Capt Jim

My Feedback: (168)

I'm building a kit...for the first time in years...since ARFs have taken over the scene.. It's a Top Flite Giant scale P-47, and what a lumber pile this thing starts out as. I'm Ok with CA glues, and epoxy and polyester resins, but I guess I don't know ablout the relative merits of the more common glues. I see Bordens and Elmers wood glue. Some of it is white and some is cream color. Are these good for a giant scale r/c model...and which is best for what? Kit directions mention "Aliphatic" resin glue. OK, whats that? I hope it's not that stuff that likes a little water as it cures, and foams up...expanding quite a lot, and trys to push apart the pieces you want to stay together. Definately need to clamp that stuff. I want to be using a good quality product, and in many places I want to have set-up time so as to be able to position things. CA is sometimes just too quick. And whats the best for glueing balsa sheeting over ribs? So, before I get too far into the wood pile, how about the real kit builders sharing some info on what they use to "keep it all together".
Thanks...and now I'm going back and do some more sanding. Whew, no wonder ARFs are so popular.
Jim

saramos

Alphatic resin glues are carpenters glues like TiteBond. They are typically yellow or cream in color. They are good for general framing and attaching sheeting, give a good working time, and can be cleaned up with water before it cures. Polyurithane glues, like Gorilla Glue, are the ones that are activated by moisture and foam.

I strongly recommend checking out Cafeenman's website at www.airfieldmodels.com
He has a great site that goes into detail about glues, materials, tools, kit building, construction techniques and much more. This site can help you become a more informed and better builder.

Scott

Capt Jim

My Feedback: (168)

Thanks Scott. I really needed to know more about that "Titebond" type. I'm on the right track now. I just recently discovered that wonderful website but haven't yet been through much it. I am sure that there is a wealth of information contained therein....I must spend some time there. That's what I'll do when I'm taking a break from sanding.
Just a note here about my discoveries with this Top Flite kit. It has been many years since building my last kit, and I really expected that progress should be taking place in the kit world. We live in a world of machinery and automated production equipment...don't we? This Top Flite kit doesn't even give you pre-shaped leading edges....they give you square stock and tell you to go sand and sand etc...and then they have you carve and sand huge blocks of balsa for wing and stab tips. How archaiac. Building from a kit is supposed to be fun and relaxation, and indeed, much of this kit is just that...but all this hand carving and sanding is not much fun...makes me sneeze...and in the case of these big blocks of balsa wing and stab tips, probably adds unneccessary weight to the finished model. I figured the laborious hand sanding was only at the end...for the final finish....surprise!
Oh well...just my .02 cents worth. I'll finish this one anyway, but next time I may spend the bigger bucks and buy a Yellow Aircraft kit, or something of that ilk.
thanks again for the tips.
Jim

RCPilot100

My Feedback: (4)

Jim,

I first started building kits in the late 50s - and yes, they have improved. Some more so than others. I guess I would say that your kit has improved since then, but not as much as some. I have a Royal B-25 kit that I never have time to build, so I just took it over to a friend to build for me. He is retired and likes to build as much as I do - I am not retired so he has more time. Anyway, both of us agree that this is one of the worst kits you will ever see. The instructions actually start out with the old joke about putting glue in the box and shaking your completed plane out - and that is probably one of the best instructions there. Only one wing half is shown on the plans - to build the other half they suggest rubbing the back of the plan with vegetable oil so you can read the plan from the back. And like your plane, my buddy will end up sanding lots of planks and chunks of balsa wood into airplane shapes.

Dan

Capt Jim

My Feedback: (168)

HI Dan. I have to say that I am enjoying the build. I get a kick out of making things take shape out of raw stock....except for the aforementioned carving. Thanks for the warning about Royal kits. Vegetable oil to see thru the plan...how cheap can they get! I have a builder friend who does a lot of this stuff..in between working a full time job..and he speaks badly of Pica kits too. He had the opportunity to visit their facility here in S. Florida....he said it was like a bad joke. The place was a mess...and it just confirmed the poor opinion he had about them just from working with one of their kits. He was actually there to pick up something that was left out of his kit. I guess I shouldn't expect more from the Top Flite kit....considering that the other warbird kit makers don't even have a construction manual to guide you along. And not to forget that this giant scale warbird is barely over $200 bucks at Tower. It begins to look real good considering the cost. I used to build everything when I was a kid...but that was 50 years ago...I guess I've forgotten some things along the way, but I'm catching up pretty quickly...thanks to the great people resources we have here on RC Universe.
Thanks for your comments Dan, and Happy New Year.
Jim

Sense963

My Feedback: (10)

Ditto on the Pica kits. Worst mistake of my building experience. Wouldn't/Couldn't recommend them to all but the most masochistic of hobbyists.

