Felix21685

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hey guys


i own 2 arf's now and i want to get into 3-D so i did some research and got a profile plane which i was told is the easiest to learn some things with.

im also glad its a profile because it will be easier to cover.-my opinion..lol

ok its a pretty bare kit so nothing like hardware or anything is included..

what all is necessary to build a kit

epoxies..ca's
iron...heat gun..
coolhand..
sand block?
power grinder/sander thing by GP?
also what do you guys build on.
the thing i have to use is a glass table.its the flattest thing around here..
so i was thinking of getting cork board and putting that on the glass table..
any better ideas??
thanks for all the help
i cant wait to start on my first KIT

also what size T-Pins are the best ?
-Felix

majortom-RCU

My Feedback: (40)

Yeah, all that. Get epoxy in the 30-minute and 12-minute formulations--30 min stronger where you really need strength, 12 min more convenient where joint is not likely to take a lot of stress. Make sure you mix the epoxy thoroughly for at least a full minute, cut a flat-end stick to scrape the bottom clean when mixing. Epoxy that's not thoroughly mixed will not cure, makes a big mess.

CA I use mostly thin, sometimes medium. I wear a charcoal filter respirator when working CA. If you breathe the vapor released when it cures, you'll most likely develop an allergic reaction after awhile--major congestion, leading to asthma. If I'm CAing a lot, like a wing, I take the whole thing outdoors.

For sanding blocks a set of the small GP aluminum jobs (coarse, medium, fine) is all you need. I also have the larger lengths, almost never use them. Cut little sticks from plywood for smaller sanding sticks (aliphatic to hold paper to wood).

Glass table is fine, I use ceiling tile for sticking pins into. Get small and large sizes of pins.

Covering iron & heat gun (with socks) of course. I've never felt the need for the coolhand glove. I like burning my fingers.

I make extensive use of my benchtop drill press--Delta or Ryobi from Home Depot are priced right, do all you need. Spring-loaded center punch is great for precise centering of holes. Try to do all your firewall holes before you glue it in. Don't waste your money on cheap drill bits. Get the good stuff, they'll last a long time and cut clean and fast. A few long bits in 1/8" & 1/4" sizes are handy. Also small brad point bits or Forstner bits in the common sizes. Plus a cordless drill of course (with spare batteries & charger). Drill size index I use a lot. Also inch & metric thread size (dia & pitch) checkers. Plus small size taps (#2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 1/4" for wing bolts).

I also use my Micromark mini-table saw extensively. It's nice to be able to rip constant width pieces from sheet stock. I tend to use the little razor saw for cutting precise angles by hand, but for straight forward crosscut and ripsawing the hobby saw is great.

Dremel tool is indispensable for cutting cowls, side-cutting holes, cut-off wheel for cutting wire and CF rods/tubes.

Band saw is handy--don't use it a lot, but when you need it, you need it.

Razor plane is good for beveling edges of hinge joints.

Tri-square, triangles. Metric scales are much better for small dimensions. Lots of tape measures.

I put a CG hardpoint in every plane, try to dry-fit as much as possible and hang the whole thing from ceiling by screw-hook in CG hardpoint so I know early where my servos need to go for proper balancing. I will take any pain to avoid lead for balance. The big advantage of kit-building to me is being able to build light and well-balanced.

CLAMPS, lots of clamps in all sizes and styles.

I have an old-fashioned drafting machine I use a lot for scratch projects. I can't spare a year off to learn CAD.

For more advanced stuff--laser level very useful, inexpensive height gages (you need at least two for setting incidences), wing jig, fuselage jig, alignment jig--search the Pattern Forum for tips on these.

Foam cutting? A heck of a lot faster than built up from balsa, once you set yourself up with a few bows. I use a small variac to heat the wire, $15 from an electronic surplus store, works great.

I picked up a few sheets of light gauge aluminum back when I was doing electronics projects, and find it very useful for making up small brackets for mounting servos, fuelers, landing gear hold-downs, etc.

Actually this is just scratching the surface, but it should get you off to a good start. For the obsessive-compulsive type of guy, this is wonderful stuff.

Felix21685

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hey thanks for all that good info

what size ceiling tiles are there ?
can u get them at home depot ??
my planes wingspan will be under 50 in so how much bigger do u need them to be ?

i cant wait to start on this..u guys dont know

also to cut at perfect angles (balsa) do u use your hobby knife or a special cutting board tool

thanks again
Felix

majortom-RCU

My Feedback: (40)

Standard size ceiling tile is 2'x4'. By the piece they're pretty cheap, and I usually find an open carton to take from. If not, get one of the staff to cut a box open for you.

For a 50" wing built in two halves, one tile is more than enough. If you do a big wing sometime, just lay two tiles end to end.

When I'm framing up angled truss pieces I lay the stick on, mark the angles on the stick with my knife (because the score mark from the knife edge is a lot more accurate than a pen mark); but then I do the actual cutting with a little hand-held micro-saw. I cut it a little fat, then use my sanding block to make it a snug slip-fit. You need a piece of scrap plywood to do your cutting on, to save your bench or table surface.

