hello,
I will be starting my first kit build soon. It's a Sig Ryan STA 60, not really a first kit, but was given to me. Anyway, I was hoping someone could make a list of things I will need to make it, all I already have is CA, sandpaper, wood glue, hobby knives, and a dremel tool. Also any miscellaneous build tips would be appreciated.
thanks

A flat building surface
T pins
Epoxy
Wieght
Wax paper
Triangle
Ruler
Sanding bar.

Take an inventory of the kit before you build.
Read the instructions a couple times.
Study the plans a little bit....left wing, right wing or inverted fuselage..etc
Build one section at a time.
Measure twice cut once
Mark the parts

I have been using a "Mouse" electric finish sander to speed up in making parts fit, verses using an ordinary hand sander. With 220 grit on it, I can also sand joined sheeting quickly, without removing too much wood, making sheeting weak.
You might want some of the spring clamps that you get at Harbor Freight, about $3 for a tube with about 20 of them in there, of different sizes. Very handy to hold parts while the slower curing glue sets up. With the warm weather, watch out for the 30 min. epoxy, it will tend to set rapidly. If you do a wing, where the fit is more critical, get a small batch of 1 hr epoxy, just to give a little more work time.

Good luck!

30-minute Epoxy and a Razor Saw

don't build two left wing halfs, or vs versa........

when I'm bonding wood to wood in the main structure, what glue do I use? Seems CA would be too brittle, or is it OK?

CA is great if the joint is relatively close fitting. I do the bulk of my building with CA, using epoxy only for heavily loaded connections (wing joiners, firewalls, tail feather attachment). If you're using CA, use medium and thin for the bulk of the work. Thin is useful cause it hardens the wood and will wick into it, but this can add weight if one uses it excessively. Medium is best for the bulk of the build. thick is useful occasionally, but not really. Speed the build even further by using CA accelerator to cause it to cure NOW.

CA allows quick, pinless building. Many people, however, are irritated by the fumes and dislike the hard fingertips after a night's work. You can also use carpenter's glue for the bulk of the assembly, tho this requires pinning and clamping and slows the build. Reserve the epoxy for only the few high-stress joints, as it's quite heavy. Even with CA and wood glue, it's quite possible to add ALOT of weight to a plane.

Whatever glue you use, ensure you've got some decent ventilation. Even balsa dust is irritating after a night's sanding.

Building's fun! Have a blast!

J

thanks

also, what do I build on to stick the pins in? I used to build rubber band planes on top of cardboard, will it work in this case?

I use 2' by 4' accoustic ceiling tile, works pretty well. But where did you find the Sig Ryan STA? I'd sure like to try one. I've been "assembling" a Nitro Planes Ryan PT 20 and it's pretty much junk. Really difficult to make it fit and the end result is not very satisfying.