Reading plans and cutting parts

I always go the outside, that way I have a little room for sand to fit if needed.

I usually use the outside of the lines for the above reason. Just be sure to keep it the same for all parts. You will love the super Kaos. I have had several of them and they all flew really well. Try to keep it light. My best one was built with contest balsa and Magnalite formers. Built up carbon fibre reinforced spars and hollow tip blocks. I powered it with a Dubb Jett .46. It weighed less than 5.5 pounds. Some clown turned his TX on and I was shot down. Being built light it just disintegrated.!!! Mine was covered with silk and I used a built up Tailplane and fin.rudder. I now have a Bridi UFO built the same way. Looks a bit nicer and flies almost as good as the Kaos.

Regards

Tom Watson Sydney Australia

Thank you both.

-- Mike

Center of the line........

Photocopy the part you need. Stick it to the balsa/plywood with some rubber cement. Cut with a jig or band saw to the outside edge and then sand it to the center of the line.

If the part in question fits inside sometihng else, cut to the outside of the line. If it fits outside, cut to the inside of the line. That way, you will have a little extra stock so you can sand to an exact fit. Dr.1 Driver "There's a Hun in the sun!"

Photocopying can be a bad idea, as MOST photocopy machines do not give a true 100% reproduction.... If yours does, the go for it...

But a part that's a sixteenth of an inch over or under size can ruin your day..........

Accurate reproductions are easy... Stick a needle in a knife handle and lay the plans over the wood. Pinprick the outline into the wood and then play connect-the-dots...

Bill

Do what I do, buy two sets of plans, or have the first set scanned and printed. Dr.1 Driver "There's a Hun in the sun!"

My plans are all made to cut at the center of the line. The lines on my plans are very thin, though.

What's the best tool to use?

1) X-acto handle with #11 blade 2) Dremel scroll saw with fine blade 3) Jewelers coping saw 4) ???

Actually, I'd like to see a discussion of the pros and cons of each selection.

I've always found that I tend to wander all over the place, regardless of the cutting method. Is this a case of lousy eye-hand-cordination or are there some things that can be done to improve basic cutting (eg, how to fine-tune a scroll saw)?

Good tool for balsa up to about 3/16" thick. On thicker or harder pieces, make several shallow cuts, don't try to cut all the way through with one pass.

Excellent tool for thicker balsa and plywood up to about 3/8" Personally, I use a 3-wheel band saw with a 1/4" and 1/8" wide fine tooth blade.

Hard to control, slow.

Use sandpaper to "sneak up on" the cut line. It can take off a RCH easily. I use 100 for rough balsa and ply sanding, and 150 for finishing.

Of course, make sure your tool is set up properly. The wood hold down or guide should be as close as possible to the piece being cut. The blade should be properly tightened and sharp. The rest of it is practice, practice, practice.

Dr.1 Driver "There's a Hun in the sun!"

My local photocopy shop has a setup where they scan the original once, then make copies. I had two copies made - one to mark up for modifications and the other for templates. The accuracy over a one-foot distance appears to be about .005 inch larger in both directions. Good enough for me.

Thanks to all who posted.

Duh, what's an RCH????? Har, har, har.........

David

Well, if you have to ask... :) Dr.1 Driver "There's a Hun in the sun!"

slightly smaller than a BCH ......hehehehe

photocopy the part, lay the copy face down on the balsa and iron it. The toner on the copy will transfer to the balsa.

You're right about the 100% accuracy of photocopiers. However, if you use the same copier for ALL the parts, the margin of error should be the same. Just be sure any notches match the size of the strip stock when you cut the parts out!