Ok.. We all spend untold hours willingly toiling away on our new creation. During this course we are some times pleasantly surprised when a relatively inexpensive piece of/component/aftermarket item makes are pride and joy much easier to build or fly or maintain. Like wise at times a simple item causes one to almost go postal!!! So what have you found that are Gems and what have you found that is Junk!!

The idea is to create and share a list of Gems and Junk that you use on your plane or to service it. Lets keep the items at $25 or less so we don't get into a discussion of main components covered else where.

Heres my two cents,
Gems- Robart "Super Horns" ball link control horns. These are what those cheap white plastic horns included in most kits want to be when they grow-up.
Junk- Du-Bro fuel valves. They look so good and efficient that I keep hoping they work. These little gremlins leak so much fuel after a few flight that the EPA should outlaw them!

So thats the idea. Lets share some learnings and have some fun.

Gems:

1. Robart Hinge Points, any size.
2. The convenient new 100pk of the item in #1 above
3. Zip-ties!

Junk:

1. Those little wire fuel line clips that are $1.99 for 4 of them. Use a small zip-tie instead!
2. OEM Servo horns (Futaba, JR, etc)

Gems:

Fourmost 154 Miter Sander: About $17.
Hobbico Voltwatch: About $12. Never fly on a weak battery. (4-cell only)
Clear 3/8" heat-shrink tubing from Fry's at $2.29 for 3 feet. Secure those servo extensions and be able to see them.

Junk:

CBA Tatone cast aluminum spinners at any price.
Hitec 225 servo used on anything requiring the torque it's supposed to have OR any reasonable amount of throw.

bgi,
On the miter sander does the balsa align flush with the black arm and the sanding block then moves across the top to cut the angle? Please advise, in the past I used the guess,cut and sand method.
Thx

I too have the foremost miter sander......it does an excellent job.

The balsa rests against the black arm and the arm rotates to the angle you want to sand to. The sanding block fits in a groove and slides back and forth in that groove.

The only thing I dislike about it is that the sanding block is fairly small and if you use it alot, your hand cramps up from hold such a small block. COULD EASILY MAKE A NEW BIGGER ONE!

Gems:

Fuel Dots ; simplitcity in motion

Junk:

ABS Plastic

Captain 232...I'm in agreement with you 100% I use mine all the time and LOVE it!

Jerry

Gooddies:

*Quick Links *love*
*SLEC tanks
*Pico Stiks (ok they don't count but they are only £20)
*Corrally Gold Plated Plugs
*Heat shrik Tubes


Baddies:

*Servo Leadlock's ie. Lead Killers.
*Plastic Clevises.
*RCMI

Kirk, yes, the balsa/lite ply or whatever rests against the black plastic swivel arm. The arm is a snug fit and tends to stay put. What you do is hold the arm and balsa while pressing the balsa against the block and slide the block back and forth. It's quick and easy (yea, really!). With small balsa sticks, there's no need to cut, just sand the angle.

It's great when you're putting sticks in tail feathers. Cut the stick a bit long and then use the sander to get a perfect angle and snug fit. If it's too long, sand a bit more. If it's too short - well - that's why I do the long sticks first. :stupid:

The block is a bit short and the groove it rides in is somewhat loose, so you need to hold the block snug against the front or back to keep the angle accurate.

Rubber feet keep it steady on most any surface.

They also make a miter saw and miter cut (razor), but with the sander, you probably don't need one. Folks who have them LOVE them.

http://www.fourmost.com/

bgi,
Thanks alot I saw one at the LHS today for $16.95 and bought it. It will get a lot of use on my next project TF Giant P-47. From one Georgia boy to another thanks!
Kirk RC

GEM: Granite State hinges (too bad I can't find them anymore...Have to make my own, I guess).


JUNK: OEM nylon clevises

Kirk, you done left us and gone west. Oh, well. That tool should help a lot on any project where you're cutting angles on sticks. I use it on my model wooden boats a lot, too.

Doug, you gonna tell us what a Granite State Hinge is?

gems:

1) Pranther fuel line
2)APC props



junk:

1) Great Planes fuel tanks
2) Those Top Flight stripe cutting thingies

Granite State hinges are made of two strips of adhesive back covering fabric, sewn together in the center. It gave a friction-free gapless hinge you simply applied with your covering iron before covering the airframe. It was available in widths from 3/4" to around 3" for 1/4 scalers, in 36" lengths. You can make your own from the adhesive backed covering fabric from Black Baron (super coverite?). Just keep that seam straight. Wonderful stuff, and anybody that has any they don't want can feel free to PM me...

I was tempted to mention those Top Flight "perfect stripe" cutters, but never used mine, so never experienced how bad they are. It always seems so much easier to use a straight-edge and after reading the manual, I decided to just leave it in the box.

My 2 cents:

Gem:
1. Gonna have to go with the flow here, I think my miter sander is great.
2. Sorry guys, I have to disagree here, I like the Stripe cutter. Have had no problems with it in the least.

Junk:
1. The little white plastic control horns that you always get stuck with.
2. LHS prices (i can feel the flames already)

green river rc, just curious, why don't you like GP fuel tanks. Never had one leak yet, maybe I'm lucky.

...guess I'll have to try mine.

Gems = Sig Manufacturing
Junk = Great Planes

On the same note:

Gem - Ultracote
Junk - Monkeycote er... Monokote

Gems:

- 3M blue painters tape
- FourMost mitre sander
- Master Airscrew balsa stripper and razor plane
- Aliphatic glue
- Harry Higley's film trimmer

Junk:

- Great Planes kit wood
- Most CA bottles
- X-acto brand razor saw, spine is far too flexible

Peeves:

- Low capacity transmitter packs
- Balsa with warped edges

There's a lot more junk, but I tend to not keep it around so I end up forgetting about it. I think psychologists call it repressing a traumatic memory.

HA! I love it. I rave about Ultracote to anyone who admires my perfect FIRST covering job on my LT-40. I contribute the success not to me taking my time, or trying to do a good job, but the ease of using Ultracote and how it was worth the extra $4 a roll!

There's a huge difference between covering a built-up structure and a sheeted structure. My Stik 30 has Oracover (Ultracote) on it and it bubbles horribly in the sun. As far as I'm concerned they should all be called Crapcote. By the way, the plane was finish sanded with 600 paper and then vacuumed with an industrial shop vac. Doesn't matter what you do, same problems.

I'm back to painted finishes unless I want to do a transparent scheme. Then one iron-on is the same as another.

So....

Gems
Silk and Dope
Tissue and Dope
Silkspan and Dope
Fiberglass and (resin/poly urethane, et al)

Junk
Any iron-on plastic

Gems:
Du-Bro fueling valves (They work fine for me)
Beer cans for engine cowls (See pic attached)
K&B, Saito, and Magnum engines
Zona saws
Dremel
Real Flight G2
Twin engined planes (Haw. Had to put that in)

Junk:
Hobbico Accucycle Plus
Top Flite wooden props (Always far out of balance)
Top Flite spray paint cans.
Film coverings.

I/m sure there's more, but that's what comes to mind.

CafeenMan:

Almost total agreement on film covering. But I use a lot of it because it's faster than paint of whatever sort.

Picture attached is a hybrid - fuselage and empennage painted, wings and nacelles covered with film. And, the plane is eight years old. The film hasn't given any problem, except putting it on to start with.

Bill.

Having used both, I'll have to say that they're both good, just different. Depends on what results you're looking for and how you work with the product.