Flite Test | Balsa Building Basics
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- Опубліковано 12 тра 2015
- Josh and Peter go over some of the basics when getting started with balsa building.
More details and links available here:
flitetest.com/articles/balsa-b...
Thanks for watching! Stay tuned for more Balsa build stuff and be sure to let us know what you'd like to see in future episodes!
Thanks for posting this! This was pretty much the only way to build RC planes back in the day. I enjoyed building with balsa as much as I liked flying it.
***** Thanks for watching! We hope to do a balsa build follow up video soon.
It's a nice addition. Us old timers appreciate you showing the roots of the hobby.
***** GOD HAS SPOKEN
+TAOFLEDERMAUS I got a balsa kit for Christmas it looks like it will take weeks to build!
Teofledermaus, didn't expect you here :)
It's funny how things have changed. When I started flying RC in the late 80s, the majority of the planes built were either kit or scratch built. RTF aircraft were extremely expensive. Monocote was just starting to get popular. The first few that I built were covered in silk and dope. Talk about a lost art. I could get silk so taught it was like a drum. I really enjoyed building models and something I am going to do again with my son. FYI, back in the day, when you got your fingers stuck together with CA glue, Acetone works wonders in getting them unstuck.
You started the hobby about the same time as myself. Can agree to all of the above, and balsa flies great. Repairs are the annoying part, lol.
Same here late 80's to mid 90's my first run. I just got back into it this year in 2021. I found some old gear I had bought around 1994 or 1995 still new in the box never used the other day. I found a O.S. MAX .40 FP 2-stroke nitro/glow engine brand spanking new. I also found a brand new in the box Futaba Conquest FM 72 Mhz 4-channel transmitter, receiver and 4 servos. Also found 2 brand new rolls of Navy Blue and Cub Yellow Monokote. The last time any of this stuff could have been bought was late Spring and early Summer of 1995.
@@JohnDoeEagle1 I had a 4 channel Futaba Conquest also. Great radio. I built a Cub that I used a .40 in as well.
@@bradschak
I do have a Spektrum DX6 6-channel DSMX Gen 3 I just recently bought. It is a good radio but man that thing is busy with the gadgets and there will be a learning curve for sure. I think I am going to put that new in the box vintage Futaba FP 4NBF 4-channel into a new SIG old school balsa kit of some kind too. Maybe a Four Star 40 or 20.
Lately I have been surfing Ebay buying up nice vintage slightly used and brand new in the box O.S. MAX 2-stroke nitro glow engines in the .25 - .46 size range. They sure don't give them away anymore and the price of inflation has been some sticker shock for me to get used to.
@@robertvanhousen1015
SIG is still in business still making laser cut old school balsa kits. This time around you buy them direct on their website and there isn't any middleman. The engines are best found on Ebay if you like the vintage stuff. I just scored two O.S. MAX .25 FX engines this week. Be ready for sticker shock. I remember when my local hobby shops had cases full of O.S. MAX engines and Futaba radios. If memory serves me correctly I don't really remember many if any of those types of engines costing more than about $75 to $100 bucks. I'm recalling more like $50ish for the FP Series. The FX Series were always quite a bit more with the ball bearings and that. The LA Series I heard about later on but back when I was big into it they weren't a thing. I had a buddy still into it in the early 2000s who bought LA Series engines.
Man this video was a flashback. I remember building my first plane, a Gentle Lady glider, with my dad. The nosecone came as a solid block of Balsa that had to be cut to shape and sanded... and sanded... and sanded some more before it was glued in place and covered in Monokote along with the rest of the fuselage. We eventually added the gas motor that was mounted over the 6.5 foot wing. Good times :D I need to get back into RC!
kobudo My very first plane was also the gentle lady glider... all the guys at the hobby store called it the epoxy giant lol I was about 7 years old and what can i say... i wanted it to be strong so i pretty much used epoxy to put the whole thing together.
I just love the smell of a newly opened balsa kit box. Very magical to me.
It brings back memories of my late grandfather. He gave me my love for building things.
Great video guys! You always have great videos! You guys were the ones that got me into the RC flying hobby, and I got to say, it's really fun! Your videos are always immaculate, you guys are so talented, the way you build all of those planes. I love all of your custom builds, and seeing them fly. I also like your airplane battles that you occasionally have, awesome! I just want to let you know that I think you guys are awesome, and keep up the GREAT WORK! Great job guys!
