Pa-18cub150

Ok I have deseeded on a SIG Kadet Sr. as a first kit. What will I have to have to start the project?

I already know the top three
· Money
· Time
· Space

I have been in the hobby for a little over a year. So all three of the above are starting to get stretched to the limit with projects, repairs and completed ARF’s.

I keep reading about build boards. I assume this a board that I lay the plans on and pin and glue the kit together over.

I am also assuming that a sheet of ½ OSB just wont cut it, but is the Magic Magnet building board system necessary as this may be my only build?

Has any one made their own simple build board? I have read posts about glass and steel boards as well. Do I need something like this?

I have CA, epoxy, finishing rosin, balsa putty, exacto knifes, CA applicators, covering iron, and T pins.

What more should I have to make this a pleasant and rewording experience.

saramos

Welcome to the world of building.

An inexpensive and commonly used item for a building board is a hollow core door that is topped with acustical celing tiles. The tiles accept pins readily. You can set this on top of a table, or a few saw horses. Once you lay the plans out, you will want to cover it with waxed paper for glue protection. Some other items that will assist in building are:

An exacto miter box and razor saw.
A couple of sanding bars. (such as the ones from Great Planes)
A bunch of small clams, the little plastic spring type, or even the metal paper clips.
A small square and some small triangles.
An 18" metal and a flexible clear plasitc rules,

Scott

Pa-18cub150

Should the tile be glued to the door ?

bipeguy03

HI! Its good to here that you have decided to build your own kit, the satisfaction of turning a box of wood into a flying airplane is one of the greatest feelings in the world. I am 20 and have been building kits since about age 4, I started with guiwllos. These are some of the things I cant live without in the shop.

First off, the building board. The most important thing is to make sure it is flat. I built a bench around an old steel door, from a building that had it replaced. If you have a sturdy flat board big enough to construct you plane on your set. Im not sure obout the magnet building board, never used one. I don't know if you would need a board with that or not.

next you need somthing to put on the build board to pin to, most guys you Ceiling tile sheeting, but again if it is warped make sure you secure it well to the build board so that it is flat.

Another important tool, ecspecially for a plane built from sticks as the kadet, is some sort of miter box or miter sander, to ensure good tight joints and optimum strength.

You should also make about a million sanding blocks of all shapes, grits, and sizes, you'll find the veary helpfull

Try to come up with many diffrent types of saws, weather it be an exacto saw, a scroll saw or a band saw, cause any kit you build will take some cuttin that an exacto just wont do.

Also keep on hand a varity of staight edges and rulers, protractors/compasses, T-squars, Triangles, pencils and erasers. Don't use pen on bare wood, it will show through almost all types of covering and will make a mess if you try to sand it out.

Mainly just gather anyhting you think would help, If it helps you is only a decision you can make.

and last but not least is pantientce and creativity. Remember your building your plane so make your plane!

Here are some pics of my shop

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Anything that is FLAT and sturdy that your wife won't kill you for spilling glue on will work fine as a building board. I used my kitchen table for years (Till I got married )

You can use a ceiling tile for sticking pins in (It does not have to be glued down) but I prefer to skip pins and just use weights and tape when necessary.

A razor saw is one Item I would want that you haven't mentioned

Charlie P.

I just purchased a Zona razorsaw from BalsaUSA for $4.65 (including the wood handle). I like this so much I may get two more in case of loss! Definately a tool you should have - nothing better at making good butt joints. Another great but inexpensive tool is a "T" pin pusher/puller. This thing is a Godsend. I use LOTS of pins as I use Titebond II glue most often. With this I have no trouble pinning spruce to my building board. Some time back I splurged and purchased a 1" x 18" x 48" balsa block building board (like Butcher Block but in balsa. I love it. I still use ceining tiles for tail assemblies and smaller jobs.

I also went to a commercial paper suppy outlet and bought a 24" x 3,000 ft roll of waxed paper (about 20 years ago). I use it when butchering deer and in building over.

Good lighting. A spirit level to make sure your worksurface is flat and level (also good at holding open rolled plans).

Rv7garage

My Feedback: (10)

A razor plane is a beautiful tool for shaping and carving- like on wingtips.

SoCalSal

My Feedback: (16)

Here is one "tool" that I have found to be of much use. Weight bags. these are bags of lead shot that you can put on top of something to ho;d it flat to the building board . I made mine for a couple bags of #7 lead shot you can buy at most any gun store. I used to use old socks and pour in some shot, make these in different weights to suit your needs. I also have some chunks of steel that I use but the lead shot bags are used more often as they will sort of conform to non flat shapes. I now don't use old socks anymore, I use zip lok baggies for food storage as I can make the weight more or less as needed. Plus I need those old socks to wear now as most of my money is into this hobby

rc_heli_flier

My Feedback: (12)

I use a hollow core door as a base like most mentioned here, but instead of ceiling tiles, I use a piece of 1/2" drywall cut to fit the size of the door. It's heavy and lays flat without needing to be glued to the door but accepts pins very well. You can also write on it to make notes, jot down lists, etc. You can cut on it as well, and after one or two kits being built on it you can just throw it out and get yourself a new piece and have a brand new board to build on again.
The only thing I do to the drywall after being cut to size is to seal up the cut edges with some packing tape, just to keep the stuff on the inside from coming out.

