AMA CHARTER 3467

A Gold Leader Club

Lexington, NC

Sorry I jumped the gun a little. That is Larry holding his older Double Trouble. He hasn't started on my new Double Trouble yet. I don't imagine I should hold my breath until he does. It does look like a great plane to fly anyhow. Thanks for the contribution to our Web Page Larry. I'll be moving this to the Photo page later.

"Watch Your Prop"

Safety Buzz from Satow Field

Reprint from Model Aviation

DOCTOR DAVE’S ANECDOTAL CLINIC is open! Here, you’ll get rumorlevel medical advice from a guy who is not a doctor, based on unverified stories from modelers who are also not doctors. Our subject today is "adverse reactions to aeromodeling materials."

Balsa is a classic building material for our aircraft. Despite being all-natural, organic, and environmentally sustainable, balsa sanding dust can produce an allergic reaction in some people. I developed problems after many years of exposure, and I now must wear a dust mask when I sand balsa to avoid coughing and respiratory discomfort. Take my advice and wear a dust mask when sanding, even if you aren’t yet bothered by breathing it in.

Dope, paint, and off-label finishes make your model look great, but they might cause problems if improperly used. Old-fashioned model airplane dope (fairly rare these days) requires lots of ventilation and is highly flammable.

Most builders use hobby paints or general-use products. These materials tend to be less hazardous than older formulas, but I still strongly advise spraying or brushing paint outdoors or in a well-ventilated area. Even the mildest product might cause irritation in some people, and avoidance is best.

Do you see the common thread here? Limiting your exposure to potentially harmful substances is the key. Avoidance (an upstream preventative measure) is better than treatment (downstream, after harm has been done). I put a big box fan in the window, pointing outward, then open another window across the room and get powerful airflow across my workbench. Even those who don’t regularly have mild weather should try to get the best possible workshop ventilation.

Cyanoacrylate (CA) Super Glue revolutionized aeromodeling and remains a common workbench item. Early anecdotal reports seemed to show that it was possible to develop allergic reactions to CA after an individual’s threshold had been reached. More recent stories might indicate that newer CA formulas are milder. Kicker accelerator seems to encapsulate the fumes and reduce our exposure.

I have no hard evidence to confirm this, except for my own personal experience. Using my drip bottle of accelerator eliminates my own sensitivity to CA fumes. A famous modeler and aviation innovator, Matt Keennon, taught me about this and gave me his own kicker drip bottle at a longago modeling event. I was working on an airplane and inadvertently annoying him with clouds of CA accelerator spray. He taught me a better way. I owe him a lot for solving my CA allergy problem!

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Thought for Today