My Dad taught me the Wax paper over ceiling tile technique to build my first rubber powered FF airplane in 1963. Later I found a balsa building board by Sig products works better and is guaranteed straight and flat so you don't build a warp into your wing or fuselage. Good to see Peter back on your channel. Also use a sanding stick ( put your sand paper over a flat piece of wood)
Great episode! And though I do most of my builds from foamboard / depron as well, it's great you show alternate options here :)
Cheers and thanks for sharing :)
WOW! They have taken the challenge out of balsa models! My first balsa model, I started in 1979 and it took about a year to finish it. It was a Cub with a 48" wingspan. Back then CA glue was not heard of, we had modeling glue for plastic models that took forever to dry. Thanks for the update!
You guys have inspire me to fly rc. About a year ago I stubbled on flight test. I told my parents I wanted to get into the hobby and I I just ordered the swappable 3 pack sbk. When ever I have a question I am almost 100% sure you have a video on it. You guys are pretty much the only good quality channel on the hobby. With out you I would have never got into rc
1:24 Racoon on the roof! :)
Mehmet Can well spotted! that must be their mascot, Rocky the Racoon ;)
Mark Paterson They have an episode on FT Extra where they were trying to get a racoon out of the ceiling... :)
Balu Which Episode? Link?
Balu what episode name or link?
Christopher Loh Sorry, can't find it. It might have been on Instagram, Extra, Facebook, etc. It was not on the standard channel.
Can't wait to see you guys build/maiden the whole thing!
Nice to see some old skool balsa. Balsa is very cool. It has an elegance to it that harkens back to the way planes built in the beginning of aviation. Tip, sand parts before assembly when possible.
I'm really happy to see you guys branching into more traditional style building. Maybe one day you can release a flitetest quick build balsa kit? That would be pretty cool, considering how simple and easy to build your foam board kits are. I could see a simple laser cut balsa kit being really popular with people looking to expand their building horizons.
I'd love to see more people getting into this style of building, it takes a lot of finesse and precision to build a good balsa model, but the end result beats foam hands down. One can build amazingly light, stiff and beautiful models when compared to foamboard. Maybe (well definitely) its not the easiest way to do it, but damn, it works great once you learn how.
Very good advice. Never realized there were differences between wax paper sides! Been using it forever! Thank you!
Awesome guys!! Balsa bashers is becoming a dying breed. Now all we need from you guys is some plans and building videos for balsa aircraft.
You can heat the plastic pipette over a lighter and draw the tube out to a much smaller diameter. Turns a cheap pipette into a precision pipette.
John Pattillo Great info.
... nice episode guys, showing us the ultimate RC model build knowledge from scratch :-)
Just bought a guillows bf 109. I can’t wait to get started. Of course mine isn’t the kind that clicks together as nice as this model but I’ve done one before and kinda screwed it up. Now that I know more about flying and how important alignment and being square is, I’ll really take my time on this one. Wish me luck!
And happy flying!
-Cat
NEED......MORE......CONTENT...... love your videos, thanks for teachering me! :)
Yes! Episode on covering would be awesome.
This is a big leap for Flitetest . Really hope for more follow up especially for those who buy Balsa RTFS and can't repair them after crashes. Older "Builders" are disappearing and so much knowledge are going with them . Passing along methods learned from your father and others is admirable.
55 years of stick and tissue modeling and I didn't know waxed paper was only waxed on one side.
I just framed up a laser cut Messerschmitt and the difference between it and the die-smashed kits of my youth is amazing. Until laser-cutting came along, buying a kit was a waste of money. But the new kits are just incredible and fun to build. If I extrapolate what you have done with foamboard, your balsa efforts will be superior. I can hardly wait.
Enjoyed your video and the comments that followed.I started in this hobby many yrs ago. the first club I joined I held the title of scratch builder, this meant that I got plans from a hobby book, enlarged them. made templets, cut out all parts and assembled the plane.this is the definition according to the club I belonged to. Just to date myself, I leave you with the following terms - "Galoping Ghost", Escapement and Reeds. The first RC planes were little more than Free flight Models with rudder control.
great video guys. I really think you should start designing simple small balsa planes to sell at the flitetest store.
I don't know if you guys will get a chance to read this or not, but I am SUPER excited at the prospect of you doing some classic balsa stuff. I am passionate about balsa scratch building so it will be so enjoyable to me to watch. Thanks for your ministry.
