BillinIndiana

I bought a Slot Machine by Great Plains for CA Hinges... You can cut the slots with a hobby knife, but this machine is so sweet. You just have to practice a little on some scrap to learn how to keep the slot straight. After that you can do a slot in about 30 seconds.

acdii

I found these to be the best sanding tools to use. http://www.greatplanes.com/accys/gpmr6169.html  I use them on everything now, not just the planes.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

You can buy the extra thick set of blades for the slot machine and a guide so the blades don't wander. The thicker blades are for the flat plastic hinges. For hinge pins there is a guide too that comes with two addapters for different sizes of drill bits.
AC, I do have one of those store bought sanding blocks with the different angles for TE and LE edges, almost never used but it does come in handy once in a while. I just used it on the Swoose builds to round over the LE on the stabs. By making my own sanding blocks from scrap wood you can make up a bunch in different sizes. A nice long one is great for sanding down all the wing ribs so they are all one size.
Some people like those foam sanding pads too. I didn't care for them but it could have been an operator malfunction?

3136

You have a bit to learn grasshopper, print this out and stick it to your box, but you can only get away with it a couple of times.

flyme2moon

My Feedback: (1)

Just a note on checking the flatness of your building board a 8 ft flourescent tube is very straight within a few thousands of an inch, just roll it on your table and check for highs and lows the same is true for the smaller tubes

N1EDM

My Feedback: (2)

OK, as long as we're keeping things 'simple' with all these suggestions, here is one more...

I have a couple of left-over totes, like the shallow trays that are usually found in the tops of tool boxes. In one of them, I keep my 'sharps' (i.e., knives, saws, etc., anything to cut with) along with marking instruments like pencils, markers, rulers and triangles.

In the other one, I keep all the tools. I also have a VERY small cardboard box that I put all the glue into, such as my two CA's (thin and medium), epoxy, canopy glue, and a small jar of alcohol.

This really helps to keep things organized so that I don't have to go looking for things all over the bench, buried under plans and wood...

Just anther $.02 worth

dakoris73

Wow guys...... thats alot of information and alot of options for a beginning builder, and I'm definitely going to be considering all of these options. I do have some razor blades but really liking the idea of being able to sharpen the blades so that I can reuse them..... Also, I've been reading about builders using some sort of wax paper to cover their plans with while on the tables and I'm a bit confused as to what kind of wax paper is used... So my question is this: What kind of wax paper do you guys use, and where can you get them at? I've been looking, but the only one's I've found so far are too thick and frosted to be able to see through, so if someone can add to this, please let us know........

Thank you guys for all your suggestions, and please keep the ideas coming so that other beginning builders can have lots of options as well.......

dax

partisan

My Feedback: (1)

I just go to the dollar store and get their waxed paper. It looks too frosted, but laid right over plans, it is semi transparent. I usually don't have problems seeing anything i need to.

rgburrill

I may have missed them but there are three things I did not see.  First, a sanding block that is flat on one side and rounded on the other.  I think I got mine at Sears.  It uses 1/4 sheet of regular 8.5x11 sandpaper cut parallel to the short edge.  The round side is great for inside curves like the wing cutouts on the Uproar fuse.  In fact I think that's when I starting using mine.  Second, a 24x36 Fiskars (or equivalent) self-healing cutting mat - indispensible for cutting covering.  Third, a hobby sander similar to the T-bar.  It is used to sand round and V shape leading edges.  I have some good, some not so goood, and one bad experience with mine so you may want to talk with someone else but do look into one.
I built my Uproar in two weeks.  It goes together very fast and is so much fun.  After a month at the field there were 2 others.  Then 6 more guys went together to buy a group deal and within another month the field was full of them.

acdii

Parchment paper seems to work better than wax paper. Seems like the wax paper today doesn't have much wax on it and I had all kinds of glue stick to it. Comes right off the parchment, and I think its because it uses silicone.

edbu1

I agree with covering the building plans with parchment paper. Works better than waxed paper. Also, I highly recommend keeping an eye out on Craig's List for a used drafting table. You want the type with sturdy metal legs and a 4 ft by 6 ft top. I use this as my building table because it is warp-free. The top will be adjustable for its intended use as a drafting table, but just keep it laying flat horizontal. Find a source of Homosote or other sound insulation board that you will cut to fit the top of the drafting table. This is the ideal building surface for it has the right amount of resistance to accept and hold T pins. I made the mistake once of building on a 4 ft by 8 ft homemade table only to find out that the surface was not true. So, again, highly recommend one of the heavy duty drafting tables that has a 1 inch or so thick table.

flyme2moon

My Feedback: (1)

the wax paper at the dollar store is of very poor quality... I use Cut-Rite pick it up at the grocery store, and it will last a long time..... Currently I am testing a polyethalene film type plastic sheet at 6 mils seems to work well....also I am using a piece of sheet metal about 4ft X 6 ft X 14 gauge this sits on my board, and magnets to hold things in place without pins and lots of magnets ....

dakoris73

I really like the idea of using a drafting table, and will have to see what I can find about that....... With Parchment Paper, where could someone pick up some of this paper? Is this a common paper that can be picked up anywhere?

Thanks again for all the inputs on my simple questions....... Please keep any ideas that can or would be useful to a new builder entering this exciting part of the hobby.

acdii

You can get it at the grocery store. It may be in the baking aisle.   I tried the plastic plan protector stuff, CA sticks to it too easily and it is a pain to remove from the parts when it does, so I found that if I cover the plans with the plastic, then lay the parchment over it, I get double protection, and less chance of the glue going through a pin hole and sticking to the plans.