Mode One

I use a hollow core door and ceiling tile to it (do not glue as eventually you will want to replace the ceiling tile). I only have the tile on my bench, when I am assembling components which need to be secured over the plans. Then I remove and lay old terry cloth towels over the work surface to cut-down on "Hanger Rash".

I use a few different lengths of straight edge. Mine are strips of Aluminum, .062 thick X 2 1/2" X 2 1/2 feet long and 6 feet long. However, your local hardware store likely has aluminum or steel angels, strips, channels that will work. I have 1 foot steel rule from my tri-square and also make much use of the tri-square when it is assembled.

Clamps! Various and assorted clamps are all handy! Small C-clamps, up to around 3 inches are great. I've seen small plastic spring clamps offered cheap in multiple sizes and quantities in packages at the hardware store. These look good, however, I have used spring type clothes pins forever. Some are used exactly as purchased. Others have been disassembled and the ends re-inserted into the spring, reversed and inside out from normal, to give a clamp with a deeper reach. I have around twenty of these revised clothes pin clamps and have to say they are the most versatile clamps I use. At times I have used all the clamps I have and been tempted to steal some of my wife’s clothes pins. However, do yourself a favor, don't steal from your wife!

I have Great Plane's Hinge Slotting Tool and feel it is very handy. The small Trim Sealing Iron is a good tool to have as well as the regular iron.

perttime

Flat and sturdy is the starting point.
It is hard to build straight if the table is twisted. How you accomplish that is a matter of preferences and possibilities.

Then you probably need a way to fix your parts over the plan without ruining the plan. Again, there are a few ways to do that.

You might need a way to make holes for fixing things to the plane (engine, servos,...) or letting things pass through parts (exits for pushrods maybe). I do not think anybody mentioned a drill. You are not working with heavy materials but you need to be pretty accurate, so the drill need not be powerful, maybe not even with electrical power.

ckangaroo70

My Feedback: (51)

The Razor Plane , and a Dremel are the two biggest time saving tools I have ever bought!

Rv7garage

My Feedback: (10)

Yes- Dremel tool also good[8D]




.......and a shop vac......

ckangaroo70

My Feedback: (51)

Everybody knows that oysters taste better than clams!LOL

Pa-18cub150

Is this the type of Plane you are talking about?

Augie11

Lots of great suggestions to get you started. I'm glad someone finally mentioned the Dremel. Don't forget a power drill of some sort. You CAN survive with a hand held drill but they're not very accurate and mounting engines precisely is a must. Keep your eyes open for a small drill press. Micromark sells one for about $100.

Yes, the $$$ add up a little at the beginning but quality tools will outlast you.

Enjoy and welcome to the world of building.

Augie

ckangaroo70

My Feedback: (51)

Thats it! Greatest thing invented since the wheel!

Pa-18cub150

Is any one using the Dremel Work Station as a drill press?

ckangaroo70

My Feedback: (51)

I have also found the Balsa Stripper quite handy on many occasions.

ckangaroo70

My Feedback: (51)

And another tool that makes life enjoyable, and should be found on any builders workbench. These are Z bend pliers for making those perfect Z bends in linkage rod.

ckangaroo70

My Feedback: (51)

Also, you mentioned that you have epoxy, but make sure you have some that is at least 30 minute set time. This is what you will want to use for high stress areas like joining wings, firewall, wing mounts, etc. 5 minute epoxy is not adequate for these high stress areas.

Jigley3

Have a look here invaluable reference tool http://airfieldmodels.com/index.htm bert

saramos

I limited the essential tools I suggested based on the point that this may be Pa-cub150's only build. For a single build, even the cost of a dremel may be too much. If he was going to get more involved, then yes, there are lots of tools (trust me, I've spent a small fortune on tools and am still eyeing a lathe/mill and laser cutter[sm=tongue_smile.gif]).
Btw, I suggested clams over oysters because they have better holding power

Scott

Mode One

A company called Micro-Mark has a small tool catalog which has many, many tools which are useful to the hobbiest. Go to:
<www.Micro-Mark.com>. Buy something from the website and you will be on their mailing list for life.

Pa-18cub150

Saramos
Doesn’t every one in America have at lest one dremel in the house? I couldn’t live with out one. I think my flex shaft is about to give out though and I kind of like the looks of that work station.


Mode one
Thanks for the link to Micro-Mark a lot of cool stuff there and the prices don’t look to bad either. I went ahead and requested a catalog.