Daniel Hawkins They read quite a lot of the comments and mentioned they hope to do a balsa build follow up video soon. :)
Finally! The topic is well appreciated.
Good job guys
Building boards. Use plaster board, its smooth, flat, cheap, holds pins well and did I say its cheap and disposable when no good any more. You can also draw building alignment lines on the paper surface to aid building if you dont have a plan. Just tape up the cut edges to stop dust and make sure its on a flat surface as it will bow/deform to conform to the underlying surface. Been using it for years as have lots of us 'old timers'. Give it a try.
Tip: I love super thin CA for balsa, cures super fast and wicks into the wood, and get yourself a package of CA "straw" tubing, commonly used for gluing r/c car tires. I know Losi has some but you trim off a little chunk with a razor knife and it usually fits in the pinhole of the tip of CA bottles. They work awesome, they don't clog and when you are done, pull it out with tweezers or pliers and if your really frugal, without touching it to you, blow a swift puff of air through it to clear CA from the chunk and you can reuse it a couple times. You will wonder how you've lived life CA'ing things without it!
I started building planes because of you guys. My 3 year old and I are almost done with the ft racer. I really wanna build with balsa.
Your Videos are awesome!!!!Thing that I wondering for long time.
Very nice, thank you! I glue balsa with thin epoxy resin, if I have the whole night to let it cure anyway. Very nice and strong results.
Good vid. Lots of great tips!
Now I think we need to see a simple Flite Test designed balsa plane... :)
Yaaaaaaaaaas!
Just started building a 1/3,5 Scale Spacewalker all from balsa. Balsa is such a great material. I´m really looking forward to see this 2,3m beast in the air.
Nothing more rewarding in rc aviation than seeing the model that you built,fly. good luck with the build!
edward hasiak Thanks man!
I found a Balsa Tiger Moth kit from the fifties at a garage sale and fully RC'd it, flies so nice
awesome video, you should try to introduce more balsa projects. i just built a DLG Glider from balsa it was a great experience and very rewarding. I defiantly would love to build more. The other cool thing is that it is very cost effective for a budget hobbyist
If you want to clean your tips and nozzles, fill a small jar or cap with acetone, and put your plugged nozzle in it for a few hours. The same can be done so that your caps will clip back together after a bit of CA dries inside them too. You can also unglue your fingers with some acetone, but don't make a habit of it as it's not the most healthy thing to put on your skin.
The process of laying out and organizing your parts is called knolling and it's incredibly useful.
radical RC rocks. I love it.
Nice build.
One more thing on CA. The super thin stuff generally does not work with ply wood. It works best with balsa and balsa like wood. It is usefully due to its deep penetrating capabilities. It also works well with the CA style hinges. Plug the hinge in, put a couple drops of the thin stuff in and done! To secure them, run a toothpick in through both sides of the hinge. Glue it in with thin ca and break or cut it off. Be sure to push the toothpick in from the bottom to keep it hidden.
It would be good to see a video on all the different glues and cements available for plane building. Document their strengths, weeknesses, and preferred uses. I am sure for tasks like sheeting, laminating, working with balsa, working with ply, glueing sticks, ribs, wing joiners, glassing, etc each have an optimal adhesive.
Laser cut kits look amazing. Theres quite a lot of joy in cutting parts by hand though. Thousands of old plans are available.
AWESOME VID!! YES!! MORE LIKE THIS! So... I'm still coming to grips with the idea that Flight Test is doing quite a bit to help get this hobby off of life support... Your focus on foam and hot glue really chafes my hidden parts. Rounding that out - even just a little bit - with some "classic" methods would be enough for me to come over with the support! Just a little bit! You could even be "hipster" and call it "vintage" ;)
You guys are great...keep it up.
h tip for Peter, Nomex honeycomb sheeting. Really cool stuff, will take 1-2 layers of carbon fibre fabric and be rock solid. Good memories with this balsa stuff. We used to use that soft cieling tile board and push ppins galore for holding balsa in place. CA reacts with water and will kill video lenses.
You guys are awesome
I'm an old time modeller, FINALLY you see the light! Real models are made of balsa wood and use good old fashioned glow fuel!
Hi guys, another really great video thanks.
Did anyone else see the raccoon at 1 min 24 sec? It's in the ceiling void and pops it's head out as the camera pans up.
