why2cay

My Feedback: (8)

I am beginning to start scratch building my first sailplane from plans, so please bear with my questions. When you build the parts of a plan do you make templates of what you want to cut or do you draw the part on the wood.. Also is there someone who offers laser cutting of the parts you need

Steve

mking1

Steve,
One method I’ve used is to trace the parts you plan to cutout onto paper then, using a spray-on adhesive, attach the template to the wood. 3M makes a good spray-on adhesive that can be removed usefully. Sometimes I leave the paper template attached to the wood and using centerlines, etc. help in positioning the parts. Of course remember to remove the paper template where a wood-to-wood glue bond is required.

An option to tracing the parts directly from the plans is to scan the plans to generate an electronic file and then print the parts and complete the process using the above described procedure. If you use this method, scanning, first check to see if there are any distortions introduced by either the scanning or printing process. Generally, I prefer the tracing method if I’m using a paper plan.

Laser cut parts is a good option if you have purchased a design where a “kit cutter� has access to cad drawings or a usable graphic image of the parts. Otherwise you or someone will have to produce these files. I’ve also produce my own cad drawings by measuring the paper plan. I think that’s the best method but not a very quick one.

I’m sure others here can offer some other methods.

Miles.

Balsa Master

might be wrong but cant you iron the image onto the wood w/o destroying plans??

William Robison

My Feedback: (3)

Most photocopies will transfer the drawing by ironing them onto the wood, but a proper print generally will not.

Bill.

Flypaper 2

I still use the old pin through the plans into the balsawood method. Join the dotted line!!

Billy Van

Not sure what it's called but it's something like mylar, I buy it a drafting supply store in Edmonton. It comes in sheets about 20" by 36". It's a plastic sheet cloudy in color like a milk carton but softer and when you lay it on a plan you can see through it. I trace the part with a pencil then either score it with a hobby knife and it breaks apart by just bending it back and forth or cut it out with a pair of scissors. Then lay the template on the wood and trace it. Also leaves you with permanent templates that can be reused for ever. The store is called Nordraft in Edmonton, I see they have stores in the US on their link. http://www.artistsupplies.com

Dsegal

For a complete discussion of the subject go to http://www.krc.org/ and click on Information and Building From Plans.

crow

I used transparency that you can buy from stationery to make templates. Works well.

Wez

I usually iron the images directly onto the balsa. Photocopies works great, laser printouts should work, but ink jet printouts will not work. This is because photocopiers and laser priters works with heat. In laser printers the paper is heated with a sharp laser beam, the colour powder then sticks to the hot spots. If a laser copy is heated the colour powder will dissolve and stick to anything it comes in contact with.
It takes a few minutes to try out the best combination of heat/ironing duration/pressure.
The iron should be pretty hot so start out pretty hot and adjust the speed and pressure when you are ironing. The balsa sheet will bend a bit when it is heated, but it straightens out when it cools down.

Andreas

wsmalley

My Feedback: (6)

I've found a tracing wheel works well if you don't want to cut, copy, or paste your plans. They cost about a buck in any cloth store.

Bax

My Feedback: (11)

With a few buck and a visit to Kinko's, I've photocopied the parts I need from teh plans. Then I use 3M Temporary adhesive to glue the copied part to balsa. For wings, I glue two sheets together, under the copied part. Some work with a scroll saw and disc sander, and I have parts!

You need to be careful, though. Some plans have lines as much as 1/16" wide. Usually, you split the plan's line when sanding the part to final shape, so that you have about 1/32" of the line left on your template.

Other ways over the years, I've used carbon paper (remember carbon paper?)and traced through the plan right onto the wood. Careful here, though, some balsa has coarse enough grain that the pencil can "stray" from the line.

bax