BE SURE AND BALANCE YOUR AIRCRAFT LATERALLY BEFORE FLYING
HAPPY FLOAT FLYING !!

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  SOME FLOAT NOTES
  
  Adhesives for Balsa Sheeting the Foam Cores
• There are four basic ways to attach balsa to foam. Two of these methods are best reserved for sheeting wing cores, while the others work well for float cores. Sorghum gum is the proven, ancient and honorable way. Epoxy is an equally proven solution. However, both of these methods assume that you are going to be able to cover the sheeting material with the discarded foam saddles and then apply uniform weight for a protracted period of time (overnight). Vacuum bagging is a superior method to weight. The complex, four sided cuts of the float cores do not leave good matching saddles and the uneven and rounded surfaces make it very hard to weight the sheets down overnight - an easier solution is recommended. Use contact cement.
• Contact cements come in three basic flavours. Paint-on water-based or solvent-based, and spray on. Solvents are not good for your health in poorly ventilated spaces - since they also eat foam, they are rejected. There have been reports on the Net that the spray-on contact cements (such as 3M 77Ô) can cause the balsa to delaminate in the hotter temperatures of mid-summer.
• In essence, Lepage'sÔ water-based contact cement is the logical winner. It is easy to find, inexpensive, dries fairly quickly, doesn't stink up the house, gives a good bond and cleans up easily. Who could ask for more?
   
• Balsa Sheet Laminations
• If the sides are bigger than the width of your balsa sheeting, it is import to make up the laminations before you sheet. Lay the two pieces side by side on a perfectly flat surface - glass is a good choice. Cover the surface with waxed paper. Make sure the two sides line up exactly. Sand the sides with a long sanding block until you have a perfect mate. In the worst case, overlap the two sheets and use a steel edge to cut through both surfaces at once. Once the sides are true, you can use either thin CA or carpenter's glue to complete the job. Weight the sheets down so they cannot move. In either case, glue from the side that will be towards the foam core - you do not want a hard glue scab on the outer surface, as it is hard to sand and will result in an uneven finished surface. Be especially careful with thin CA - if it wicks through to the outer side, it will form a sheet of concrete that just cannot be sanded. There is no preferred sequence for covering the sides.
• Cut the balsa sheet to a slightly larger piece than is required to cover the surface. Brush the contact cement on the foam and onto the balsa sheet. Allow both surfaces to dry as per the instructions. Carefully place the balsa sheet on the foam surface. Note that we will have only one try as the contact cement will grab the balsa and it is impossible to take it off without cracking it. Trim the oversize balsa with a razor knife so that the edges are flush with the foam core. Attach the other surfaces in sequence until all for sides have been covered. Leave the front and back ends bare for the moment.
• Rear Plate
• Take the back and of the float and traced the outline on a sheet of light ply. The light ply should be about 1/16th inch thickness. Use a hobby knife or coping saw to cut out this rear plywood shape. Attach it to the back the float with contact cement. This plywood is needed to secure the screws that will be used for the rudders.
• Nose weights
  Prepare a small trough in the nose of your foam floats. This will allow for weights if required to help keep the float in
  balance with the C.G. of your aircraft. Add small fishing weights until balance is achieved, using cotton wool as a temporary plug. When satisfied, remove the cotton wool and pour in epoxy to secure the load. Glue on the top sheeting section when
  this has been accomplished before flying.
   
• Attachment Plate Anchor Dowels (Optional)
• When you come in for a landing, as soon as the floats touch the water a tremendous amount of drag is induced. That translates into a sheer force that wants to send the attachment plates to the back of the float and also tends to introduce a rotational force that wants to lift the plates off the float. Over time, this can introduce micro cracks.
• Figure our where you will insert your undercarriage screws or bolts and look for some space where you can drill down 1/4 or 3/8-in. vertical shafts. Depending on your choice, you can use two to four of these dowel receptacles. The shafts should be 1 1/2 to 2 inches in depth. After you have epoxied the attachment plates onto the float, epoxy these anchor dowels in place.
  
  Steering Control Guides (Optional)
• You might need to sink a couple of 1/4-inch dowel plugs into the rear deck of the floats to install small metal guides for steering rods or cables. Epoxy them in before you cover the top deck .