kolban

Folks,
Newbie alert here ....

Am working on my 1st ever kit and loving it ... but I found that I have already made some horrible mistakes. I think I know how to correct them so am back on track ...

My question is ...

Do we all make these kinds of blunders? I got this horrible sinking feeling when I realized I had CA'd a piece of balsa while making the wing only to realize that I had made a mistake. The instructions called for CA'ing some wing shears between the ribs. I did glued them in place only to realize that the plans called for glueing in 6 of the 7 wing shears and leaving the one nearest the center line for later. Now my wing joiners don't fint and I will have to sand off the shear or use debonder to try and remove.

I got this heart sinking feeling when I realized what I had done. As we put together kits, do we all make these kinds of mistakes or am I doing something bad/rushing? I have been building the kit for nearly 3 weeks and am in no rush at all. I read and re-read the manual (in fact I am out of town on biz and was reading the PDF in my hotel room many states away from my kit). But somehow... I still end up goofing up. Thankfully, so far, nothing catestrophic.

Neil

Bauer66

Neil, Welcome to the World of Modeling where mistakes are commonplace, I have been building for over 25 yrs, I have yet to not have a mistake or two to undo. Wish these kits had a Undo button LOL. Its all wood for the most part and can be fixed. Have fun with it . they always seem to work out.


Semper Fi

Live Wire

Every One make mistakes If we were perfect we would not be in this Insanity Have fun and enjoy You no you can always find help if you want it, just ask

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Me, Mistaakes, Surley Uyo Jests!!!!!!!!! I think the first plane I build without making A mistake will be the first. Mater of fact I'm sure of it. Just the other day it took me four tries to glue in one piece of wood, kept sticking it to my fingers and I kept pulling it out when I tried to release it. Each time I had to cut A new piece of wood. Got it glued and closed up shop before I did something real stupid. Not that that could ever happen.

sebo

Mistakes are part of what makes this fun. If you need to sand something to remove it, consider buying a dremel type tool. They aren't that cheap and they aren't that expensive. You will use it forever--even for non-hobby purposes. If you can't afford that, consider using toe nail sanding tools that you buy in the grocery. there are some cheap ones that have 2 sanding sides and have 2 in a pack for about a dollar. I always have a couple of packs on hand...not that I ever make any mistakes either....
When I started building from plans without an instruction booklet, I really became proficient at making mistakes. I use a lot of "Oh, heck, no one will see that" kind of logic. It works, too, if I don't use transparent covering!

kolban

Thanks guys. I appreciate the welcome and am enjoying y'alls discussions. At least I don't feel like such a dummy anymore ... I was sitting here thinking that it was only me :-)

I am by far the new kid on the block and when I visit my Model Club field, everyone there seems to have been in the hobby so long that they forget how they started :-)

Sebo ... I bought a dremel (brand) a couple of weekends ago with a collection of bits. On some scrap balsa I practiced sanding off .... wow ... am I glad I practiced on scrap, the tool just melted/ate away the balsa like it wasn't even there. No beer for me the night before ... I need completly steady hands for that job.

Neil

somegeek

My Feedback: (2)

*stands up*

Hello all - my name is somegeek... and I'm a heartsinkingfeelingmistakemaker.

everyone * Hello, somegeek *

Been there and done that! It's frustrating but you learn from your mistakes right?

Sanded my sheeting too thin and had to replace.
Installed pieces on the wrong side of the wing and didn't realize until stuff dried.
Didn't pay attention to the piece of covering I was cutting with a razor and a ruler and the ruler drifted so I had to trim another piece of covering.
etc. etc. etc...

A wiseman once said... measure three times, cut once.

somegeek

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

On the positive side of making mistakes while building, I have found that it stimulates your creative thought processes. Trying to figure out how you are going to undo the mess you made.

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

Aaaaannd, hopefully you dont make the same mistake twice. Or three times, or four times. What ever.
Edwin

Some of learn from the mistakes of others, the rest of us are the others!

