ORIGINAL: carrellh

You really did not need to go through any ''run around'' regarding the kit.
Type www.sigmfg.com
Click ''Fly on in''
Click ''About Sig'' at the top of the page, near the center
Then click ''Contact us'' on the left side, second link
Call them on the phone and ask if the kit is available
If yes, order by phone or online.
If no, choose something different.

ORIGINAL: TinmanJones

in my town, the largest tool, wood, etc, supply store is Home Depot... a few mom & pop supply stores, & a Wal-Mart, but nothing even remotely close to a hobby shop!

so, in my mind, I'll have to order alot of extra stuff online...

any & all suggestions would be great!

again, thanks!

ORIGINAL: vmsguy

You can get lots and lots of stuff at Home Depot. Clamps, drills, drill bits, razor blades (by the 100, in the paint section), glue (Titebond, etcetera) tape, hand tools (screw drivers, plyers, allen wrenches), dremel tools. Did I mention clamps? You can never have enough clamps. Probably Xacto knive sets and blades as well.

On-line. you get the specialty stuff. T-pins, razor plane, slot cutting tool(s).

I'd probably guess that I got the vast majority of my stuff at Home Depot or the local hardware store. Probably 80-90 percent. Whenever I think ''I need a tool to do .....'' Most of the time, I think I can find it at Home Depot or the local hardware store.

The one tool I use a LOT, that I don't hear mentioned here.. is a file. My favorite is a half-round wood file, about 3/4'' wide and a foot long. It cuts through balsa and ply fast. But still gives you lots of control. Handy, handy, handy. Say you cut a whole for a servo mount, and it's a titch too small. Quick work for the file. A knife will work too, but with a knife you could easily slip and cut a gouge in the wood (or your finger) and overdo it. A file lets you do a nice job.

My cordless drill has been super handy. Not the big 18 volt, they're kinda cumbersome. Mine a 14 volt unit that's a little lighter. And it has plenty of horsepower to drill through balsa and the occasional ply. Don't have to mess with tripping over a power cord.

ORIGINAL: GaryHarris

Even the CA from Home Depot works well! They should have about everything youll need Don. Including balsa filler. I can tell you the name when I get home, but its a light weight sheetrock mud stuff. Works better than the regular over priced balsa filler.

ORIGINAL: carrellh
I think the original Titebond is supposed to be easier to sand than II or III. I do not think any glue (on balsa) sands very well. I swear I can sand the balsa from under the glue without affecting the glue at all. Titebond II is somewhat water resistant and III is more so.

If you have a Hobby Lobby (the craft store) in your area, they usually stock thin, medium, and thick CA. They usually have some balsa, basswood, plywood and other things that you might find useul.

Power tools

This little cordless screwdriver works great for model airplanes. My brother has it. It comes with a drill chuck.
http://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-2-4-...797316&sr=1-12
This one is more powerful, bigger, heavier. It is cheaper, and was available at Home Depot when I was shopping. I had to buy the drill chuck as an add-on
http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW920K-...797676&sr=1-24

A rotary tool (Dremel or other brand) with flex shaft attachment is nice to have
http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-3956-02...0798046&sr=1-4
I bought an IV pole from a medical supply company to hang the tool. With the height adjusted so the end of the flex shaft is about a foot from the floor it is pretty convenient to use. I can roll it around my work room easily.

I got the $99 class Ryobi drill press, disc/belt sander, scroll saw, and band saw from Home Depot. I use the sander and drill press more than the saws. For kit building they are really luxury items that see limited use. For crash repair (making new parts) the saws do come in handy. If a person decides to cut his own kit (from purchased plans or an original design) the saws would really be useful.

ORIGINAL: TinmanJones

alright guys...

couple of GOOD things in the past hour...

#1... i just recieved my tracking number from SIG... which means, im actually going to get this kit... YAY!!!

#2... all day today ive been thinking that i had a sealing iron somewhere in my shop... sure enough, I DOOOO!!!

#3... the large metal desk in the pics is one i found that i can get for $50.00... should be good and level, right??? what do yall think, good buy or not???

(now, i gotta see if i know how to post these pics... bare with me)

ORIGINAL: GaryHarris

For some reason I was allways against buying a long sanding block. What I did was use a 2' long level from Home depot, the orange one, a two pack of 3''x24'' 220 grit sanding belts and some spray on contact cement like 3M 45. Cut the sanding belts at the joint and down the middle length wise. Spray the contact cement on one side of the level and the backside of the sanding belt and stick together.

Walah! Long sanding block on one side, flat edge on the other side for weighting down stuff like wing sheeting.

ORIGINAL: GaryHarris

Sorry for posting so much, but I just thought of a couple more things while looking my 4* over. Besides, I'm getting bored looking out the window waiting for the UPS guy. [X(] I have a Big Stik 40 coming today.

The filler I used insted of balsa filler is called ''Patch-n-Paint'' lightweight spackling.

I had some problems using the standard push rods. I would highly recommend building the entire plane, including the electronics before covering it. I had binding pushrod issues and wished I hadn't covered the plane yet. I also had to add more lead in the nose than maybe I should have if the plane wasn't covered yet. I read here and I think it was RCKen who builds planes in this way and I now see it as gospel. Build the entire plane and balance it before covering. Make sure everything is nice and smooth with the pushrods.

The 4* is known to build tail heavy. With a Saito 100, I still had to add about a pound of lead and epoxy up front to get the planes CG right. If I could of balanced the plane before covering, I might of saved a few dead weight ounces of lead and as it stands now, Ill never be able to remove the tank or the battery pack without tearing the plane apart. My plane comes in at 8 1/2 pounds but still floats like a butterfly, ans stings like a bee when the throttle is applied!

As heavy as it came out, I used a CG landing gear up front and a Sullivan tail wheel set up. I had alot of bounce and was knicking 15'' props. The CG landing gear fixed that.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXHBP8&P=0

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXFV46&P=0


I had some issues with the rear end set up. The spring was too soft to turn the plane maybe cause it was so heavy, I dunno. I bent a t-pin in half and punched it in real close to the spring part, punched some holes in the covering along the long wire part and CAed the long wire part down to the underside of the rudder. Pretty much eliminating everything but the coil spring part.

ORIGINAL: TinmanJones


Gary... please no apologies, please... LOL

everything ive read on the forums say to NOT use the original landing gear or tail wheel... those are things ill replace for sure, when i get to that point in the build...
i appreciate the links...

when you say to build the entire airplane, including the electronics, you mean to actually install every single part of the airplane and have it just like i would when i get ready to fly it the very first time, MINUS the covering, correct??? and balance it at that point???

ive chatted with RCKen some over the last couple of days... i look forward to his help throughout the build as well... ive followed him pretty close in some other build threads and think alot of the way he does things...

ORIGINAL: GaryHarris


I wish I would installed all of the electronics and did the balancing act before I covered my plane. Ken is da man as well as Mike. For covering a plane, check this out.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4385133/tm.htm

ORIGINAL: huck1199

If the epoxy is not crystalized mix up a small batch on some wax paper and let it cure over night. If it cures and is slightly flexible I would use it in non critical applications like fuel proofing firewalls. Chances are it won't catalyze and cure.