new to building
02-10-2008, 09:15 PM
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new to building
I'm learning to fly my trainer and am going to start to build my first plan. I will be building two Sig 4 Star 60 one form a kit and one form scratch. i would like to know what type of tools and equipment i should get to build form a kit and form scratch. is there any good books that i could get to help.the reason i will be building two is one will be for me and one will be for am dad. we are both new to this. i plan on biulding building all my plans becouse i want to get good enought to build my dream plan witch is a giant scale F4U Corsair with at lest a 108" wing span, but that will be about ten years form now and any scratch build plans. i just need held to get started.
02-10-2008, 09:41 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Chilliwack, BC, CANADA
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RE: new to building
General hand tools would be
[ul][*] Knives- Xacto for cutting out some parts, retracting snap off knife for heavier cuts, a nice Frost style or nice lockback folder for carving.[*] Saws- Zona razor saws in two sizes for cutting across grain. A coping saw if you're not going to get a jigsaw at first. Make a "birdsmouth" to go with it (google it). And since you're doing larger models you may find a fine tooth japanese Dozuki comes in handy for some uses. I know that mine does.[*] Sandpaper mounted on blocks and also folded over- Don't use the big rubber blocks, they are too heavy. Instead cut some clear construction wood to a size that lets you fold a 1/4 sheet around the face up up the sides slightly. Staple gun along the sides to hold the paper in place. 80 grit for roughing, 120 for general, 220 for finer work. All of those are garnet paper. And don't skimp on replacing it when it looses the cutting ability. You'll also want some 320, 400 and 600 wetordry for other chores involved when finishing stuff.[*] Even if you don't want to get any power tools you'll want an electric hand drill and a bit set to go with it.[*] a decent drill press vise comes in very handy as a portable 3rd hand.[*] The Bench- note the caps. There isn't a more important tool in any workshop than the bench where all the work is conducted. It's your friend and helper. It needs to be flat and solid. Level helps but do not confuse level with flat. [*] You'll also need some sort of building board that you can push pins into or a steel backed one that you can use magnets on to hold parts in place as a temporary assembly jig. Get some T pins if you go the pin route. Your fingers will thank you.[*] For larger models like these an assembly and detail bench along the wall and an island table/bench out where you can get all around it works well. If your work area will support that idea it's a winner.[*] rulers and straightedges of various sizes. At a minimum a 6 and 12 inch ruler and a nice wide sturdy aluminium yardstick or straightedge for long cuts are a minimum. You'll also want some smaller easy to use tapemeasures. Along with these go scribers, pencils, pens and other marking tools. A weighing scale or two is also a great friend to have that we should all use a lot. Ounces are the enemy and pounds are legions of the devil and a good scale and some ability to know when to expend and when to make light will help your models fly better.
[/ul]
From there you get into the power tools. Biggies for working on models of this size are a nice scroll or band saw and a mid sized drill press. I'm partial to the bandsaw option myself but a scroll saw does things the bandsaw can't while the bandsaw is so much more easy to use since it doesn't shake the work piece around. While there are smaller desktop bandsaws if you can spare the room and do any woodworking as well then a floor mounted 14 inch throat saw is the way to go. A table top drill press of around 1/2 hp and that uses a 1/2 inch chuck is a very handy model tool as well. Again the larger ones will let you do more things and have uses outside of the model building arena. A lot of folks will also suggest a Dremel. I use mine a lot but if I was buying stuff all over again and I was on a budget I'd be bringing home a drill press first, then a scroll saw, then a bandsaw and only after all that a Dremel tool. This list is importance with what the tools do that I can't emulate successfully with hand tool options. More than anything the drill press will let me drill holes that are square to a surface to a high degree. That's hard to do by eye.
This is all just a start
[ul][*] Knives- Xacto for cutting out some parts, retracting snap off knife for heavier cuts, a nice Frost style or nice lockback folder for carving.[*] Saws- Zona razor saws in two sizes for cutting across grain. A coping saw if you're not going to get a jigsaw at first. Make a "birdsmouth" to go with it (google it). And since you're doing larger models you may find a fine tooth japanese Dozuki comes in handy for some uses. I know that mine does.[*] Sandpaper mounted on blocks and also folded over- Don't use the big rubber blocks, they are too heavy. Instead cut some clear construction wood to a size that lets you fold a 1/4 sheet around the face up up the sides slightly. Staple gun along the sides to hold the paper in place. 80 grit for roughing, 120 for general, 220 for finer work. All of those are garnet paper. And don't skimp on replacing it when it looses the cutting ability. You'll also want some 320, 400 and 600 wetordry for other chores involved when finishing stuff.[*] Even if you don't want to get any power tools you'll want an electric hand drill and a bit set to go with it.[*] a decent drill press vise comes in very handy as a portable 3rd hand.[*] The Bench- note the caps. There isn't a more important tool in any workshop than the bench where all the work is conducted. It's your friend and helper. It needs to be flat and solid. Level helps but do not confuse level with flat. [*] You'll also need some sort of building board that you can push pins into or a steel backed one that you can use magnets on to hold parts in place as a temporary assembly jig. Get some T pins if you go the pin route. Your fingers will thank you.[*] For larger models like these an assembly and detail bench along the wall and an island table/bench out where you can get all around it works well. If your work area will support that idea it's a winner.[*] rulers and straightedges of various sizes. At a minimum a 6 and 12 inch ruler and a nice wide sturdy aluminium yardstick or straightedge for long cuts are a minimum. You'll also want some smaller easy to use tapemeasures. Along with these go scribers, pencils, pens and other marking tools. A weighing scale or two is also a great friend to have that we should all use a lot. Ounces are the enemy and pounds are legions of the devil and a good scale and some ability to know when to expend and when to make light will help your models fly better.
