 'Gap Filling' foam safe version like they show in the link. That stuff is thick as mollasses. Plus I also have the Thin foam safe as well. Good, I'm not crazy after all... LOL

Chuck

Aboslutely; I've used both thin and thick foam-safe CA. The stuff I use is re-branded BSI. And yes, the thick stuff takes a long time to set. If I'm gluing foam-to-foam, I'm just as likely to use Gorilla glue.

I don't use kicker with CA. I actually appreciate having the time to position the parts properly before the glue sets.

As an old school balsa guy you can expect it to work moderately different. Here's some things that helped me: 1) Use either med or thick. 2) Put on more than you would for wood. 3) Use kicker (You can use foam safe kicker but the regular works fine too). 4) Forget capillary action working. You have to put the glue on the surface and then stick it together, or at least open a small gap for the glue to get in.

Funny that I just started working on a balsa glider again last night after at least a year away from balsa. What a pleasure it is to work with over foam. It glues and sands so nice.