SODAZAP - the Miracle filler which really DOES WORK!
Ever had that SINKING FEELING?.. you know..when you launch a boat
whose "flawlessly" planked hull (you forgot about all the filler
didn't you!!) has been watertight for years and now suddenly develops
mysterious cracks accompanied by the sudden apparition of water
sloshing in the bilge ?
Well, you're not alone, because that's exactly what happenned to me
recently on the first day of a major public Model Boat Show, where our
Club Boat was scheduled for 3 days of in-water public demonstrations.
I launched the boat before an admiring crowd and watched as her
waterline began to disappear with all the tell tale signs of LHS!!
("Leaky Hull Syndrome") . Not only was the boat sinking fast but so
was my stomach, especially when I inspected her keel and found it was
separating from the rest of her hull. Old filler which had finally
broken down through expansion and contraction over the years revealed
huge cracks from stem to stern. This needed some MAJOR surgery and
there was no time for conventional fillers or epoxies. Somewhere in
the recesses of my brain, a bell was ringing...and it had something to
do with Baking Powder..or was it baking SODA?
I had organized a "Tips and Tools" Night back in June for our Club and
one of our members had given a fascinating account of combining Baking
soda with CA glue (the Crazy Stuff) to create an INSTANT sandable,
drillable, rock hard filler. Mind you he had scared the bejabus out of
us all by saying this combination could be expected to generate full
pyrotechnic effects!..I looked apprehensively at the cracks along each
side of the keel which ran the entire length of the model and, since I
have a distaste for reparing leaks from INSIDE a hull, I realised that
only a SUPER filler of enormous strength would do the trick to prevent
re-occurrence of the problem. Well smoke or not, I was desperate
enough to take a chance on this "dynamite" recipe so that evening I
cleared the back yard of human life and anything else of value within
an estimated fallout zone. I even wrapped a wet towel round my face
and wore full eye protection in anticipation of the explosive effects
we had been warned about.
I first widened all the cracks along the hull with an Xacto and the
trusty Dremel, removing every ounce of the offending old filler. I
then carefully scooped the baking soda into the cracks, and where the
openings were clearly visible and allowed the soda to pour right
through, I backed inside the hull with tape. Having smoothed the soda
into the cracks, with trembling hands I applied my first drop of CA
glue to the white crystals....WHAT!!! NO BANG? No SMOKE? NO FIRE? A
mixture of relief tinged with disappointment set in when I realized
there was to be no firework display, but the little area I had
applied the CA to had set ROCK hard...and instantly. It took me no
more than 15 minutes to apply CA to all the cracks, placing a drop at
a time and watching the soda crystalize into rock. I was eager to see
how watertight these instant repairs were, so as soon as I had
"SODAZAPPED" every crack, I popped the little model into a bathful of
water. After half an hour, the hull still showed no signs of leaking
and I declared this quik fix recipe a huge success..and I still had
all my arms and limbs in tact as a bonus! Sanding was easy and with
the help of some Tamiya putty, the repairs fared into the hull
perfectly and became completely invisible under coat of paint. I have
since used this process, which I have named "SODAZAP," on a number of
restorations and have found many uses for it in R/C ship models.
So give it a try, it's a fabulous filler and a small box of "Arm and
Hammer" is now an essential part of my tool kit, which of course now
has the added benefit of being entirely ODOR FREE!!
PJ
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