RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

In World War IIthe British coined the term "Gremlins". That is what they blamed things on that they just couldn't explain.Funny and odd things. I know we all have them when we're building. Call it "Gremlins", "Murphy's Law", "Weird Stuff, or just plain "What the heck???" what are the things that go on while you're building that just leaves you both scratching your head and cussing under your breath??

And here's my #1.

It just happened to me, and that's what prompted me to start this thread.

When I start to cover a plane Icompletely clear my work area. Put the plane on the bench. Put out the two covering irons, a trim iron, and a heat gun. Then Ibreak out THREE brand new razor blades and lay them on the bench. So Istart covering. As Ifinish up a section I'll usually sit down for a few minutes to rest my back. Then Istand back up and get ready to the next section. Imeasure out the covering and lay it out on the board to cut it. Iline it up with the straightedge and get ready to cut, reach for a razor blade and............ Where the heck is that damn razor blade. There are 3 of them on the bench soIlook around quickly while still holding the straightedge and can't see a damn razor blade anyplace. Istand up and look. Nada, nothing, not a damn blade in sight. Istart lifting up irons, heat guns, gloves, roll of covering, everything on the table and there isn't a blade anywhere. Ido this 3 or 4 times before Ifinally find one (yes, only one out of three blades) hiding under the covering iron after looking for almost 10 minutes.Yes, I did look under it 3 times.

There is a damn gremlin that runs out and picks those damn blades up and hides them!!!!!

What frustrates you when building???

Ken

foodstick

Here is one that drives me bonkers !

When you have your long flat sanding bar.. you work those leading edges and ribs down to a even perfect level ..your working along, almost done ....you sight down the wing..its close ..you only need a couple more passes, then POP! the end of the sanding bar catches and breaks a rib !

its like it waits to happen at the last second...

Buckmeister

No matter how many time I read ""MAKE SURE YOU BUILD A LEFT AND A RIGHT...." I end up with two lefts or rights.
I flipped parts over, turned them the other way, buil them over the left and right plans and always end up with two lefts or rights of some piece if the plane!
How thew %#!^$ did that happen?
Corsair Brotherhood #69

EscapeFlyer

My Feedback: (1)

This one got me...

I ordered a Brodak elevator joiner for a plans build. I put the thing in my box of supplies for the build. I went to get it to install it, and it is no where to be found. I turned over my shop several times in the past 3 weeks. I still can't find it!

I'll probably find the thing after the build is complete and finished with a different y-pushrod method...

Brian

saramos

Ken, trust me, I feel your pain.

I can't count the times when I'm sitting at the workbench and set down a knife to make a measurement or sand a small spot, or whatever, then starts the search for that darn knife. I know it has to be within arms reach because I haven't gotten up. I look under things, behind things, check the floor to see if it rolled of the table, nothing! Then ten minutes later, like magic, there it is right in front of me, precisely where I originally set it down!!!!!

Scott

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Mine is the same as Ken's too - Except it's not just razor blades. Drill bits, DRILLS, screwdrivers, wallet, car keys, my car, my wife (especially if we're shopping), etc

Oh yea, another one is: Just finished covering and you set the fuse or wing down on top of a pointy bottle of CA and poke a hole in the covering![:@]

AllTheGoodNamesAreTaken

My Feedback: (180)

Ken,
Your're doing it all wrong. If you're like me, you have a couple boxes of 100 count #11 xacto blades and a box of single edge blades on your bench. When you get ready to cover, just set those boxes of blades on your bench next to one of your covering irons.
I use at least 20 blades/per plane, well actually only about 10 or 12. The rest go hide with the socks from the laundry...

noveldoc

My Feedback: (2)

Don't forget that endlessly dancing air bubble under the Monocote. Press it down here; it pops up over there. It's like playing Whack A Mole.

Tom

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

I'd lose the box

outdoorhunting

Had an experience with an Exacto knife. I'm was on a roll, really whacking away at covering a wing. Everything & I mean everything was going soo good. It's like I couldn't make a mistake (& that ain't normal for me!) I always wear tennis shoes or sandals when working in the shop. Well, all of a sudden the *(&%^%U*) knife is gone. I look everywhere, no knife. Under the workbench, all around the floor, nothing!!! I give up & get my spare & start back to work figuring it'll show up. And then I looked down & low & behold, there it was, sticking out of my leather work boot ( I was going to mow the yard when I finished the wing) Man !!! I sure was glad I didn't have my sandals on !!! Although, I would've foung the knife a lot quicker !!

noveldoc

My Feedback: (2)

Then there is that little wrinkle in the covering. And the more you try to fix it, the bigger it gets.

