It's tool time! I've got newbie ?'s!!
05-11-2003, 02:29 AM
#1
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It's tool time! I've got newbie ?'s!!
What do you guys use to build?
I was just thinking that on my next scratch building project, I could probably do a much better job cutting out fuselage sides if I taped the two pieces of balsa (for the two sides) together, and used some sort of table mounted fixed jigsaw to cut both sides at the same time. This would ensure that 1)Both sides were duplicate, and 2)the cut out sides would have perfect, perpendicular cuts.. So, does a small, table mount jigsaw-like tool exist, that's perfect for this purpose? Is this what a "Dremel Saw" is? I have a dremal tool, Is this used to power the saw?
Also, how do you use a fuselage jig to make a perfectly straight fuselage?? Have people been going away from pins in the cardboard/plans/wax paper I used to use when I was a kid?
What other building tips do you guys have?
Lastly, I see a lot of people using foam cores for wings.. I knew the Ace simple series used them, but a lot of people here are using them in their contest entries too.. Why is this method so popular now? Speed to completion? Impact resistance? Other??
Thanks for the info!
Jason
I was just thinking that on my next scratch building project, I could probably do a much better job cutting out fuselage sides if I taped the two pieces of balsa (for the two sides) together, and used some sort of table mounted fixed jigsaw to cut both sides at the same time. This would ensure that 1)Both sides were duplicate, and 2)the cut out sides would have perfect, perpendicular cuts.. So, does a small, table mount jigsaw-like tool exist, that's perfect for this purpose? Is this what a "Dremel Saw" is? I have a dremal tool, Is this used to power the saw?
Also, how do you use a fuselage jig to make a perfectly straight fuselage?? Have people been going away from pins in the cardboard/plans/wax paper I used to use when I was a kid?
What other building tips do you guys have?
Lastly, I see a lot of people using foam cores for wings.. I knew the Ace simple series used them, but a lot of people here are using them in their contest entries too.. Why is this method so popular now? Speed to completion? Impact resistance? Other??
Thanks for the info!
Jason
05-11-2003, 02:38 AM
#3
Senior Member
It's tool time! I've got newbie ?'s!!
For bigger pieces real cheap, a jig saw mounted inverted under a table works real good and U do not have to thread blade for the cuts just have starting hole drilled in your parts.
not as precise as a good band saw but with practice quite ok
not as precise as a good band saw but with practice quite ok
05-11-2003, 03:00 AM
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BandSaw!!
Jason,
I have a small Sears 10" bandsaw. I bought it used for $100, I'm not sure how much they are new.
I use it just like you mentioned just stack the pieces of balsa on top of each other and tape them together with masking tape. Make a photocopy of the part to be cut and use a gluestick to hold it in place on top of the stack.
All the pieces that are the same like the sides, ribs, wingtips, bottom and top can be cut at one time and they will match.
In fact, I just finished cutting out my 150% Little Stick tonight.
I don't think I would be building anything from scratch without my bandsaw.
Lynn
I have a small Sears 10" bandsaw. I bought it used for $100, I'm not sure how much they are new.
I use it just like you mentioned just stack the pieces of balsa on top of each other and tape them together with masking tape. Make a photocopy of the part to be cut and use a gluestick to hold it in place on top of the stack.
All the pieces that are the same like the sides, ribs, wingtips, bottom and top can be cut at one time and they will match.
In fact, I just finished cutting out my 150% Little Stick tonight.
I don't think I would be building anything from scratch without my bandsaw.
Lynn
05-11-2003, 03:24 AM
#5
It's tool time! I've got newbie ?'s!!
For cutting out pieces I use a scroll saw and a table top belt/disc sander or a good old exacto knife. I just stack the pieces and hold them together with a small piece of double sided tape. I then use a glue stick to glue a paper template to the stack and start cutting.
For a fuselages and wings I use jigs. My fuselage jig and be used on anything from an .010 plane to a 1.20.
Here's a link to the site where I found the fuse jig plans.
http://webpages.charter.net/rcfu/Con.../FJConstr.html
Wing jig plans.
http://webpages.charter.net/rcfu/Con.../WJConstr.html
I build conventional and foam core wings, but I prefer sheeted foam cores.
Here's a list of pros and cons of sheeted foam core wings.
Pros
Strong.
Wont warp from covering or other reasons.
Quick to build.
Light if built properly.
Stiffness.
