[from July-August 2001 SDF newsletter]
by Bill Sykes of St. Paul R/C Club
| The flint wheels from disposable lighters make really good grinding wheels when used on your Dremel. A small bolt through the center with double nuts. |
| Builders using adhesive backed sandpaper on metal sanding strips, may find it hard to clean off adhesive left behind. A rag dampened with acetone wipes it clean and ready for the new sandpaper strip. |
| Building weights can be made from Zip Lock double thick freezer bags filled with sand. They are cheap, non-toxic and conform to the desired shape, and easily stored for future use. |
by Chuck Thies
One of the main causes of a dirty, dusty work area is dust floating in the air.
One solution I have found that works quite well for me is a box fan sitting on
the floor with a furnace filter taped to the intake side of the fan. I also use
a leaf blower frequently to blow the dust off of the rafters in the basement.
This blows the dust into the air which is then caught in the furnace filter on
the box fan. One step further is to drape an old T-shirt between the box fan and
furnace filter. This will help catch some of the fine dust that gets through the
furnace filter. This doesn’t do much for chemical fumes but is a good way to
keep your work area a little cleaner.
from The Windy Flyer
Woodland Aeromodelers
Phil Sterka, editor
Woodridge IL
An ultrasonic cleaner would be a nice thing for servicing engines. I’ve procrastinated for years in buying one because of the confusion in researching what’s the best one for our use. Capacity, quality, etc., varies quite a bit. But I came to realize that I do have the poor man’s version in the WaterPic® type tooth cleaning device. Mine happens to be an INTERPLAK® brand, and I’ve just tried it for cleaning out grit after abrading a cylinder inside to accept new rings. The gadget may even have a slight advantage over a sonic cleaner in cleaning out crevices with pulsed water jets. An example is cleaning the bypass cavity when you don’t want to pull the cylinder liner. Four interchangeable tips came with the gadget, so the engines have their own sanitary tip, although I will make them all share the same tip. Best used outside, because water droplets spray everywhere.
from the Society of Antique Modelers
SAM 26 Central Coast Chapter newsletter
Bob Angel, editor
Santa Maria CA
When working with C/A glue, always get out the glue and the release agent (solvent). They should be on the building table together at all times.
I have had the thin stuff run off of a part unnoticed and glue my stomach to the table edge. This can be painful and makes it just a bit difficult to reach the shelf to get the glue solvent.
I once glued my hand to a large nearly complete model and I was not in a position to reach the glue solvent, way over on the shelf. I had to call for help to get unstuck.
Now, I always get the glue and the solvent (release agent) together. The solvent is ALWAYS within easy reach.
from The Pilot
El Paso Radio Controllers
Jeff Blackwood, editor
El Paso TX
by Alan Muetzenberg
| I don’t like to use any kind of tool to tighten the wing-mounting screws on my airplanes because it is difficult to know how tight they are without the possibility of crushing the mounting plates, so I use a nylon washer and a rubber washer, then simply tighten them with my thumb and forefinger. This way, I can feel how tight they are getting without going too far and the rubber washer acts like a clutch or lock washer and cannot work loose. These washers can be purchased at any hardware store. The attached picture speaks for itself. |
|
from The High Flier
North Dallas RC Club
William Machen, editor
Plano TX
Collect a few hardware paint stirring sticks. Then glue strips of various grade sand papers to each side to create a collection of useful sandpaper “files.” You can also cut the sticks into odd shapes before applying the sandpaper for those hard to reach areas.
from WIRCS Touch & Go
Whidbey Island Radio Control Society
Manny Duarte, editor
Oak Harbor WA
The following 12 hints are “some of the better tips from the Web” and were taken from The Orbiting Eagles Newsletter, N.F. Sheltraw, editor, Omaha NE.
Extra-Long Screws
If you need an extra-long screw or bolt for something such as a wing tank or
mid-mounted wing, make one by cutting the correct size threaded rod you need,
then solder a wheel collar on one end. Next, using a cut-off wheel, cut a slot
in the wheel collar for a screwdriver.
Curving Balsa
Get some ammonia, found in the household section of the supermarket. Put some in
a spray bottle and spray both sides of balsa sheet liberally. Carefully bend the
sheet to the right shape. You can even tape it to a form, such as an aluminum
soda can, and let it dry. Once dry, it may be used as turtle-decks, etc.
