mattfair

When building from plans, what is the best way to cut the wood so it matches the plans? I have heard many different methods, such as copying the plans then cutting them out to tracing with carbon paper.
What methods do you use?

saramos

I've not yet done any scratch building, but I am currently testing different glassing techniques. I wanted to see how the results would be on a wing, so I made some test wing sections, and needed to cut some parts. I used the copy method.
I patterned a rib from the kit I am currently building to make simplified wing structures. I scanned the rib from the plan drawing, scaled it on my pc and duplicated it to fit 6 on a page, and printed out two pages. I used an office supply gluestick and glued the printouts onto some balsa sheet and cut them with an exacto. Once cut out, the paper peeled off easily. This method worked out well for my test wing sections.

Scott

65 Chevy

My Feedback: (1)

There is a material available called See - Temp. It is a translucent mylar film which is fairly thick (maybe the thickness of 4 sheets of paper. All you have to do is lay it over your plan, copy the shape with a magic marker and then scribe over your line with an exacto knife. You dont have to cut through the see temp, just score it. The see temp will then tear right on your score marks. Then just trace it on the wood of your choice.

The best thing is, once done, you have a perminent template for that particular model. I like it because I can then use the template if I need to make repairs. And if I choose to make a particular fuse and change taile or wings etc. Its really to reproduce the same parts over and over

CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

Gee..... What you are asking has been equated as to fighting words within this forum over past few months.

My problem has not been in the method, but in the accuracy. Often the plans have ribs or other parts shown, that have 1/8" wide lines. This gives a lot of latitude as to proper fit once cut out. Some of the old timers say that doesn't bother them at all, but then again, I don't like lumpy-bumpy surfaces. Watch it, for just because your cut part fits the lines on the plan, will they fit tight on the model?


Wm.

Pete S-RCU

Where do you buy see-temp?

mattfair

I too do not know what to do about the thick lines when cutting out parts. Should you follow the inner of the line or the outter? I have usually just followed the outter of the line then I guess sanded when needed.

briansommers

My Feedback: (2)

yeah i allways follow outer, then sand to fit

now getting back to the orignal poster, i have used the trace paper method and a draftsman mechanical pencil and ive had good results doing it that way

CafeenMan

I get a copy of the plan at a local blueprinter. Costs less than $2.00 per sheet. I cut out the templates, apply a light coat of spray glue to the template only, let it dry until it's slightly tacky and press down onto the wood. It's faster than cutting out templates and tracing around them and it's cheaer than template material. The only downside is that the template is usually ruined when it's peeled off the part, but I don't care about that.

Usually I'll get 2 copies of the plan. One to build on and one for templates. If I screw up I can cut out another template from the second plan. The original hangs on the wall for reference.

rovieairto

I have been doing this for many years.
The method that seems to work best for me is to draft the parts onto graph paper (17" x 22" spliced with straight edge if req.).
i.e. draw your part accurately.
You can get the graph paper at office max.
Airfoil drafting data is widely available on the interweb with over 1000 foils to choose from.
Then buy a suitable veneer like mahogany and ,with elmers glue, glue the paper to the veneer.
Put wax paper over your drawings during this process so that you can use a roller to smooth it out.
Apply only downforce so that the paper doesn't warp or stretch.
For small parts a fat round marker works well.
Cut and sand to the lines.
If you go with a 1/64" veneer you can actually use scissors to cut out you templates with minor sanding to finish them off.
(cuts really fast)
These are pinned to your corkboard so that the parts may be traced out.
CA glue brushed around the edges will harden them to keep the knife from digging into the tempate.
When your plane crashes, building new parts is easy, plus your friends can build copies as well.
Short of cnc cutting, this is the only way I have been able to make accurate scratch built aircraft.

P.S. The time that you invest in your pattern making is offset by the time savings by using them.
Plus you have the patterns left to boot as evidence of planes past.

Let me know what you all think.

mattfair

rovieairto,
Your method sounds like a very good idea. I have been wanting to do something like that so I could build the aircraft again or make repairs very easily.
I have also heard of people using soft aluminum sheets for their templates too.

rovieairto

Thanks; I'm glad you like it.
A rolling pin, elmer's glue,wax paper, 1/64 veneer, scissors, and a sanding block.
Oh ...and a hard flat surface.
It works well with kit plans.
When the plans have fat lines, I usually just cut and sand to the black line.

With airfoils; they all have identical push pin holes.
Pin them, with the template, all back together and sand them down to the template.
They come out perfectly identical.
It usually takes me a night to glue, cut, and sand them all.
But after that, start the aircraft factory.

Pete S-RCU

Make a copy of your parts with a copy machine.
Place the copy on the wood you're using for the part and iron the copy.
The heat transfers the outline to the wood.
Cut out the parts. The part will be a mirror image, but it doesn't matter with most parts.
Never tried this yet, but I think it will work. Copy machines use heat to melt the toner onto the paper, this just melts it again.
I will try it shortly when the wood shows up for my Ziroli Panther.

mattfair

Do copy machines make exact copies? I thought that was always a problem with that method.

CafeenMan

Most of them reduce about 1 or 2%. Sometimes you can change the enlargement setting a tiny amount to make the difference insignificant.

eyeflyok

My Feedback: (2)

I have been designing my own airplanes for four years. I do everything on a CAD system (DeltaCAD) and print full size drawings only where necessary. Most pieces (like formers or ribs) can be printed individually on a simple ink jet printer. Be careful when using coping machines. Depending on the quality of the machine, they can distort the image. The best way to check is hold the copy over the original and see everything lines up perfectly. I have never seen a copier that does not introduce some amount of distortion. Ink Jet printers are much better. The only full size drawing you really need is the fuselage top and side views. The tail surfaces, and even the wing, can be printed in several pieces and taped together (if the individual pages are not distorted). I print individual pages for the smaller pieces and glue them to the wood (balsa, ply, lite ply). 3M contact cement works great and the templates can be easily removed if you heat the template slightly with a heat gun then peel it off. Stack several pieces wood and spot glue them together then attach the template. Use a bandsaw to cut the pieces and sand to the final shape with a small disk sander. Make sure both the saw and sander adjusted properly to so the cut (or sanded) edges are perpendicular to the surface of the part. So far I have designed and built a .40 size sport pattern ship, a 120 size full blown pattern ship and a 90 size pattern ship. This winter I am working on 120 size Ultimate biplane. Every one of these models went together as good (or better) than any laser cut kit. They all fly great! Good luck.

Pete S-RCU

I went to Kinko's and got a copy of my 3x6 ft plans with the parts on it. ($8.00) It's an exact copy of the original, I checked.
Then I cut out the individual formers/ribs and arranged them on the wood and ironed them on.
Perfect parts outline. Next I will cut them out. I used my monocoat iron at 250 degrees. If you need to make a second part, up the temp to 350 Degrees.

One question, how do you straighten warped lite ply?
Ziroli says in the instructions to glue strips on to hold them straight till you get some stringers and sheeting on.
There must be a way to straighten them. I would think lite ply would be straight if it's made that way.
Regular plywood is.

CafeenMan

I've never known any plywood to be flat. I laminate my own under a lot of weight using epoxy or polyurethane glue.

halflight

My Feedback: (5)

I have used see temp.. It's easy to use. contact them at seetemp.com