Aerogloss Balsa Sealer no longer?
 

I have noticed my local hobby store no longer sells Aerogloss products, they tell me it has been discontinued. I also noticed on Tower Hobbies website that it is also discontinued. I cannot find it on Midwest products website but I did see it in their catalog. I have an email into Midwest and will let you know what I find out. This has been the best product I have ever used and it will be a bummer if it is no longer being made. I tried Sig Balsa sealer before and it was a pain to sand. I wonder if Brodak balsa sealer is any better. I will keep you updated.

Scigs-
I sent you a PM reply.

Sig needs to be cut 1 part thinner for 2 parts sealer then it is usable; if you have a can of Sig, pour 1/3 of the can into another container, then replace that 1/3 of said can with Butyrate Thinner.
If you want longer drying time, instead of thinner use Toluene/Toluol. If you want faster drying time, cut it with straight Acetone.

Brodak Sealer is almost exactly the same as Aero Gloss, but needs about 10% thinner in the mix. Brodak dopes are actually repackaged full-scale aircraft Randolph Dope.
Brodak makes a "Primer" that is really close to Aero Gloss Balsa Fillercoat.

I also noticed that back during the Christmas Holidays when I went on a building "spree" and needed sanding sealer and thinner. None of the nearby Hobby Lobby's carried anything of that sort, but I then tried a Hobby Town a little further away and they did have what I needed. Are these products a dying breed?! :confused:

I knoew the colored dope was phased out last year but had hopes the sanding sealer would stick around. But to be on the safe side I stocked the store up. but when that is gone I guess It will be SIG for me.
Mr. Bob
Countyline Hobbies
Grovertown, IN.
574-540-1123
countylinehbbies@yahoo.com
www.countylinehobbies.com

What brand Bob? The sanding sealer and thinner I bought from Hobby Town was the Aero Gloss brand.

Yes, probably... VOC regulations I'd imagine.

Same reason you can't get decent spray paint anymore...

Later! OL J R :)

Just order your Sanding Sealer and colored Dope from Brodak.
It IS better than the Sig stuff...has the right VOC mix right in the jar/can.
I'm lucky enough that I have 2 independent hobby shops within 15 miles and a 3rd within 40 miles that stocks the Brodak line, one of which stocks the ENTIRE line of Brodak colors.
One of the hobby shops still has a GOOD selection of Sig colored dopes in addition to quarts of Nitrate dope also.
Don't bail on the BEST finishing system that still exists for model rockets just because it is hard to get now. In years past, I would have rated 2-part Hobby Poxy Epoxy paint and K&B Super Poxy as the best, but those have not been readily available for decades.

Still some in the distribution network but when thats gone ...
Mr. Bob

Thanks for the heads up on Brodak ghrocketman, I've bookmarked that website so I'll know where to go in the future should our local hobby shops be out of sanding sealer and dope thinner.

Use the thinner GH said. If you try to get by with big box store thinners, you'll ruin it.

I still have not received an email from Midwest so I gave them a call. All customer service knows is that they are out of stock and don't know if or when they are getting more in. I'm sure Midwest does not make their own aerogloss products so I wonder who makes it? I know way back in the day Randoph used to supply Pactra with their dope. Customer service did tell me that regulations for shipping and selling Aerogloss products is making it tougher on the company and that's a bummer. Well I did find a local hobby store that had some Aerogloss sealer in stock so I bought what they had.

Every year or two our distributor runs out of Aerogloss Sanding Sealer and Balsa Filler. Then, a few months later, they get a big shipment of it. So, I think they produce it in big batches every couple of years.

-- Roger

Just order it from Brodak.
In a pinch you can mix unscented Talc with plain clear dope/lacquer to make a substitute Balsa Fillercoat. It does not have the 'plasticizers' of Sanding Sealer, but will fill the grain for smooth topcoating.

ghrocketman,
I am a creature of habit and Aerogloss sealer works great for me but I understand it may not be possible to buy in the future. I contacted Brodak and will give their sealer a try. Brodak told me that Randolph used to supply Aerogloss products back in the day, I don't know who does it now but Brodak gets their stock from Randoph. I wonder if Brodak makes their own sealer or if it a Randolph product.

ALL of Brodak's dopes ((including Nitrate, and Sanding Sealer) are repackaged Randolph Dope.
I have spoken to them regarding this in the past.
Originally Pactra produced their own dope (the original old Pactra formula contained Tri-Cresyl Phosphate) but in the later years switched to repackaging Randolph products as it was virtually the same. I suspect Sig did the same with their dope as well.

This thread is dope! :cool:

:o

:rolleyes:

:eek:

Nooo.

This thread is for dope! You dope! :rolleyes:

Its official......I am down to my last bottle. I did order some from Brodak and will compare it to Aerogloss and let you know how that goes.