Dr1Driver

Neil,

You will stop making mistakes when you stop building. Until then, learn from them. Use knives, sandpaper or a Dremel to remove the offending shear web.

Slow down, read each step of the instructions 3 times. Be sure you fully understand the procedure BEFORE you pick up a knife or the CA bottle.

Good luck to ya! We'll help all we can.

Dr.1

TopRCDawg

My Feedback: (11)

I agree with the response about a dremel tool. I cannot count how many times I have had to "correct" something I had done in order to get it the way it was meant to be. Without a doubt, when I am building, my dremel (rechargable cordless one) is my most valuable tool! I doubt you (or any of the rest of us who are honest about) will ever be "error-free" - it just helps us be creative and think about things. Hang in there!

Larry D.

My Feedback: (2)

Most of my trim schemes are dictated by mistakes in covering, like decals over holes and strips over poor fitting seams. Only the builder knows.

Roary m

My Feedback: (67)

Im still trying to invent the saw to put the wood back on.

somegeek

My Feedback: (2)

Not to derail this thread but my dremel is that tool that comes through in a pinch every time. One of the best B-day gifts I ever got(thanks to my brother).

Dr1Driver

A Dremel-type tool has saved many a plane, and made a lot of building much easier and faster. I've worn out 3 of these little jewels in my building career. I'm using one now, and have another in the box, waiting. A couple of years ago, I hit the jackpot. A local Black and Decker store closed and I got tons of Dremel-type accessories for pennies!

Dr.1

SST

My Feedback: (2)

The mark of the great builder isn't the stuff that goes right, we all plan them to be right...The mark of the great builder is how good you get at saving the stuff you screw up!

Floater-RCU

SST is right, I think my screw ups have definitely taught me some great skills. I also think it has improved my confidence to be able to try more difficult projects!
Good luck with your project and boy are you going to enjoy flying that plane. There is just no other feeling like it!

Floater

pgitta

My Feedback: (3)

I never make mistakes.

Only modifications.

jmiracle

My Feedback: (9)

one thing I've noticed from kit building is that no matter how obvious the mistake is to you once the project is finish....you almost instantly forget all about it once it takes to the air! What a feeling!

gutmark

Just wait until you glue a shear web between 2 of your fingers instead of between the wing ribs - thats always a good time. Or how about making 2 left (or right) wings? Dropping something on your freshly monkoted wing, putting a hole in it and breaking a rib in the process?

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

How about 2 right booms on a P-38. Lotta wood wasted in that one.
Edwin

Stickbuilder

I've been building for 57 years. Last week I sheeted the leading edge (back to the sub spars) on my PICA 1/5th scale WACO before I realized that I had forgotten to install the mount bracket for the forward interplane strut. There will always be a square inlaid piece of sheeting under the koverall. It happens to all of us.

Bill, AMA 4720

nickj

Two days after laughing at a friend for making two right sides of a Goldberg Cub fuse, I made two right sides of a Goldberg Cub fuse.

The worst mistakes are the ones you *thought* you made. After fixing it, you realize you were right the first time.

pgitta

My Feedback: (3)

My new building rule is:

NEVER IN THE SPRING

I have made more impatient rushing mistakes on my GB Chipmunk that I care to mention.

I was in such a hurry to get it out to the field that I jumped ahead in the instructions while something was drying and missed steps.

Nothing I couldn't fix, but in my hurrying to save time, I probably lost twice as much as if I had just gone in order.

Now in fairness, I screwed at least three things up directly because of the awful, almost un-readable B&W copied manual pages.

For a $150 kit, those are a disgrace, Goldberg.

dionysusbacchus

My Feedback: (25)

When you are a new builder you make mistakes because you don't know what you are doing and when you are experienced you make mistakes because you think you know what you are doing. I have to do things over lots of times, but not just because of mistakes I'm a perfectionist too! I remember when I was a kid building in the basement with my younger brother and all of the sudden I hear this sobbing and he is hunched over his work area. He was building an All Star Bipe from an ACE kit, and he made two right side fuselage pieces! After the crying we got it fixed and it flew!

Keep it going!

Dion