Keep up the good work gents.
Regards from Nottinghamshire, UK,
im quite now to this hobby, but all i use is balsa(i get crapps balsa for free because i live balsa usa and i go dumpster diving). thanks for the video on balsa and im hoping for more!!!
Wow, as long as I've been watching these videos, I have yet to see this one. Some good hints and tricks, but I was thinking the drop ceiling panels might be a bit pricey as a building board. Surely there is a cheaper option by now. Something self healing like a foamy cutting mat would be a good investment. Only need one around 1/2 inch thick to do the job, but a big one around 24"x 30" might be a tad pricey. What I miss is those round, hard plastic circles you could slide on a T pin shaft with a bit of resistance. They look like two thick washers made of hard plastic, normally black, around 1/4" on the bottom, and maybe 1/8" on top of that with a hole in the center to match the T pin you want to slide them onto. I think they use to call them pin clamps. They worked great to hold down small balsa parts on a building board so you wouldn't have to spear the wood and make a hole, or cross two pins over the part to trap it. Have yet to find anyone selling them.
Thought you might of covered the use of Dope. I used dope on all my balsa models, for hardening and extra strength.
Balsawood is my favorite building material, not only because it arguably looks the best but also because you’re going to be a lot more careful with your model after spending weeks building it
Beginners don't use CA on balsa. its to fast to fix beginner errors(misplaced parts, bumping the part while gluing,over sanding/filing...)
Use white wood glue + toothpick(for applying glue) + Sewing Pins(for temporary fixing parts to the surface) + time(15min,4h,24h)
Balsa in great material if you enjoy the time building the model, so don't rush take your time sanding, filing, gluing... ;)
agree, wood glue is really better for balsa than super glue, and don`t have to be scared for gluing own fingers
I almost never made build mistakes when I learned to build kits. Just take your sweet time, and make sure everything fits and is SQUARED before you use the CA.
Gosh i cant believe how addicted i am to this show, at first i thought it was just another one of those wanna be shows, boy was wrong i cant stop watching its soo good!
actualy i started without kits, from plans only, we have club with fully eqiped workshop so we have every tool or material we may need and we have to make every single part ourself. It's nice hobby, now I am 14yo and building 1225mm wingspan acrobatic plane. After 1 year boat building and 5yrs balsa planes. Reqires patience. Greetings from Czech republic.
Great stuff as always, guys! Agree with other posts that using aliphatic resin might be a good choice for new builders not familiar with CA, as it provides more "mistake making time", and if you plan the assembly, one component can be drying while working on another.
Wrapping or gluing sandpaper around various size sanding blocks is invaluable to keep the sandpaper flat, and for evenly sanding adjoining parts or an area.
Now, where did I leave my silkspan and Aero Gloss dope? ;)
that's how I started, I started with balsa when I was 5 years old *_* love balsa
more videos like this please!!
You don't need a laser cutter if you have a laser printer. Just print it out on plain old paper and iron the toner onto the balsa. Works great and it's easy.
the oil in your fingers accelerates the adhesion process of most quick glues. cool tip is to rub your finger across the surface you're trying to adhere and it will set faster.
Hey that's the shinden plane behind josh at 1:14. Come flitetest we want the plans and the build video😁
I took way too much time out of this hobby... this stuff is normal to me. :) After building one of your silly toy foam board planes, I feel pretty confident in my RC building skills. :)
Micah Morton It should be said, however, that I fly that silly toy foam board plane more than any other plane. :)
at the hobby store they usually sell little tire gluing tips that will fit on most every CA bottle and they are long so you have many options as far as width or length thickness stc.
hmmm... balsa build basics... might we see a Flite Test designed balsa plane? If there are no plans for it, I would like to officially suggest that you make one! Thanks for the great content!
I love the raccoon cameo at 1:24! Great stuff.
Raccoon in the ceiling- that was a nice touch. lol
4:14 We just put a syringe needle on the end of the CA glue bottle. Works like a charm. If the bottle's "spout" is to thin at the end just cut it shorter until you can firmly jam the needle onto it. if the needle clogs up just heat the tip with a lighter.
When I was a kid many years ago. This was the only way to build a model plane . But there was no laser cut , we had to cut each part out with a razor blade . No modelling knives in those days, either .We used balsa clue which was very slow setting .
You can also use regular foam board for pining down balsa. Great video FliteTest :)
a little tip....cut these vertikal frames out at first and sand this after that cut out.