Unfortunately our Aero Gloss line is discontinued, we no longer have any available.
*
*
Thank you,
*
Sally Collins
Customer Service Manager
*

scollins@midwestproducts.com
www.saundersmidwest.com
Office: (219) 942-1134 ext. 313
Tollfree: 800-348-3497, ext. 313
Fax:* (219) 947-2347
P.O. Box 564
400 S. Indiana
Hobart, IN 46342

RIP Aerogloss Dope.

In Memorium:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaCazf36D3k

I have some cans that I would be willing to sell. These are many many years old, and most of the cans I have never opened. Even so, they are not full, as you might imagine, due to slow solvent loss over the years. But they are still liquid, and can be successfully reconstituted if you have access to the Aerogloss thinner (or an acceptable combination of thinners............I think GH posted this information somewhere).

My only concern will be shipping............not sure if shipping regulations will prevent the shipment of these products in North America.

Joe

I also have a small number of Aerogloss dope in spray cans.

Joe

Heck, You can put it up on eBay, goes for a pretty Penney. Thanks for the offer but it is time to move onto a new sealer. I think this is the trend for hobbies, there is always talk about model enamels going away since acrylics are being used more and more.

I'm a woodworker and have used Deft Lacquer Sanding Sealer on nose cones and fins. It is a little thinner than you'd want, so it takes more coats. The good news is that a quart was only $11 when I bought it a couple years ago. A Google search looks like it hasn't gone up much, if any. I've meant to put some in a "not well sealed" jar to flash off some of the solvents to make it thicker, and see if that helps.

I use the Deft spray lacquer dope too. It does take more coats, but works.

I have tried it in the past and it did take more coats than Aerogloss.

I have over a GALLON of Aero Gloss Balsa Fillercoat and almost 2 Gallons of their Sanding Sealer as well in various Pint/Half Pint cans. Probably enough for my lifetime. NONE for sale either. I hoard it and grab it off ebay.
I have a collection of colors that rivals most 80's hobby shop Aero Gloss displays.

Just posted my first attempt using Brodak Balsa sealer.
http://forums.rocketshoppe.com/showthread.php?t=16505

My LHS still has quite a bit of Aero Gloss Sanding Sealer, but ran out of thinner, so now they carry SIG. Can I use SIG thinner to thin Aero Gloss SS? As I don't use it much, it tends to dry out & thicken between uses.

Sig Butyrate Thinner works fine for thinning Aero Gloss Sanding Sealer and all other "2nd Generation" Aero Gloss color dopes as well.
You can tell if the Aero Gloss dope in question is "2nd Generation" or beyond as it will NOT list Tricresyl Phosphate on the label as an ingredient.
First generation Aero Gloss has a VERY distinctive aroma compared to 2nd generation. I doubt many on this forum have much 1st Generation Aero Gloss; the formulation changed in the mid-1970's.
If you happen to have any 1st generation Aero Gloss, DO NOT attempt to thin it with commercially produced current dope thinner. It has ingredients that are incompatible. If one needs to thin 1st Generation Aero Gloss, I reccommend using straight Toluol/Toluene. Other solvents that are compatible with 1st generation include ONLY Acetone, MIBK, and MEK.

"Sanding Sealer" can also be made by adding Talcum Powder to Clear Dope . . . One part talc or talcum powder to five parts nitrate dope and five parts thinner.

Apply two coats of plain dope first, lightly sanding after each one. Then, apply sanding sealer and sand to a glass smooth surface !

Wrong to the previous above poster. Sanding Sealer CANNOT be made that way, but Balsa Fillercoat can.
Balsa Fillercoat is basically Talc dissolved in Clear Dope.
Sanding Sealer is loaded with "plasticizers" that leave a semi-hard glossy 'skin' atop the wood.
They are two TOTALLY different products.

OK . . . I stand corrected.

Dave F.

Pinewood derby sealer
 

Hi, I’ve been away a long time. I saw this sealer for pinewood derby cars...water based...any good? Read a review that said it’s water down glue n will warp fins...
What should I buy n where? Aero gloss, brodak, deft lacquer,...
I’m at the finishing stage. Built my first rocket in 30 yrs, don’t want to ruin it
Thanks

Water based sanding sealers are all crapola.
Order it from Brodak or Sig.
Brodak also makes a "primer" which is almost exactly the same as old Aero Gloss Balsa Fillercoat.

Hey, thanks for the tips and discussion. This is my 2nd coat of the brodak after sanding. I think it’s looking good. The sanding sealer was back ordered at SIG. I think I prefer the sanding sealer, remembering yrs ago.
My first build in 30 yrs

So, is that the Brodak 'primer' that GH suggested? I've been waiting months for Brodak to get their sanding sealer back in stock, but they must really be having issues with their supplier.

Earl

looks like you papered the fins..........

Yes, brodak primer. And I tried to thin as well

Now HD has this stuff? Any good?
SIG sealer was back ordered

Sig Sealer is available in all sizes on their website, it is Brodak that has been out of stock for awhile.