From: rlw@atlanta.dg.com (Richard Wright)
Subject: Re: ballast - what to use?
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 93 19:49:53 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Data General Corp. ASSD, Atlanta, GA

In article <1993Jan8.162306.26127@wuecl.wustl.edu>, tjs@earth.wustl.edu (tom sullivan) writes:
|> In article <DPALACE.93Jan8071716@sunland.gsfc.nasa.gov> dpalace@sunland.gsfc.nasa.gov (Dick Palace) writes:
|> >
|> >Try modeling clay, it forms into difficult places and works well
|> >for me.
|> 
|> Ditto... If you need more wieght, you can stick some lead or steel
|> shot into the clay.
|> 
|> tom

I agree, clay can be quite useful if you don't need a lot of weight in
the allocated space. If the clay isn't quite heavy enough, the shot will
increase the weight per unit volume. The only problem with this approach
is that quite often you don't know until it is too late that you don't
have enough weight in the nose ("Well shoot. It balanced pretty well until
I attached that last missile! Now it's squatting on it's tailpipe. Guess
I have another takeoff climbout scene...")

That was the scenario that led me to abandon the BB's in epoxy method.
The spaces between the BBs were no where as dense as metal (especially
the spaces where the epoxy didn't work its way in - air don't weigh much).
So rather than get bit by that again, I resolved to pack as much weight
into the space as I could. I've never had my front gear collapse on me
so I guess I havn't gone too far (yet). That was when I started 'casting'
the solid weights from solder using the foil mold to try and fill every 
possible space with metal. 

Oh, speaking of solder, I thought I would mention a trick I stumbled on.

Ever forget to put that weight in the nose? Bummer. Usually you discover
the mistake AFTER you have carefully puttied and sanded the nose cone to
a perfect fit. I did that recently on a Navy Blue Angels Skyhawk. Thought
seriously about shooting myself. Luckily there is a opening in the 
starboard side just forward of the cockpit where the refeuling boom
attaches on this particular kit. I just fed solder wire into the slot
until it wouldn't budge. That did the trick. If there hadn't been an
opening like that I suppose I could have fed the solder up under the
instrument panel (of course the risk of damaging delicate parts would
be greater there...).  

				Happy Modeling!

				Richard
	
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