(please excuse my bad english, i`m a german boy and build modelplanes out wood at my own :) )
Good communication , thanks
That's correct it was all balsa the Guillows kits were always at the dime store in the model kit section. Laser cutting was a real turning point because the old die cut kits took more time to cut out and fine tune the notches and check fit everything.
ALSO: Use a T-bar for sanding: you'll get the entire wing straight, not just parts.
A razor plane will also get out those burs and barbs of glue, etc.
A balsa stripper is "the" best way to make odd sized 'lumber' for filling damaged holes.
Balsa is hard to get started in...but VERY rewarding when you have. DO NOT GO BY THE GUILLOWS KITS: they're CRAP with so much at 1/16". Try a Gentle Lady: you'll learn a lot, and can't go wrong.
Peter seems to be afraid of everything. Swimming, balsa dust, crazy glue. Lol
Glues have become so good over the years. No more holding stuff together for ten minutes like back in the day
What is that biplane at the beginning! I wanna know so i can build me one!
Please do more on balsa builds. Could you do a balsa build along?
Baking soda will also cover gaps and instantly cure the glue. I also like to sand the tabs off before I assemble them.
I love CA, but balsa builders should keep aliphatic resin like Franklin Titebond handy, used sparingly and applied with a toothpick it's _really_ strong and waterproof. Also, thinned Titebond is lighter and better for repairing foam, and you can wipe off any excess with a damp paper towel. Lots lighter than other foam glues and gives you some working time.
Another thing to keep in mind is that CA joints can be a bit brittle, the aliphatic resins absorb stress better. They just don't provide instant gratification since they take a bit of time to cure...but I'd never build without it.
You modern younguns don't know how good you've got it with laser cutting...I had to cut and fit about every single balsa part from contest grade balsa in '04 when I built the 3 foot span Guillow's Stuka into a 5 channel R/C electric. Guillow's is notorious for terrible quality wood in their kits so I knew going in I'd be replacing them. The supplied parts? Even the outlines of their awful-grade 'balsa' die-crushed parts often don't match the plans. Haven't seen it for years since becoming disabled and unable to get in my basement, but one of these days I'll rescue it, replace the radio gear with modern mocro stuff and a 2.4 GHz Rx and it'll fly again!
Glenn Horowitz only things in balsa I've ever done where a model ship, and a few little Gallows models. lotta work...
Glenn Horowitz I use a lot of aliphatic resin in my wood shop. I tried to apply it to scratch building foam. If the foam is too thick and doesn't breath like a closed cell foam, the glue never dries on the inside. I did some test pieces of foam and found after a week that only the first 1/8 -1/4" would dry leaving the inside still wet. Gorilla glue works well for gluing larger foam pieces together. I use blue painters tape on the outside to hold the foaming glue on the inside. Some people say to add water so it will cure faster. I strongly recommend NOT doing that. Let it cure overnight on it's own for a stronger bond. Only add water if you are using it for gap filling or very light bonding.
Thanks for the tips and info about Guillows. I just picked up a P-38 and a Catalina at the Toledo show last month. Haven't opened the boxes yet. Good to know what I'm about to get myself into this Summer/Fall. :)
Good luck to you too!
Lee K : Definitely correct. You can generally tell by handling the piece. I should clarify, I was talking about micros and minis, EPO is another animal. Gorilla Glue works, also the mystery Chinese glue that comes with many bigger EPO kits does too, and its lighter color helps hide repairs. Hobby King actually sells it: www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idproduct=17535
Have fun with your builds! you'll definitely want to avoid the lousy 'balsa' in those kits for lightness' sake. I found it a pretty painless process to turn out all the parts I needed in a couple of evenings. I plan to do it again at some point, though it'll be slower and I need to relearn techniques since multiple sclerosis ruined my dominant left hand's function (you can bet I'll mostly stick to ARF/plug-n-fly planes, though), but having crafted some small parts one-handed as a test I know it's doable, though annoyingly time consuming.
If you're inclined, have a look at my Stuka build from '04 for my parts making technique, I hope it'll be helpful for you!
www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=247946&highlight=5+channel+guillows+stuka
static.rcgroups.net/forums/attachments/2/1/5/4/7/a266346-83-P7210002.JPG
can titebond II be used in place of original tiresome?
