scorchy72

I have, and am about to start building, a great planes Pete 'n Poke kit. I'm new at this. What is the best/easiest way to remove parts from the die cut material?

Campgems

#11 Xacto knife blade. If you have a good line to follow on the back side, IE just a few whiskers holding the part in, cut from the back. If that line isn't quite evident, then carefully cut from the front. A really sharp blade is a must. If you have a very fine hone, every piece or two, dress the blade.

If you have a scroll saw, I would use it to cut the parts out, leaving the line and then sand to the die line if the die stamp isn't the best.

Don

noveldoc

My Feedback: (2)

Sometimes very lightly sanding the back of the wood will help.

Tom

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I have been using a block sander on the back sense I was a kid. Some/most of the kits in the 50s the dies would get dull and never made it all the way through. If the dies were/are real dull at the end of a run then sometimes you have no choice but the razor knife.

Fleet

In my youth, sanding the back of the diecut sheets was the norm. Even then, a sharp pen knife or Xacto would finalize the deal.

Guillow and Sterling were the pits IMHO.

Ray W.

LesUyeda

I remember Sterling. They used their dies forever. As the dies got older, and duller, they just used harder balsa!!!!!!!!!

Les

ArcticCatRider

My Feedback: (6)

Most of the parts you'll be able to push right through with your fingers. Obviously, be smart about it...don't put the most force on the skinniest, most fragile part of the piece.

A lot of the ply will likely need the extra help of the razor...but the balsa parts alot of times just fall right out. Great Planes does a pretty good job.

Just sand all the edges and wherever there's flashing left over...especially on your fuselage..you'll want the top/bottom/sides to all fit together snug. Sometimes a little flashing will interfere with this