rt3232

My Feedback: (6)

Hay acerc

In the # 2pic what bird is that ? Weeks mabe

Cheers Bob T
AMA13377 Corsair Brotherhood # 5

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

That's normal. What is funny is you will still need to go out and find the wood you forgot. I buy sheets of light ply fom Michale's, they have a fair selection of wood from Mid West, usually a bit on the heavy side. Hobby People has a pretty good selection too. There prices are way too high but when all you need are a few sticks or sheets it's what you gotta do. The Lion is mostly stick building and doesn't require a lot of wood even as big as it is. You'll like the way National ships there wood, almost never any warp or broken pieces. Your going to love building from plans after you have done it. I just started cutting the covering for the logos on the PM. Tomorrow I will start putting them on.

vonagner

Try LAZER WORKS, they the best kit cutters I have found so far.Eddie Is a gentleman and will do his best to help you.

acerc

A scroll saw and a jig saw have the same blade action. But a scroll saw is stationary, usually with its own platform to lay the wood on. A jig saw is a handheld saw used outside of a stationary table.

Jigsaw on left. Scrollsaw on right.

acerc

BobT I just saw your post . That is a 1/3 scale Pitts S1 scratch built from Andy Sheber plans. It came in a 22lbs, is powered by a CRRC 55cc twin, finished with Stits covering and paints. And it is a sweetheart of a plane.

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

I have always called the handheld a saber saw. I have seen jig saws called scroll saws, and it seems to be an interchangeable term. Regardless, a bandsaw is best for most of the cutting of your kit, as you get a more vertical accurate cut, without much blade wander. The plywood will especially be tricky with a scroll. In a perfect world, you will have a scroll and a band saw. The scroll for inside former cuts, and the bandsaw for all of your outside cuts.
It was mentioned earlier about using patterns and a flush trim router bit. I would not recommend that, as when the grain is not optimum, you will get tear out and lose some parts. Also, you would still have to go back and clean up your spar slots etc.

049flyer

My Feedback: (18)

I have a very good small circular type table saw, a cheap band saw, and a mid price scroll saw. The cheap band saw is useless, almost impossible to get a straight cut. I'm sure a good band saw would cut a much straighter line than this cheap one. It has been retired to the store room. If you buy one get a good one, never buy cheap tools!

The table saw however is very useful. I can cut dead on accurate and perfectly straight 90 degree cuts and most any other angle I want. I can also cut slots in wood, like landing gear blocks and spar slots in foam wings. If you can't cut a perfectly square firewall or former you will never be able to build a straight fuselage.

Next to my dremel, the scroll saw is the most useful power tool I own.

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

Yes, you must have a good bandsaw. The point is to eliminate blade flex. That is why the stiff blade on a table saw works so good. I wanna try some of those spiral blades for my scroll. I have not used them yet, but they might be useful.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

They are very useful but they do take some getting use to. My home scroll saw uses the blades with the T on both ends and I haven't found any of the spiral blades with the Tee for it. The two scroll saws we have at the wood club have the blades that just lock in with wing nuts and we have every type of blade made for them. I had always cut my kits at home with just the scroll saw and sander but 7 years ago I moved to this community that has a club for almost everything. Our wood shop is second to none and I'm blessed with everything I need except a laser cutter. The band saw is fantastic for cutting and much faster then the scroll saw. The orbital sander is another big help. On top of that we have a small over head micro sander I use a lot for sheeting. I cut my sheets over size then put them through the small over head sander until I get the exact thickness needed. The re-cut saw is just a big band saw but precision.Perfect cuts from block balsa. I even use the router tables to make up the leading edge stock. These are tools that you almost never see in anyone's home shop.
Before I moved here all I had was the table saw, scroll saw and really cheap sander. Cheap means about $8.00 that I bought at a traveling cheap tool sale held twice a year at our fair grounds. I managed to build a lot of really nice giant scale planes with the few tools I had on hand. They beat the heck out of the days I only used an exacto knife and razor blade.
Anyway, all the great tools I have use of these days makes cutting your own kits a bunch better but just a sander and scroll saw is all you really need. If we were able to do it with just a blade and sanding blocks back in the good old days then I'm still in tall cotton in my home shop. I even have a drill press {the bit wanders a little} and a gringer. Another great tool to have is a big vise!! Mine is notched for several different sizes of wire. Top of the line tools isn't a must have thing but the better the tool the longer they last. I got my tap and die set from my grandfather and it's way better then anything I have seen on the market today!!

spacewalker

My Feedback: (11)

Hi, guys....
Interesting discussion about kit cutters - some points valid, others questionable. I am a kit cutter and own Camden Custom Cutters located in Camden, SC. We are in our third year of making kits (all wood only, no metal or plastic) mostly for giant scale model aircraft. We work with paper plans, raster files like PDF, TIF, or JPG (don't like these because they are compressed and lose some definition). Digitizing paper plans into PDF or other, conversion to AutoCAD vector files, finally identifying kit parts, and cutting kits are all done "in house" with our own equipment. We specialize in one-of-a-kind or unusual models. We use AutoCAD 2013 and specialized raster to vector conversion programs. There is no charge for computer work. Take a look at our webpage, www.camdencustomcutters.com and contact us if we can be of service to you.
Roger Marshall, [email protected]

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

It seems with the tools, it has been a life long acquisition for me. When I had the money, I would buy or upgrade a machine or tool. I have been a woodworker all my life, and professionally for over 20 years. So I always valued certain machines. The first big thing I purchased was a 16" bandsaw. So I have no experience with the small ones. The next thing I wanted for airplane building was a drill press. I have made sacrifices to accommodate space for my bandsaw. It seems most are not will to commit the space for such a machine, so they use a scroll instead. I think if I had to have a small machine like this, it would be a scroll, a good one. But the bandsaw is a superior machine for accuracy, when properly set up.