I am going to build my first kit. A Great Planes Ultimate 40 bipe. It's small at 43 inch wingspan. I've put together a few ARFs and have most of the stuff I need to build so I do have some experience with building, however, this is my first "kit" build. A few questions:
1. Building Boards. A hollow core door seems to be a good choice for the first timer. I agree the magnetic stuff is good, but I'd like to keep it as simple as possible. What do I put on top of the door? I've heard ceiling tiles, drywall, etc.
2. Are there any good free publications or web sites that have good advice and tips for the first time builder? I'm looking for information that will give me good techniques and things to watch out for when building. Any good resource would be appreciated.
thanks,
Mike
SIG 4 Star 60 (clipped wings/larger rudder/ST90)
Chip Hyde Vision 3D/DA-50 engine

Your best resources are these very forums. You can likely find a build thread for almost any kit that has ever been made... okay there are few exceptions. Check out the "kit builders forum" here. I have built a couple kits now and have never read a book about it. I just poked around on these forums picking up some technique along the way. When in doubt don't rush your build and post a question.

Heres one I did on the GP Ultimate . Sorry it,s kinda short one. http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_5374392/tm.htm

Here is an excellent reference for that:

http://www.airfieldmodels.com/site_map.htm

Even though your list of planes say you're beyond trainers as far as flying, a biplane is probably a pretty ambitious choice for a first build.
I'd be very tempted to build a basic monoplane first.
> Great Planes PT-20/40/60
> SIG LT-25/40
> SIG Four Star 40/60
> SIG Somethin Extra
Sell it or give it away if you don't want to fly it, but use it to learn basic building techniques.

Just get yourself a Tower Hobbies building board and have at it. I was learning to fly on the Nexstar trainer when I built mine. I got mine in a trade and thought why not try it. I had never even assembled an arf before, and mine came out o.k. Just read the instuctions 10 times before you start and take your time. Read each step in the instructions carefully and understand it before you do it. If you don't understand a step, stop and think about it, re-read and think again untill you do. Ask for help if needed.

My building board is something I made up years ago from 3/4 inch pine. Soft enough for pins when needed. It's braced in four spots so it doesn't ever warp. I tried the magnets and didn't care for them as much but it wasn't my system, I was just using it to give it a try. A bipe isn't much harder to build then a single wing but you do need an incidence meter and learn how to use it correctly. It's more work having the extra wing but often worth the trouble. You bought a good one!!!!

I'll second that. I bought mine from an ad in the back of Model Avaition (from a now defunct outfit) but it is identical to the ones Tower sells. End grain balsa. A delight to build on.

Mine sits on a massive old 4' x 8' oak table that was in a railroad station and has a surface of old asphalt green linoleum (a la highschool shop class tables). It must weigh 600 pounds assembled. On top of the linoleum I placed a 4 x 8 x 1/2" fiberboard sheet. I just slip the 48" long balsa building board under the plans and then cover them with waxed paper and pin away. A bunch of lead weights allows gravity to help, too. Take the time to level up your table well and it will pay off in the long run.

Another great item are the little squaring jigs that House of Balsa makes (I believe Tower carries them). Put two on each wing rib and roll along using CA to cement the ribs to the spars. Eight allows you to leave them on and as you get to rib #5 you can pull the first two and keep rolling.

I know I've posted on several threads asking about building equipment to get started. Do a search under tools or building equipment. Graybeard had a great post. The Tower building board works great and an incidence meter is a must for biplanes.....well, all planes. As for the basics I'd suggest the old #11 Exacto blades (with handle!), several thicknesses of CA, 6 minute and 30 minute epoxy and a Dremel tool if you can swing it. Lots of T-pins to pin your parts to the board, wax paper to cover the plans and some sanding blocks or aluminum T-bars using stick on sandpaper. For covering you'll need a covering iron, a trim iron and a heat gun. A cutting mat and good straight edges will help there. A good drill or small drill press is worthwhile as are clamps to hold your work. Don't forget a soldering setup.

There are then literally hundreds of small items/gadgets that are useful. But given the above you can build anything made of balsa/spruce. GP manuals generally give you a good number of helpful hints.

Welcome to the real world. ENJOY!

A few quick thoughts.

1) Hollow core doors work fine as build tables, but they DO have one potential drawback...they sag/twist/warp over time.