I'm building a plane out of Balsa from scratch at the moment (I'm not really old; 15 years old)... not following any instructions
Jeez, im in the process of building 2 big Ventage balsa R/C airplanes, 1st one is a P51 mustang .40 torpedo airplane and the other one is an old violett Flying Fork this ones a Styrofoam body and balsa wood everything else.
The really cool thing is my grandpa gave me them, hes 99 years old and hes had them put up for such a long time that he completely forgot about them, but when we were packing all his stuff up so he can move in with me and my son we found them and my grandpa said that my son and i can have them but...
we have to build them together and if my son doesnt want to build them than they have to sit until my son helps me finnish them againt i cant build them on my own. Thats the only stipulation my grandpa had for us.
But what sucks is everything is so old that their arent any blue prints at all. Their is an instructions booklet but its extreamly small and it has so many holes in it , kinda like moths and cockroaches ate it up or something. So its extreamly challenging and hard to do, but its absolutely one of the best things ive done in a long time and the amount of bonding with my son and i is totally making all this so worth it!!!
The day before Halloween is my grandpa's birthday and he said thats whats keeping him going write now. He said the only goal he had is to make it to 100 then he feels he completed his life!
MAKE MORE BALSA MODELS!!! Seriously I bought a kit and would love some instruction.
Hahahahaha Peter u guys make the best team I learned alot from u guys
This is more like assembling than building, keen to see what they do when they build something.
TheRattleSnake3145 those two words mean pretty much the exact same thing. The real difference is how much of the measuring and cutting you've got to do yourself.
DFX2KX I sort of agree, however, you don't "build" a Jigsaw Puzzle you "assemble" it so there is a difference.
In the example of this kit, you aren't measuring or cutting anything which is why its assembling and not building.
The other side is when someone buys a radian and says it was an "easy build", when all they did was slide the tail in.
People misusing the words are why the term "scratch Build" came about, or in the example of this video "pure scratch building".
TheRattleSnake3145
I see your point there. it's mainly matching pieces, not having to fabricate them.
GREAT TIPS,,THANK YOU
I own 1 foam plane. An apprentice sts. Other than that everything is wood. I started building guillows models when i was around 8 or 9. Built dozens of models before getting intrested in rc flying. For me its all about the build. I enjoy flying but nothing compares to turning a kit or scratch building a pile of wood and parts into something that defies gravity .
With the played pipettes, you can use a pair of pliers to pull the tip and stretch it thin. Cut the crimped part off, then you have a very, very thin tip for delivering minimal glue.
Played=plastic
Let Peter have the full balsa wood experience. Get him a tube of Ambroid glue , sometimes you can find it on EBAY, and let him build a plane. It will take him back to what it was like building with balsa in the 1960s. A great decade to be a kid building with balsa, JETEX and Ambroid glue!!!!
I much prefer the pink foam insulation board you can get at the hardware store to drop ceiling tiles, it's lighter, and less messy as well as being a perfectly smooth surface. It's pretty cheap too.
I have been building stick and tissue planes off and on for about 45 years no. I wish they had those self jig planes when I started, it would have saved a lot of frustration for a little boy. Not to mention lots of cuts from a hobby knife.
I have an idea for an episode, you should do a tutorial on how to repair balsa planes after a crash, and you can simulate it by stepping on the wing.
Carter Greene Why not just crash it? That's way more fun than stepping on it.
Yea but I stepped on a wing, that is not so fun XD
CA glue is removable with acetone. Can be really helpful if you mess up or need to do a post flight repair.
Holy crap you're right. I can't believe I didn't think about that.
Tip from chemistry class: take a pair of pliers and pull the end of the pipet to draw it in to a very thin capillary tube
That little biplane on 0:19 is super cute
i use titebond, a wood glue for balsa. is is non toxic and works great
that's what I started building... even did some scratch building... haven't done it for a long time.
That structure should be pinned down while glueing to keep it from warping. I like to tack-glue, then pull the structure off the board then go back and complete the glue joints. I like to take a 1/4 sheet of the sand paper, fold that into fourths to sand the edges of laser cut models. Sanding blocks are vital tool for balsa work.
I just got a flyzone beaver and I have been thinking about going to flute fest
I've inquired with the manufacturers of waxed papers available in my locale and all of them wax both sides of their household waxed paper.
Balsa wood is actually much more high end then using your foam. But you must have really good building skills. Guys please start building with balsa !