Tired Old Man

My Feedback: (1)

Be grateful, VERY grateful, that Royal kits are no more. They were known as a Royal pain in the --- during their time.

Now if you want to work real hard on a kit, and have an absolute love for the tiniest of details, try your hand at a Flair scale kit.

Overall, it all could be worse. You could have to cut all the parts out after tracing them from the plan sheets Or better yet, draw your own plans and go from there.

The vegetable oil thing works, by the way. Some of the old Balsa USA kits require the same touch.

TexasAirBoss

My Feedback: (22)

You are kidding, right ? I thought my one experience with a Pica kit was great. Good wood, simple design, a 60 size warbird at 7 1/2 lbs, whats not to like ? They are FUN scale, and I do take points off for that, but they do fly well. Don't enjoy carving ? That must really limit your choices. That is too bad.

eugene

Capn Jim......I have just completed a G S Top Flite P-47.. Much like the gold edition, just more lumber. ALL the L E were pre-formed, as in their other kits, and the die cutting was very good.....There was some shaping on the wing tips, etc, but 80 grit, and a shoe shine treatment, and it was finished in a few minutes....i have built a few kits in my time, starting in 1938, some were good, some were ...well...not so good. T F does not assume everyone is an experienced builder, and has an excellent instruction booklet. Dont assume Yellow kits are a breeze, there is still much assembling, and some head scratching attached to them. I do commend you for building...when you send your plane up for the first time, and the pilot says" look , hands off, a real winner" ..all the sanding and sneezing will be forgotten

mrbigg

My Feedback: (21)

what ever happened to the rumor of the tf gs p47 arf?

fred123

Just started a Sig SE kit and I highly recommend the company and its products. All parts are laser cut, edges are preformed. Ribs are tabbed so that alignment is almost automatic and the instructions are very complete.. I made a mistake on a part and ruined it. The folks at Sig wouldn't let me pay for it and sent a replacement. Put up your Top-flite and get a SIG...

Fred 123[&:][&:]

Capt Jim

My Feedback: (168)

I really appreciate all the tips and comments on this thread. The "jug" is well underway now. The fuse top is built and partially sheeted...boy, is that ever tough to cut panels of sheeting on a nice straight line and have to bend them over compound curves. The nice straight line doesn't match well with the stringer. I used it, but I had to "average out the errors" all along the stringer just to get a little support behind the edges. I guess I'll have t cut the next one straight too, and hope they mate well. I don't want to have to resort to planking in small.. half inch or less strips, even though I know it will fit easier I wonder how the next sheet will lay in and match up on the edge? The tail feathers are all finished, and I must say that I am quite proud of their appearance. With eyes closed, I cannont feel any line between the sheeting and the tip blocks that I sanded to fit. Your suggestions helped...a lot.
Thanks.
Jim

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

For sheeting around curves and angles first wet down the sheeting on one side with A blend of say 50 50 water and ammonia and after A minute or two you can hand warp the wood or use tape or rubber bands and fasten the wood to the surface to be sheeted. In about 15 minutes the wood will be dry enough to glue it in place with Thick CA. You will be ammazed at how easy sheeting can be and how close you can get the seams. I have different size bottles and cans and I pre warp all my sheets to get them close to the correct shape or angle, very easy.

Capt Jim

My Feedback: (168)

HI G.B. Yes I do that. I wrap the sheeting over a convenient length of PVC pipe to establish the general curve, but I spray it wih straignt alcohol...the rubbing kind, not the drinking kind..it evaporates and dries out quickly, but does allow the wood to relax into its new shape. The sheeting difficulty I was trying to describe is what happens to the perfectly straight edge of the balsa sheet, after you bend it and glue it into position. You find that the next ajoining sheet, with its also perfectly straight edge, now does not meet that first piece of sheeting. You would think that since both edges were perfectly matched before putting them in plce, that they would continue to be a perfect match. However, apparently when bent into position on a compound curve, the straight edge changes a little and so the succeeding sheet now no longer matches. Bear in mind that because of the compound curves, you cannot edge glue the sheets and then "wrap" the fuselage, as you would do with a wing. It's being a tricky problem.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Jim