Hello... I've got some repair questions due to a lack of building experience.

My twist had a hard "landing" the other day, which resulted in some cracks in the fuselage ply. I used card stock to design a splint to reinforce the crack. I will use this template to cut out the actual piece from 3/32 ply. Now knowing next to nothing about working with wood, and even less about trying to do anything with any precision, I bought a "coping saw" with what I thought was a pretty fine blade. However, I'm finding next to impossible to cut the ply with any precision, and with out shredding the edges of the ply. Due to lack of options I tried to carve it out with an Xacto blade, but I'm sure there's a better way?

So, what would be the best tool to use for cutting out precision parts from ply? I'm thinking of maybe getting a Dremel with the router accessory, would this be a good choice?

What would also be good way to cut triangle stock? I've been using the xacto blade for this too, but it also crushes the wood a little.

With the convienence of ARFs I guess building and reparing is a skill that is not as necessary, but once I have time and space I want to build a few planes to build those skills, if for nothing else than to be able to recover from my "oppsie" landings.

Peter

A router style drill bit (like in the roto-tools) with a 1/8" shank will work in a Dremel style tool for the liteply.
You'll end up with fuzzy edges that a little bit of sandpaper will make short work.
For the triangle stock, you need to get the X-acto small aluminum mitre box and small zona saw.
A large pack of the X-acto #11 blades for the #1 knife handle will cut all the sheet balsa you need.

http://www.hobbypeople.net/inc/bigim...=94&height=150

Hi

I find a band saw very usful, not only does it make things easier and quicker to cut out, but far more accurate than trying cut things with hand tools.

You can cut strips for spars triangle section or many other shapes you might want also if you glue the wood together with a pritt stick you can cut sevral similar parts out at once as ribs or fuslage sides and separate them later.

Simon

The saw Huskerboy linked to is a must-have item. The miter box, not so much, but the saw, YES.

IF you want to spare yourself the expense of a scroll saw, a coping saw is a good hand-held alternative:

http://hand-tools.hardwarestore.com/...ping-saws.aspx

If you put masking tape on both sides of the plywood before you make the cut it will reduce the amount of splintering along the edge. The best way to cut thin plywood is to cut it slightly oversize and then sand or carve it to the final shape.

Pre-cut the lines with a #11 blade and saw just to the scrap side of that line.

Sandwich the part (pattern on the top piece with scrap clamped top and bottom and keep the middle piece - this is wasteful but works).

Use a finer blade.

Your coping saw should cut only on the push stroke. Don't "saw" back and forth, but push hard and then draw back lightly.

Saw large and sand it down to size.

A scroll saw makes great cuts of all shapes and sizes with a very nice edge. I don't have one, but I use my neighbors all the time

RAZOR SAW, NO DOUBT. These things are amazing at cutting all wood, from balsa to ply sheets, and anywhere in-between. They also cut through plastic, brass and nylon tubes. And works beautifully for cutting both soft and hard tri-stock. I highly recommend them.


As you can see here, they have many to choose from:

[link=http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/WTI0095P?FVSEARCH=razor+saw&FVPROFIL=++&search3=Go]CLICK HERE ON THIS LINK to take you to a wide variety of Razor Saws[/link]

For precision cuts in wood I highly recommend a simple jigsaw. You have to drill a starter hole but from then on it works wonders. Mine burned out and I can not wait to replace it. I used it constantly on my kits to cut ply. And you can get them for as little as $15 or less.