Hi.
Mike in Memphis here. I bought a Great Planes Ultimate 40 kit for something to do over the winter. I have put together several ARFs, however, I've never done the "kit gig" so I thought it would be fun. I have a few basic questions and also would like to mention I've read all of RCUKen's tips which have been very helpful.
I started on the stab as per kit instructions and noticed the 1/2 inch wide balsa pieces are cut at angles on some of the cuts. There is no mention of what the angles are on the plans. What is the best way to cut the angles and how do you know what angle to cut? I'm assuming buy a miter box/saw and "eyeball it" from the plans?

You should be able to lay the balsa right on top of your plans to get the angle correct. I'm assuming your building right on top of the plans(don't forget the wax paper over them). I keep one of those boxes of 100 razor blades on my table and just push it straight down thru the balsa. When they get dull toss it and grab another. I think I paid $3.99 for a hundred. I keep a miter for spruce and bass wood. Good luck.

I generally just mark the angles by laying the wood over the plans, You could also extend the lines ont he plans and actually measure the angles if you want. Also, I liek to make the cuts just a hair long so I can fine tune the fit with a sanding bar.

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yep. just place on plan, tick off the wood with a pen at the angle needed and cut with a fine tooth saw,usually off plan ,so it does not get all messed up. then glue and pin in place (wax paper on the plans)

The beauty of laying angled ribs into a tapered frame is that they will lay in there just about any which way as long as your cuts are "square" .
Scribe your cut marks with the blade.
A vertical guide for a razor saw works pretty well on tougher wood.
Slight errors can be packed with fine balsa sawdust and zapped with thin CA, just don't tell anyone. [8D]
The more you do it and trust your eyes, the better you will get.
I like to prime the end grain cuts with thin CA and follow up with medium CA for the gluing.
I will also dowel some key points with round tooth picks or bamboo skewers if I'm being paranoid about it.

Hi jigeye
The hobby shops sell something that may be called a "razor saw". It is small, and has a very thin blade. It is perfect for cutting that angle. Mine is about 30 years old.

Thanks so much for all the people who responded. I will be emailing more "newbie builder" questions as I get more into this build. As a side note, I built a table with a hollow core door/drywall for this project.
I think I've had just as much fun building the table as I have building the airplane! I also photoshoped my monokote scheme with my "Arkansas Trailer Trash Dog" as my pilot. See attached pix.

Here,s a link you might be interested in, http://www.rcuniverse.com/product_gu...&amp;kit_id=85
Here,s a build thread I did on mine. http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_5374392/tm.htm

The Fourmost 153 Miter Saw http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXG875&P=0 is a nice tool for cutting just about any angle. If you don't know the angle, use the plans to mark the stick and line up the saw to the marks.

My suggestion is to go to the Kit Building forum and do some research in there.  I decided to cover my last model with fabric and paint and I learned all I needed in that forum.  You may even want to start your own thread there.   Good luck!

I would recommend using either a miter saw as mentioned by Carrell or some device that ensures the cuts are exactly perpendicular (square) with the piece you're cutting. If the cuts are not square, the glued surfaces may not be securely attached to each other resultiing in a weak joint and eventual failure. I use a small bench disk sander to ensure accuracy.

DaveB

Insanemoondoggie and carollh,
Excellent!

What about sanding? I ended up going the thin or medium CA route (Ken, I know I can use Titebond II, however, I am sticking with the fumes and quick working time).
I finished the stab last night and it came out good except for too much time spent getting the angles correct, which will be fixed today with a good miter saw. I am using a angles protractor and a good magnifying glass also.

As far as sanding. When the stab was completed I had to use 60 grit paper around some of the places the CA was. This left the entire stab rough so I switched to 220 and it is good now. How "smooth" does it need to be? I know it needs to be smooth for the monokote later. Any sanding tips appreciated.

I usually do 80 grit, 150, 220, then 400 before covering.

Don't forget your tackcloth.

Yes, a tack cloth is a must. Any debris on the model will be amplified by the covering. ArcticCatRider's post is correct. Sanding is the most cumbersome part of building a model, but it will give you the best aesthetic results. Don't get lazy. It will take a long time and a lot of effort, but it is worth it. After it is well sanded, find a very clean room to do the covering. Don't let any debris get near your baby.