question regarding building balsa wood plane ?

[shih mike]

Thanks guys !!
 
My basement is really humid in summer (I live in Michigan).  I do have a dehumidifier and it was set up to 50% most of the time except in winter.  I started using it after experiencing wood warp and buckle during the last project.  the balsa stick bend to different side before and after using the dehumidifier.  As you said, the wood has less problem after put them together.  I am thinking leave the wood in the basement with the dehumidifier turned on for a awhile and start building later.  My next and 1st 2m size plane project might take me up to 2 years ( I am expecting my 2nd baby next year)  to finish.   That is why I am concerning about this problem.  I hope I can have "a room" for building plane except for the basement...
 
Regards,
 
Mike Shih

Dean Pappas <d.pappas at kodeos.com> wrote:
Hello Mike,
Humidity is a problem, and your dehumidifier is a good idea.
You should only need to keep the relative humidity under about 50%, generally.
An unsupported sheet of wood may buckle, and this is generally a sign that the wood was sawed into sheets before it was properly dried, or cut skewed to the grain of the log.
The situation gets better when the airplane is built, but I have had an airplane change trim after flying half a flight in rainy conditionns at a major contest.
Three weeks of Summer heat restored the plane's original trim. 
Since then, I have not honeycombed my foam wings.
I had no such problem with an earlier, non-honeycombed, plane that I flew in heavy rain, at the '89 Team trials in Pensacola.
 
How humid is your basement? You may need that dehumidifier.
 
Regards,

Dean Pappas 
Sr. Design Engineer 
Kodeos Communications 
111 Corporate Blvd. 
South Plainfield, N.J. 07080 
(908) 222-7817 phone 
(908) 222-2392 fax 
d.pappas at kodeos.com 
-----Original Message-----
From: discussion-request at nsrca.org [mailto:discussion-request at nsrca.org]On Behalf Of shih mike
Sent: Thursday, November 11, 2004 12:08 PM
To: discussion at nsrca.org
Subject: question regarding building balsa wood plane ?


Hi Builders, 
I got a quick question which might sounds stupid to you. 
Usually it takes me about a year to finish building a 60 size balsa wood pattern plane. I found the wood tends to twist or warp a bit after sit on the bench in the basement for few months (half finish). I use the de-humidifier to adjust the humidity at the basement. It is kind of bothering me to have the machine on all the time. I don't know if the humidity is really the cause? how long do you think that I can left the wood or half finish plane sits in the basement without special care? 

Thanks very much  
Mike 


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