This doesn't mean they can't be used...it simply means you need to be aware of the potential. MANY of the things you'll do in building demand a FLAT surface. it doesn't necessarily have to be LEVEL all the time, but it DOES need to be FLAT quite often. Be aware of this, and if using a hollow core dore, either take steps to eliminate this issue by building a good, solid framework under it, or check the surface periodically and correct any sags/dips/twists before building.

The other option, though slightly more expensive, is to go with a solid core door. Bit more of a hassle to get everything set up, and certainly less mobile (they're HEAVY)...but you can rest assured they won't warp or sag.

2) As for covering the surface, lots of good input above. Any of those suggestions, or the ones you mentioned, will be fine. Another often overlooked inexpensive alternative happens to be my fave..."homasote". It's the sheathing used on the outside of homes under construction, black on one side, brown on the other. A 4x8 sheet is quite inexpensive at most hardware stores, and will last many builds before needing to be replaced. It's solid enough to make a good cutting back for nearly any job, jet soft enough to easily push pins into.

3) One last comment, though you didn't specifically ask about it...I've found this to be, imo, THE most often overlooked aspect of a building area...LIGHTING. (Maybe it's just the photographer in me that obsesses over it *heh*)

You won't appreciate good lighting until you build once without it. Once you do, you'll never do it again.

Shop light fixtures are inexpensive and easy to install. At a MINIMUM, I'd suggest a fixture directly above the build table, and one to either side, for a total of three. If you have the space and the budget, more is ALWAYS better, imo...you simply can NOT have too much light in a build are imo. Lack of light over the build surface makes precise cuts difficult at best, conceals flaws in joints, makes leveling and straight building a nightmare, hides flaws in wood, and makes it nearly impossible to put a good finish on the model. Low light elsewhere in the shop makes it hard to find tools, difficult to achieve precision with power tools on the workbench, and you may rest assured that every single nut, bolt, washer, or screw you drop WILL find its way to the darkest corner of the shop.

Light light light.

It's also worth considering the the color/wavelength of lighting. You can get as picky or as generic as you wish with this sort of thing, but there are some things to at least be aware of.

You'll find 'soft' and 'cool' and 'white' and 'sun' and all kinds of different types of bulbs running around. "Shop lights" are usually thought of as bright, harsh WHITE lighting. IMO, this is the best for building. You WANT harsh detail and bright lighting when trying to line that tiny joint up just so.

Be aware, however, that the bright white lights will make covering look COMPLETELY different than it will outdoors. Shades you thought matched perfectly will be light years off out in the sun, and that cub yellow paint you so carefully mixed that absolutely "popped" in the shop will almost dissapear outside.

For this reason, it's best imo to have at LEAST some sort of easy access to natural sunlight (a door you can easily carry the airplane through to go out and in, a window you can set the plane next to, something) or, better yet, 1-2 seperate shop light fixtures with "sunlight" colored bulbs. They're usually sold as "kitchen bulbs" or something like that...they'll be considerably yellower than most shop bulbs. The setup that I'm happiest with has two of those, "inside" of my two shoplights on either side of the build area, on a seperate circuit. That way, as desired, I can shut down the bright white lights, turn those on, and get a pretty close idea of what the plane will look like outside.

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Sorry if I ranted a bit there on the lighting...just always seems to me to be the thing I notice about new building areas/shops...they have all these great tools/setups...and can't see a thing.

Best of luck with your first build, here's to hoping we gain another builder in the world!

Start a build thread in the Kit Building forum. Use a subject like "First Build - Ultimate 40 - Appreciate Advice". The people with building skills will bend over backwards to contribute to help ensure your success! Hope ya have a digital camera of course.

I have 2 different building boards. One is a hollow core door supported by a couple of saw horses. This is used primarily for storage of build materials and then a covering cutting station. My primary board starts with a plumb & level frame of 2x4's that provides a recessed sub-frame for another hollow core door. The hollow core door is recessed (as well) below a perimeter frame made of 1x3 molding. The 1x3 molding allows the installation of acoustic ceiling panels - very tight seams - with the surface flush with the molding. This allows me to easily remove / replace the tiles after a couple of builds.

I'd like to reiterate jigeye's reference to airfieldmodels.com!!!!!

Also, for a basic build thread, check RCKen's thread on Pay if Forward - LT40 build. Very thorough (though the covering part was never completed - hint, nudge, nudge, ). www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3439708/anchors_3439708/mpage_1/key_/anchor/tm.htm#3439708

Thanks for you input. I'll start a build thread when I get underway and yes I have a good Canon Rebel Xsi and decent photoshop skills!