alfakilo wrote on Jan 4^th, 2020 at 9:57am:


I had no problems with the method I mentioned alf, The canopy for the Pilatus came out great. No heat problems while vacuuming.

Bob - Nothing too precise here. I start with about a tablespoon of coffee whitener and add some slightly diluted white glue, about the same ratio, otherwise it turns to a sticky mess, then add water to thin to the desired thickness. Be sure to use the whitest whitener as some have a tan tone, not a bad thing I guess, may come closer to the color of our wood. Paint it on across the grain otherwise any remaining brush strokes will pull it (or any other filler) out of the grain we are trying to fill. To decide if it is cured, sand it with a fine paper and if powdered, fine, otherwise needs more time. This filler dries glossy and also needs more sanding than any of the other fillers but is very hard and durable.
Mike

If you want a more esoteric filler try coffee whitener, white glue and water. I've used this and it dries clear but glossy. Sands well and fills well and you never need to go to hardware store for filler, all right at home. I got this from the net when I broke one of my wife's plaster statues, she still doesn't know.
Mike

Here are two more possibilities, a Sherman Williams and a Red Devil lightweight spackle. I've tried them both and they seem to go on and sand OK, not rubbery like the DAP spackle is.

I go to my local hardware store and pick up the Elmers Wood Filler. It is pretty fine grained and water soluble so I dilute it with a small amount of water and paint it on in a slurry and cleanup with soap and water. It is also tan in color so blends with balsa and sands very well so can be done as often as necessary to get the coverage you want.
Mike

This may be a bit of over-kill...but years ago when I was doing my thing with wallboard and interior house finishing, I used to purchase wall-joint compound in 5 gal. buckets.  Discovered that the stuff worked wonderfully over balsa planking joints...sanded, doped, and then sealed with tissue on scale rc models.  I say it's over-kill because the material is still available in building supply centers like Home Depot...at a very reasonable price...how about $15 for 5 gallons!  Believe me, sandability was very important for me because I wasn't worth a lick at doing one-swipe wallboard joints.    Is definitely water-based.  Five gallons of the stuff will last you FOREVER.  Maybe it comes in smaller amounts....

Neal

PS...I suppose that I wasn't that bad at doing the wall joints...because after doing a couple of rooms downstairs and then going to work the next day...I came home to discover that the wife and kids had already painted it all! "But I needed to sand it!" I protested.  "Looked ready for paint to us...."  And so it stands to this day. 

Might be this. Works pretty well but I think the old DAP is less grainy and sands better.

Continuing to read up on this. Several mentions that DAP has gone to a 'vinyl' formula which may cause the rubbery texture and poor sanding.

Sherman Williams has a lightweight spackle that may work, will check today.