Durable.
They maintain the airfoil shape better than a built up wing because the don't deform between ribs.
Easy to repair.
Cons
Can be heavy if built incorrectly. I.E. overbuilding.
Don't look appropriate on some aircraft.
Some glues will dissolve the foam.
Unsheeted foam wings are OK too, but their only real advantage is ease of building. They dent easily and they can flex in flight.
Other tips:
Use covering hinges. They are stronger, and have less resistance than conventional hinges. They also seal the hinge line for more effective control surfaces. They look better too. I just cover the wing or stabalizer and the control surface with 1 piece of covering.
Vacuum forming is an easy way to make special parts. Read the follwing thread to see my simple vacuum former.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/showthread...605#post864988]
For a fuselages and wings I use jigs. My fuselage jig and be used on anything from an .010 plane to a 1.20.
Here's a link to the site where I found the fuse jig plans.
http://webpages.charter.net/rcfu/Con.../FJConstr.html
Wing jig plans.
http://webpages.charter.net/rcfu/Con.../WJConstr.html
I build conventional and foam core wings, but I prefer sheeted foam cores.
Here's a list of pros and cons of sheeted foam core wings.
Pros
Strong.
Wont warp from covering or other reasons.
Quick to build.
Light if built properly.
Stiffness.
Durable.
They maintain the airfoil shape better than a built up wing because the don't deform between ribs.
Easy to repair.
Cons
Can be heavy if built incorrectly. I.E. overbuilding.
Don't look appropriate on some aircraft.
Some glues will dissolve the foam.
Unsheeted foam wings are OK too, but their only real advantage is ease of building. They dent easily and they can flex in flight.
Other tips:
Use covering hinges. They are stronger, and have less resistance than conventional hinges. They also seal the hinge line for more effective control surfaces. They look better too. I just cover the wing or stabalizer and the control surface with 1 piece of covering.
Vacuum forming is an easy way to make special parts. Read the follwing thread to see my simple vacuum former.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/showthread...605#post864988]
05-11-2003, 03:43 PM
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It's tool time! I've got newbie ?'s!!
Lots of good info in here about the saws. But it's not always just the tools. Sometimes you gotta use "tricks o' the trade".
Balsa wood can often have hidden stresses in the sheets. When the sheet is cut into a long part this stress can show up as bowing along what was supposed to be a straight cut. To counter that I like to cut stuff like fuselage sides out with about an extra 1/8 of wood along the lengths. This is then trimmed in a final operation to just outside the line. The sides, in this case, are then pinned together and a long 12 inch sanding block is used to "shoot" (a woodworking term) these lines to final size and a perfect and straight match. If the block is held a degree or two off of true so the edges are not quite spuare it's not a big deal but with practice this is not an issue. It's also possible to block up the pinned togetter sides and use a sanding block that's truly square to shoot these edges and then the corners WILL be square..... and straight. Something that running them through a scroll or bandsaw will not ensure. You still have to sand the edges after sawing to get nice joints.
There's lots of other tricks but this served as a nice example to hopefully kickstart your imagination and logic processes. You can do amazing things with simple tools if you can think ahead to what you are trying to accomplish rather than just trying to buy yet another new "gizmo" that's designed to take the thiinking and basic skills out of the picture. And forums like this are a great place to pick up such techniques.
Balsa wood can often have hidden stresses in the sheets. When the sheet is cut into a long part this stress can show up as bowing along what was supposed to be a straight cut. To counter that I like to cut stuff like fuselage sides out with about an extra 1/8 of wood along the lengths. This is then trimmed in a final operation to just outside the line. The sides, in this case, are then pinned together and a long 12 inch sanding block is used to "shoot" (a woodworking term) these lines to final size and a perfect and straight match. If the block is held a degree or two off of true so the edges are not quite spuare it's not a big deal but with practice this is not an issue. It's also possible to block up the pinned togetter sides and use a sanding block that's truly square to shoot these edges and then the corners WILL be square..... and straight. Something that running them through a scroll or bandsaw will not ensure. You still have to sand the edges after sawing to get nice joints.
There's lots of other tricks but this served as a nice example to hopefully kickstart your imagination and logic processes. You can do amazing things with simple tools if you can think ahead to what you are trying to accomplish rather than just trying to buy yet another new "gizmo" that's designed to take the thiinking and basic skills out of the picture. And forums like this are a great place to pick up such techniques.
