Hello all,

Got my first Kit this week, I have built my work area but have no tools ( Except Flight line tools). What tools do you guys have in your shop?
I am building a 4* 60 and then a CG Ann. Cub.

There are just so many tools on the market Don't have a clue what is useful and what is junk.


Thanks,
Learch

Learch,

Sometimes someone else says it a whole lot better than I can. Go to http://www.airfieldmodels.com/tools.htm

John

Incidence Meter along with a small (can be an elcheapo) level. This will make your first flight so much better as you will only be out of trim a click or two if you sight it right.

Demel Tool and a drum cutter, cut off wheel, ball end cutter, tapered stone is nice, too.

6/32 tap bit... if that is the size of engine mounting bolts
Ball driver to fit the 6/32 socket head bolts

Sanding blocks (can be homemade)

Xacto Knifes #11's

Acetone......to clean up CA off your covering (and epoxy) I use Stripease Furnature stripper.


Foam pads ........to keep the hangar rash down...lay your wing on it or lay your fuselage on it as you are working or covering.

36" steel yardstick........to cut straight covering edges..

Hotsock for your covering iron.......or make your own out of plain cotton and a draw string.

A set of small aluminum triangles for aligining ribs, formers, and just about everything else (Dubro?)


Thats all for now........Are you broke$$$ yet?

Thanks for the feedback, That web site as lots of info thanks John.
Thank you Gary for the info.. Not broke yet however the LHS is 15 miles from here ( and I got nothing to do at lunch ).

John

GarySS mentioned most of it, but the one thing he omitted that I use a LOT, is a razor saw.

I built my first kit on my closet door propped up on milk crates with an Xacto knife, some waxed paper, pins, glue and some sandpaper.

You don't need lots of tools, but it sure makes it easier.

Half the tools you buy you'll wonder how you did without, the other half you'll wonder why you bothered.

Trouble is you wont know until you buy which is which.

Items I can't do with out:
- no 11 knife,
- Razor saw,
- Stanley knife,
- Sharp scissors (get from dressmaking shop)
- Good film covering iron
- model stand (for working on the underside, and before undercarriage fixed)
- lots of T pins
- Permagrit sanding block (I think GP do something similar)
- Metre (yard) long steel rule as well as 1 foot long.
- Extensive set of drill bits (I have 1mm to 10mm at 0.5mm intervals)
- Lots of space
- Understanding wife (or mother if you are not old enough for one)

This is my list of absolutely must haves, I have plenty of other things that I use a lot but could live without if pushed.

Gotta have a razor plane!! It makes shaping wing tips and anything else a snap. Gotta love it.

A prop reamer

A prop balancer

A field charger.......Hitec 340 $35 +/- is fairly reasonable.

A motor cycle or lawn tractor 12 volt battery........why mess with a hobby battery for more money that frequently fails after 1-2 years? It's a lot heavier tho.........

Learch,
So far all the replies have good suggestions for you. I have a couple that I have found invaluable for kit and scratch building:

- weights. I use 4 to 6 inch lengths of 1" steel square stock to hold parts flat while the glue cures, or to hold them in place while glueing. If there's a fabricating shop near you, ask them if you can go through their scrap box to see what you can find. Even if they charge you a buck or two, you're way ahead.

- emery boards. These little fingernail files are useful for tight sanding jobs and lots of small sanding tasks. Get a big pack from the dollar store.

Have fun and happy landings.

papermache

I use 1 liter water or soda bottles filled with water for weights. Works great and chances are you already have some laying around. You can regulate the amount of weight you apply by the amount of water in the bottle.

Got to second the razor plane for shaping balsa blocks. Best basic inexpensive tool I have.

A good hinge slotting tool is also a must have. Makes short work of a tedious job. I use a Dubro set that has three different sizes and a small pick. I used to hate cutting hinge slots, now it's a piece of cake.

I also like the sticky-back sandpaper from Great Planes. Not only does it work well with their sanding blocks, it works well if you need to make any odd-ball sanding blocks. For instance; a small block for sanding between horizontal and vertical stabilizers, or adhered around a dowel for sanding concave surfaces.

Of coarse the must have if you plan on building a lot or for use when doing repairs is a Dremel moto tool or equivalent. On my bench, this tool gets used for a variety of tasks more than any other. They are one of the more expensive single tools you'll buy, but it's handy for things other than building.

learch329
One precaution for you!
If you have some acetone for cleaning up glue spills be careful not to use it on plastic. I just clouded the finish on a plastic spinner that I had marked for cutting with an ink pen. Acetone will also rough up plastic canopies!

Acetone will not harm Monokote, Ultrakote, or unpainted fiberglass. It will not harm a Great Planes painted fiberglass cowl.

I guess test before applying!!!!

Thank you all for the Suggestions and tips.

Gary, To answer your question from earlier Yes I'm starting to go broke....J/K.
I have gotten a good start on building my 4*.
Any other suggestions are always welcome

Thanks Again,

John

I have tried various hinge slotting devices, and the only one I felt was vaguely worth the money was the Great Planes slot machine. All the others make just as bad a job as I made before using a model knife.

Where ever possible, I hinge with the covering film, as then I don't have to do any hinging at all.

Razor planes are handy, but not vital.

I use Zip-Loc bags filled with sand for weights. You can adjust the weight by adding or removing sand and they conform to the shape that you are trying to hold down. They work great when sheeting wings. I have an old shoebox that I keep about 10 bags of various weights in. You can get a 50# bag of sand from the home improvement store for about 3$.