[/ul]
From there you get into the power tools. Biggies for working on models of this size are a nice scroll or band saw and a mid sized drill press. I'm partial to the bandsaw option myself but a scroll saw does things the bandsaw can't while the bandsaw is so much more easy to use since it doesn't shake the work piece around. While there are smaller desktop bandsaws if you can spare the room and do any woodworking as well then a floor mounted 14 inch throat saw is the way to go. A table top drill press of around 1/2 hp and that uses a 1/2 inch chuck is a very handy model tool as well. Again the larger ones will let you do more things and have uses outside of the model building arena. A lot of folks will also suggest a Dremel. I use mine a lot but if I was buying stuff all over again and I was on a budget I'd be bringing home a drill press first, then a scroll saw, then a bandsaw and only after all that a Dremel tool. This list is importance with what the tools do that I can't emulate successfully with hand tool options. More than anything the drill press will let me drill holes that are square to a surface to a high degree. That's hard to do by eye.
This is all just a start
02-26-2008, 09:36 PM
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RE: new to building
Have been scratch-building for @ 12 years. In addition to the above, I would also get:
- a soldering iron - a 25 watt one should do for small jobs such as electrical connectors. Get a 150-watt gun for larger things like langing gear, although a propane torch will speed things up greatly and be useful for other homeowner stuff as well. Use rosin core only for electrical work, and silver solder for anything getting lots of stress.
- clamps. Lots of them. Paper clips (the spring clamp type, not the bent wire ones) can be pressed into service, as can clothes pins if you can find them. I picked up some brightly colored plastic spring clamps about 2" long on the cheap-o table, and paid $1 for 5. Bought a couple buck's worth, and use them often.
- a small pair of needle-nose pliers. Handy for everything and if you go the pin route, are most handy.
- a small vise. The kind that clamps onto the edge of your building board works well for most model airplane things.
- a set of needle files.
- Make some small sanding blocks. tongue depressors and popsicle sticks with 100 and 150 grit glued to them are invaluable for tight spaces. Emery boards also work.
- a set of drill bits. See the drill press above. Also get some long bits 6" length in 1/8, 3/16, and 1/4.
- plastic triangles. Keep things square. I have an old plastic one that is maybe 3" and 6" on the sides adjacent to the 90-degree angle that I could not live without. The yellow or grey plastic ones you get in the home improvement stores work well, but ar a bit too large for many places. Scrounge the school supply shelves.
- Two of my most useful tools have proven to be a stainless steel protractor with an adjustable arm, and a 6" combination square.
Don't let all of this intimidate you. Add to your collection one thing at a time. I've built planes with an Xacto knife and #11 blade, a hacksaw blade, some sandpapder wrapped around a piece of wood, an hand drill, a couple of screwdrivers, and a ruler. The rest makes life a lot easier. Enjoy and good flying.
- a soldering iron - a 25 watt one should do for small jobs such as electrical connectors. Get a 150-watt gun for larger things like langing gear, although a propane torch will speed things up greatly and be useful for other homeowner stuff as well. Use rosin core only for electrical work, and silver solder for anything getting lots of stress.
- clamps. Lots of them. Paper clips (the spring clamp type, not the bent wire ones) can be pressed into service, as can clothes pins if you can find them. I picked up some brightly colored plastic spring clamps about 2" long on the cheap-o table, and paid $1 for 5. Bought a couple buck's worth, and use them often.
- a small pair of needle-nose pliers. Handy for everything and if you go the pin route, are most handy.
- a small vise. The kind that clamps onto the edge of your building board works well for most model airplane things.
- a set of needle files.
- Make some small sanding blocks. tongue depressors and popsicle sticks with 100 and 150 grit glued to them are invaluable for tight spaces. Emery boards also work.
- a set of drill bits. See the drill press above. Also get some long bits 6" length in 1/8, 3/16, and 1/4.
- plastic triangles. Keep things square. I have an old plastic one that is maybe 3" and 6" on the sides adjacent to the 90-degree angle that I could not live without. The yellow or grey plastic ones you get in the home improvement stores work well, but ar a bit too large for many places. Scrounge the school supply shelves.
- Two of my most useful tools have proven to be a stainless steel protractor with an adjustable arm, and a 6" combination square.
Don't let all of this intimidate you. Add to your collection one thing at a time. I've built planes with an Xacto knife and #11 blade, a hacksaw blade, some sandpapder wrapped around a piece of wood, an hand drill, a couple of screwdrivers, and a ruler. The rest makes life a lot easier. Enjoy and good flying.
