namg_engr

My Feedback: (1)

Hello,

what is the best way to cut ribs from plans without destroying the plans?

darrentpi

I'm in the exact same situation, I have to cut out two ribs, that don't line up with the LE, I'm thinking a hack saw blade, then lots of epoxy when re gluing!
DM

JNorton

My Feedback: (2)

namg_engr,

I photocopy them with the office copier. Note; all copiers have some distortion. Take a piece of 1/4" grid paper and photocopy it. Now measure the grid paper and you'll know where the distortion is, and how bad. I keep track to copy my ribs all the same way, and haven't had a problem, but I'm not building 1/4 scale wings!

John

JNorton

My Feedback: (2)

darrentpi
I take it you are already building your wing? You should be able to cut off the ribs that done line up with an exacto knife. If you need to re-cut the ribs and you are building from a kit use the remaining skeletons from the ribs. Either trace the pattern onto new sheet balsa, or lightly spray a colored paint to get an outline of the new rib to cut out.

I wouldn't use epoxy to reglue the ribs. I'd use alphatic wood glue such as Titebond and let it dry.

A great site that shows you how to build is CafeenMan's. Here is his section on how to build a wing.
http://www.airfieldmodels.com/inform...tion/index.htm

John

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

I use tracing paper. It doenst take that long and the plans are preserved. The last two planes I built recently were done from a copied set. Wont do that again. A bunch of little annoyances where parts didnt quite meet up and had to shim in some scab pieces to get a good glue bond. The copy method does work, but the tracing really isnt that big a deal.
Edwin

Flypaper 2

I use the old tried and true pin method. Lay the wood under the plans, follow the rib pattern with a pin. Pull out the wood and join the dots. Doesn't take long, and is accurate.

craig

My Feedback: (1)

Make 1or 100 it’s easy. Photocopy a rib, cut it out, and 77 spray it to 1/8” plywood. Cut it out and drill 2 1/32” holes in it, one at the leading edge and one at the training edge. Stack as many pieces of balsa on top of each other that you want ribs and set your plywood template on top and use β€œT” pins thorough the plywood template to hold them in alignment. Now use your jigsaw and cut out your stack of ribs. They are all the same and you can build your wing.

NOTE: When I’m building an airplane I keep the sheets of balsa the ribs were punched out from. I write the airplane name on them and through them in a box. If I ever need to do a repair or make an new wing I have all the original rib templates.

Good Luck and happy flying,
Craig