Monocote was made by Satan!

Tom

Aiden88

My Feedback: (5)

Gremlins aren't the cause of you breaking something or with having an issue with covering.No, those little jerks are the ones who steal your stuff, like Ken's razor blades or ODH's exacto knife. I hate it when they steal a tool youwant to useand youlook all over for it and even look in places you know it couldn't be and thenfinally when yougive up and crack open a beer and,presto, there the tool is sitting in plain sight on the bench where you absolutely know you've looked several times. The little jerks seem to like blades or knives because that's the one tool that seems to go missing most of the time for me too.

saramos

Urban Myth ahead...

I was covering a plane and just finishing the wing and needed to trim the excess. I spent forever looking for the darn knife I'd been using. Finally, I gave up and got another one. I picked up the wing to trim it and heard 'klunk'. I found the knife ... inside the covered wing! Them can be some mean gremlins.

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

Your gremlins visited my shop!!!!Except when they were here they put a screwdriver in the fuselage!!!!!

Ken

bigal126

My Feedback: (18)

Building late at night. Using the 30 minute epoxy getting the stab on just right, lining it up perfectly, then bam one of those little gremlins shot a bolt of lightning and knocked the power off in the neighborhood. Sitting in total darkness, just knowing that that stab wasn't quite perfect. A very unlightening experience.

GaryHarris

Lost my X-acto once, but found it in a hurry!

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

I'm sorry, but this one made me laugh. Ican just imagine the feeling you had going on!!!

Ken

Desertlakesflying

My Feedback: (28)

The reason I don't use round Exacto knives anymore?

Had one roll off the bench once and out of habit I reached out to catch it, which I did right in the meat between the thumb and pointy finger, and 3 stitches later.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

FYI, wrap a piece of tape around your round knife and stick the two ends of the tape to each other to make a little "flag". No more rolling!

Buckmeister

You must have been a medic with the way you made that bandage.

Aiden88

My Feedback: (5)

Stuff like this only comes from years of been there, done that.

Zor

Gremlins move around everyday.
Two nights ago they were all here.

Mid evening I wasreturning from doing groceries and decided to work on installing the receiver in my sailpane.

Where are my eye glasses ?
Not on the workbench, not in my jacket pockets that I was wearing at the grocery.
Must have left them in the car. Went out and looked everywhere in the car; no glasses.

Must have left them at the grocey cash. Drove back to the grocery (5 miles one way).
Same cashier was still there; No glasses.

Not sure if I had them at the grocery; must have left them somewhere around the shop.
Looked everywhere on the bench; no glasses.

Did they fall down under the workbench?

Bent down to have a look ___while bending down they fell off my Tshirt pocket.

You guessed it right; there was only one gremlin and it was me.
That entitles me to say hello to all YOUR gremlins. .

Zor

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Pretty much everything that happens to everyone else but my main problem is the dumbass that goes out to my shop and leaves the cap off my pen. I use the Sharpie 0.5 fine tip jell and if you leave the cap off over night the pen is dead. so far this build, two have died already.

foodstick

My little rolling exacto knife story goes like this ...

When i lived in an apartment (7 years ) I was a building machine ! I couldn't hardly stop to eat sleep work.. I was tireless ! When SIG released the Mid Star I didn't even want one..but I built one in 7 days, and hung it up for sale at the hobby shop

So back to the knife incident, One night I was building until late in the morning, 1 am or so, well this was pre CA glue ,so timing was everything. I glued the last part of the night , and went to take a shower. As I was finishing up my shower I thought. If was to glue in just one more part, tomorrow morning I would be MUCH further along

so I sat down at my building table, which used to be an artist table..the type that leans back towards you.. It actually works pretty well to build on. Even though you are used to the table being level to the floor. Well I moved something on the table and I saw the exacto knife fall off right between my knees. I had this panic in my head ..but there was no way to move or stop it.. I heard a solid thud, and looked down.. it was stuck in the floor..my bare feet not more that 4 inches either side of it... Without being to obvious, my feet weren't the first thing I worried about getting hit !

GaryHarris

It's much more than that Mike. This knife was not the run of the mill aloominum lightweight type. Mine is the rubber handled type with the nub that weighs 3 times as much as the usual type and is not supposed to roll off the bench. But it did and went "BOING" and wiggled on the top of my foot! It stuck and when I pulled it out, a band aid would not suffice! [:@]