jwander

I would like to hear from anyone who may know the source of a balsa slotter to slot ribs and fuse formers. I enjoy building stick models but don't enjoy the slotting process. I have seriously considered designing and making one but never got around to it.


Thanks

Campgems

Are you asking about a jig saw?? Are you asking about cutting the notches that the spars/logerons fit into, or are you talking about something to cut the sticks?

For a Jig Saw, one of the best buys on the market is for a Craftsman with variable speed drive. This is a big saw but it is well made and gives you very good control. I've had a couple of the cheaper ones, IE the dremel and it was sadly lacking in performance.

One other thing I use quite a bit is a jewelers saw with the fine #2 to 4/0 size blades. These very fine tooth blades are great for fine work in balsa. Just set up a larger version of a jewelers bench pin and you are good to go. The noise level is great also.

If you are talking about cutting sticks, a small band saw is your best bet. Set it up with a rip fence and away you go. You will loose a lot of wood in the process though and to get a fine finish you will have to sand the sticks down. For very thin, 1/8" or less sticks the balsa slicers with an Xacto blade do a very good job with no waste.

Don

whatwind

My Feedback: (1)

I don't have a machine to do it but i glue a peace of sand paper to the size wood to fit into the slot and sand it in. on wing ribs I make sure and wuse a guide to keep it straight.

ChuckW

I have always wanted to try my mortising machine. It's used for square holes and slots for tenons in woodworking. There's a square chisel with a drill bit running through it. You work it sort of like a drill press; the bit removes the bulk of the wood while the chisel simultaneously squares the hole. I have a 1/4 bit & chisel for it but just haven't got around to trying it. I doubt it will work well on soft balsa but you'd be able to do a nice stack of ribs all at once if it did. If I remember right Rockler.com, Harbor Freight or someplace like that had a mortising attachment for drill presses at one time.

kdc

You could use a file of the correct size or a Permagrit slotting tool which is available in 1/8 1/4 or 3/8 sizes. see www.permagrit.com

bullseye000

Back in the 80's there was a set of chisels for cutting notches in ribs and formers. I think Balsa USA used to sell them. You used them kind of like that small chisel finish carpenters use to square up corners on routed inlays for door hinges. You put it over the corner and tap it with a hammer and it squares it off. They had several sizes up 1/4" if I remember correctly. I looked around but can't seem to find them anywhere. I wish I had bought a set then.

Campgems

Think about this, if they had been very good, they would still be avaiable. What you are basicly talking about die stamping. One account I read about some one going into kitting planes recounted the learning curve of sucessful die stamping. That include finding out the you could only die stamp set wet balsa as the dried stuff broke when stamped. Just imagine trying to "clean up" some notches in previously stamped balsa that is dry, or the warpage of soaking it to the point of being able to re-die stamp it and then drying it under uncontroled conditions.

I'm astounded that the die stamped stuff came out as well as it did after reading that article. Fine sanding and or fine tooth cutting is what is called for. This is not a case of "if it doesn't fit, get a bigger hammer"

Balsa is not an easy wood to carve or cut. It is deceptive as it is so soft that some things can be accomplished with a fairly sharp blade. Not always though. Those of us who grew up building 10 cents Comet kits and using double edge razor blades to try and cut the printed pices out of what varied from hard as oak on one end to soft as a cork on the other wood really appriceats the laser cuting and the tools avaible today to work the wood. Chisels was never one of the sucessful methods.

Don

Tango Juliet

I beleive Top Flite (or GP) sells the tool you're asking about, available through Tower Hobbies. I got one several years ago, but haven't used it much. One thing I can tell you about using it though. It is easier to lay the tool on the bench and slide the piece to be slotted into the blades. It is very difficult to hold the tool and guide it to the part to be slotted.

Live Wire

jwander
Have you ever played with the GP CA hinge slotter

bullseye000

These things were similar to the ones pictured below. They were sold in nominal sizes to match common spar sizes. I had a 1/4" for the longest time that made spar notches beautifully in ribs and formers. MicroMark sells some that are available in 3/16" and 5/16" that are similar in idea, but frightfully expensive.

Tango Juliet

[sm=lol.gif] OK, the second one is kind of funny. If you put a square bit in a collet and turn on the drill, the motion of the bit becomes "round". How does it create a "square" corner?

Honestly, I think the picture is just not accurately showing how the thing works. I''ve seen something similar and it was a drill bit inside a square sleeve that basically acted as a chisel to square the corners.

Danh4

My Feedback: (5)

I believe the second picture shows the tool being used in a drill press, where it would be used without turning the drill on.

Dan

Tango Juliet

Of course... Now I feel foolish.

Danh4

My Feedback: (5)

That''s OK, the rest of us will get our turn sooner or later!

Dan

ecmiller

Time to answer your question.....they work great. If you get the opportunity to buy one, get one.

Cuts a slot in about 10 to 15 seconds. Makes quick and easy work out of a normally dreadful task.

bullseye000

Seems like we have two separate issues in this thread. The OP wanted to know ow to cut slots in ribs and formers, not hinge slots. Maybe he should have said notch, or maybe I misunderstood his question. If he is looking to slot control surfaces for hinges then the GP hinge slotting tool is the way to go. I make a shallow starter slot with a Higley hinge slotting tool to guide the cutting blades and follow up with the GP tool. Very fast and accurate and no need for jigs or any other types of guides.

Tango Juliet

I know the original GP Hinge Slotter came with thin cutting blades that were perfect for CA type hinges and there were blades available that were thicker for "pinned" hinges. I thought at one time I had ordered some but can''t find them. Does anyone know if those thicker blades are still available?

LSF2298

My Feedback: (4)

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...hine&search=Go

jwander

The original thread was for a tool to cut a notchs (not a slot) in formers and ribs. I know how to cut slots for hinges and have the tools for the job.

AmishWarlord

My Feedback: (5)

I think he was saying that you take the hinge slotter tool and mount it sideways on your bench then use it as a vertical saw for cutting the spar notches.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Old thread but still worth looking at. The bit Bullseye showed is a notching tool used in better wood shops. The one I have at my club has it's own motor and press. They work great for notching and can be bought in many sizes. I tried to use the one at my wood working club last summer on my last scratch build to cut the notches in the ribs. What I learned right away is you must cut the notches before you cut the ribs out if you want to get the same/correct depth of the notch.
If it is a absolutely a needed thing I can go to the wood shop and take photos and get the names of the manufacturer. Not somethin I feel like doing but I will. The machine we have is something that I'm sure no one could afford just for scratch building planes at home.
I find my scroll saw works for cutting complete kits. I did use the shops band saw on my last build and it was another good choice for cutting.

RBACONS

My Feedback: (3)

I've had good success taking fine-toothed hacksaw blades. Break or cut them into multiple short lengths. Then stack enough together to get the slot width you're looking for, secure them (glue works fine) and add some type of handle (if you're so inclined). You can even put stops on the sides of the blade with wood or tape so that you can only saw down to the correct depth that you're looking for. Nice clean cut, consistent width, and its all done in one pass. No having to go back and clean out the slot.