Speaking of knives, I haven't used an exacto blade for years. At the hardware store look for the little folding Stanley knife, craftsman's knife, black plastic handle, not expensive. It comes with decent steel in the blade, nice stout piece of blade. It will be sharp when you get it, and it holds a good edge. But from time to time I hone it on an Arkansas stone (few drops of oil on the stone). You can get it razor sharp when you need to, good for trimming monokote.

biscuitslayer

majortom-RCU,

That was an excellent suggestion with the celing tiles. I never would have thought of that. You have actually contributed a lot of good ideas.

Thanks!

majortom-RCU

My Feedback: (40)

Glad I'm still good for something in my old age. Have fun!

dicknadine

congrats. you did a super description of whats needed in equiptment/tools. all of the rest that we have accumulated are goodies. would like to stress the CA use. try to have good ventelation, if at all possible-- it is hazardous-- some folks, like wifes, hate it. dick

majortom-RCU

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A good bargain from time to time on Harbor Freight is their set of inside & outside calipers plus the two-point dividers, watch for them on sale. Maybe just once per kit, they do the job quick and right on the mark.

Of course you can't do airplanes without hex drivers, metric and inch sizes, one set for bench, one for field box. Nobody uses the philips screws that come with servos. Get the socket head screws by the 100 from Microfasteners.com.

Good websites to browse are Harbor Freight, Home Depot, MSC Direct, McMaster-Carr, Micromark, MicroFasteners. Also Darrol Cady for CF pushrod components. And he has APC props at the right price.

If you ever see pipe cleaners, grab a couple packs--great for swabbing inside CF tubes with alcohol, cleaning out your engine after a dirt nap.

I think I've gone on long enough. I'm sure other guys have their little tricks to tell about.

Felix21685

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thanks guys for all your help

.. is the 11 inch sander from GP really necessary or is it ok to get the smaller block version

also how much CA do you think is needed for a beginner like me on a PROFILE plane..

thanks
Felix

DGrant

My Feedback: (4)

The 11" sanding-block is very handy, as well as the shorty. I've got both, and do use both. Can't imagine sanding a long edge with that short sanding-block, but again, can't imagine doing short little areas without the shorty. If you only can get one, get the one that you think you might use more. The smaller blocks can be made very easily out of several different shapes(width/length) of wood. The stick-on sand paper makes it nice that it adheres to alot of different things. I remember days of gluing(CA'ing) my sandpaper to blocks for one-plane-only uses, and then make more for the next plane.
Keep reading here, and you'll find all sorts of ideas, and then start coming up with your own too.

DGrant

My Feedback: (4)

Also..........Dubro T-pins rock!!. For a few bucks you can get plenty enough to last years... When you do start building alot, you'll stock up once in a while...but you'll also find they come in handy for alot of things. They are great too, for pin-*****ing Monokote when marking holes. I've taken about 6-8 of them and stuck them in a block to make a small tool for poking larger areas... like if you need to harden up an area of wood for control horn or something, use "the poker".. a few pushes with that..hit with CA..instant harder wood. Have fun.

MinnFlyer

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2oz of Medium CA and 1/2oz of thin CA is what usually gets me through a kit.

Also, you mentioned the GP planer... That's a nice tool, but if I could only afford one, I'd get the GP Slot machine first.

Felix21685

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nvm taken care of

edit:

-Felix

MinnFlyer

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OOOOOOOOOOOOPS

2oz

biscuitslayer

Ya know... I read your post about the 20 oz, and I thought that I was doing something wrong.

MinnFlyer

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I edited it... I wouldn't want someone to get the wrong idea.

Felix21685

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so for glueing all the balsa sticks together you use medium correct?

what do you use thick for

and do you use thin besides for hinges>?

thanks

Felix

dicknadine

Felix. in all of the above posts, I have not seen one statement about contacting your local builders/flyers and ask for their help. it may be the same as posted here, but its in person and your going to need the local flyers when you get the finished plane to the field. get aquainted ahead of time. it pays of in more ways than one. dick

majortom-RCU

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If the dry joint is tight, or if I can pinch it tight, I use thin CA dropped in with a Dave Brown plastic pipette In a tight joint, the cure is almost instantaneous. I cut the tip off at an angle, and this allows me to direct the drops exactly where I want them. If the joint is less than tight, then medium CA will fill a small gap, but take some seconds to cure. The only time I use thick is when I have to apply the glue to one piece, then fit it to the joint, with a little time to adjust its position before it cures. I try to avoid such circumstances, with the result that I haven't used thick CA for a few years now.

Felix21685

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in reply:

I do have an instructor who i can ask for help but he is in the city where i go to college.
i wont be back there till mid august.
thats why in the summer time you guys are my help
thanks for helping i cant wait to get my kit in the mail.

-Felix

phread59

Maj. Tom is right on. I would add another place to shop for tools, Grizzley. Great tools at great prices. They also do mail order.

Mark Shuman

blue62

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i use one of those cheap interior doors to build on. about 20 bux at a home store
pins stick in easy and hold very well. also its long so building complete wing all at once is a breeze!