maktec

My Feedback: (29)

I am new in building from plans, How do some of you transfer the drawings to the bulsa?
AND what suggestion for a large building board, 4x8 plywood, Styrofoam Insulation board?

I am building a giant scale Cessna 182 from Holestler plans.
THanks
happy building
george

3dd

My Feedback: (6)

i took an interior hollow core door from home depot and built a 2x4 fram and foldup legs under it and put a 1x4 frame around the outside leaving stick up the thickness of sounding board also from home depot and used that for a changable building serface that pins will hold up in it is very straight and flat built it for about twenty bucks. a tip for you, look for a door that is damaged on one side only and swing a discount for it

Rcpilot

My Feedback: (78)

As for transforing the lines to the balsa- go to Kinkos and photocopy the plans. Set the toner to darker settings. This will put more ink on the plans than necessary.

No go home and turn on your wifes Wal-mart iron. Place the kinkos copied plans on the balsa. Ink on the balsa. Iron right over the plans with a hot iron. The ink will steam off to the balsa for perfect outlines of parts and pieces.

Or you can get tracing paper and do it all by hand. Trace the parts and then glue the templates to your wood. Cut and sand.

If you know anyone with a CNC high pressure water jet cutter-- it may be worth a few cases of beer to have him cut them out for you. Just scan the images into the computer and place your wood on the table. Turn on the water and blast out your pieces. I've never seen it personally- but I hear its really cool and it works like a charm.

Tired Old Man

My Feedback: (1)

A couple of other ways to transfer plan shapes to wood, though the Kinko's method is by far the easiest.

1) Use carbon paper and ttrace the outlines. Works best on harder woods, such as those you would want to use for hard patterns that are going to be used many times.

2) Go to a fabric store and pick up a tracing wheel used for transferring paper patterns to fabric. This tool has many little teeth on a wheel that you roll around the plan markings while it is in place over you working material.

kdheath

But do pick up a solid core door rather than a hollow core. It will stay flat longer and absorb much more abuse. The center of a hollow core door tends to sag under loads. If you have room, put it in the middle of your shop so you can work around it and shim it level. Working on a large model up against a wall is a PIA. With the island table, you can work on both sides. And it is easier to assemble and trammel the plane when time comes for final assembly.
Kelvin

TLH101

My Feedback: (90)

Be careful if you use the copier method to transfer the pattern. Most copiers change the size a small amount, so compare the copies to the original. I usually have the plans reprinted at the correct size, then cutout the part patterns. I put a lite coat of spray contact adhesive on the pattern and stick it the wood. You can remove it very easy and reuse the patterns.

woodbutcher

A 3/4"x4x8 sheet of MDF(medium density fiberboard) is dead flat, unlike plywood, and will remain flat in different temperature and moisture conditions better than plywood or particle board. If put over a frame with enough cross pieces you should be able to shim it level/flat and then put a 1/2"x4x8 sheet of homosote on top. This would cost me about $50 in my neck of the woods.

markfsanderson

Here is what I did, I bought all of this at Loews (sp?):

32 inch x 80 inch Hollow core door with MDF siding (not birch) 1 @ $22.00 each
Aluminum Saw Horses 4 @ 10.00 each
24 inch x 48 inch plain acoustic ceiling tile 3 @ 2.20 each - Loews cut these to size for me for $0.0
It required a total of four pieces.
4 oz Gorilla Glue 1 @ 6.99 each

22.00
40.00
06.60
06.99

Total of 81.07 including Tax.

The 4 saw horses ensure that the working surface will stay level. Just put Gorilla Glue on both the ceiling tile and door and apply a heavy weight. I put the 'pretty' side of the ceiling tile down, and I didn't bother with any 'side pieces'. Although the cuts don't look pretty from the 'tile' side - they are good from the working side - which is what counts. If you are a real neat freak, then you could cut the tiles yourself . . . . I didn't bother. Just ensure that the tiles are weighted down during drying, use all of the gorilla glue . . you'll need it . . .The tile density is perfect for pinning down parts.
Instead of wax paper or the Great Planes plans protector, I went to Walmart and for 2.00 per yard they will sell you thin clear plastic from the fabric department that is 54 inches wide. Buy enough to cover the door and you have protected your plans. This stuff is sold in various thicknesses, don't buy the thickest or the thinest . . . somewhere in the middle thicknesses will work just fine.

This is what I'm bulding my SIG Four Star 120 on . . .

Regards,
Mark F. Sanderson

nitromancer

My Feedback: (4)

seetemp is great for transfering plans to balsa. Search the net for it and for instructions for use. Maybe a bit tedious cutting the templates but if you need to rebuild or want to build another plane you have the templates. I use a 32x80 solid core door as a building board in the island configuration. I looked at an online Great Planes manual for ideas on building the table. Always have used ceiling tile on top of a flat surface as something to pin parts to and never had a problem.

rthalls

My Feedback: (63)

my way to tranfer drawing to balsa wood is to trace from the plans onto freezer paper it has a wax on one side whitch you can then iron down onto the wood to cut out

mogman

I use a hollow-core door with a 1/2 a sheet of gyprock(sp?) wall board, whatever you call it down there, the stuff that goes on the walls in your house. Very flat and easy to push pins into. I trace the parts from the plan with a big sheet of carbon paper between the plans and the wood.