Ultracote Printing
Goldberg Ultracote film covering has a paper backing that you can print on. Cut
a 8-1/2 x 11 inch sheet, put it in an ink jet printer, and print your design on
the paper backing. Don’t use a laser printer or anything that uses heat. It
will destroy your covering.
This works well for large lettering. Make sure your image is reversed, so that when it’s printed on the backing, you can cut it out and it’ll be correct when ironed on your airplane.
If you want to use a piece of covering that’s smaller, print the design onto paper first. Then carefully tape the Ultracote to the paper over the design. Run the whole thing through your printer and the design should print in the same place.
Storage for Small Items
If you can find a kitchen spice rack at the flea market, get one to put your C/A
and epoxy glue bottles on. The kind made for small bottles works very well. The
empty bottles can also be used to keep small hardware items in.
Bending Balsa
A spray bottle of water on your bench comes in very handy for bending balsa
sheets. If you spray a little water on the wood before you use filler, it will
stick much better and go on smoother.
Repairing Dings and Dents
Have you ever had a dent in a balsa leading edge? Try fixing it with water! Get
a small diabetic syringe and put water in it. Inject a little water into the
balsa into and around the dent in the leading edge. Heat the area with your
covering iron. When the water starts boiling, it will build pressure and push
the balsa out to its original shape. (Courtesy Victor A.)
Stir Sticks
(Popsicle Sticks) Next time you are in the craft shop, pick up some popsicle
sticks. They come in boxes of 100, 500, 1000, and they’re cheap. You will use
these for all kind of things like servo rails, reinforcing splices, skids, fuel
tank stops, mixing epoxy—any place where you are going to put in screws. You
will find all kind of uses for them.
Better Holes
If you have to drill a hole in thin balsa, do not try to use a common wood
drill. It will usually leave a ragged hole that is the wrong size. Go to the
hobby store and get a piece of thin-wall brass tubing the same outside diameter
as the hole you want to drill. Mount the tubing in an electric drill (preferably
a drill press) then hold a piece of sandpaper or a file against the end while
turning to sharpen it. Use this to drill your holes. It will cut perfect holes.
After cutting several holes you may have to push out the wood that collects
inside the tube with a stiff wire. If you can find a drill the same size as the
inside of the tube stick in the top part so the drill chuck does not crush the
tube. Also watch that the tube does not flare out at the bottom and change the
size of the hole.
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by Dave Price
When laying out lines, emblems, sunbursts, etc. on a covered model, you could use a fine-point permanent marker, but I have found it sometimes stains the covering.
Cut out some strips of low-temp film and use them as your guides. The heat from your fingers is usually enough to hold the strip in place, then you can set your design in place, remove the guides, and heat the design in place.
It works really well when putting letters on.
Plane Talk
Lexington Model Airplane Club
Gerry Wagner, editor
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by Dave Price
I got this hint many years back from Tom Durham.
To epoxy hinges in place: flatten a plastic straw, mix your epoxy with a bit of alcohol, dip the straw into the epoxy and hold the other end with your finger, insert the straw into the hinge slot and blow into the straw.
This will place the epoxy all the way into the slot. Insert the hinge and let the epoxy dry, then do the other end.
I have used this technique for several years and never had a hinge come out.
Plane Talk
Lexington Model Airplane Club
Gerry Wagner, editor
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While at the auto store, look at the pin striping tape. It comes in a lot more colors than the stuff at the hobby store and is about half the price. It’s fuel proof if left to cure for a while.
from Tri-Cities Fliers Notam
Seguin TX
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by Lynn Williams
Far out in the parking lot early in the morning at the TNT, a flier who shall remain unnamed was sighted applying a secret substance to his eyeglasses in preparation for the day’s flying. Okay! I am willing to come out of the closet on this one since I have been using this substance for about six months and it really seems to help. The substance is RainX®! Originally sold as a treatment for auto exterior glass, it seems to leave a very thin, clear, transparent polymer substance on the glass which seems to slightly sharpen the image and increase the surface tension, making water bead up instead of spreading on the glass.
This product is available in two useful forms. Apply RainX® in the yellow bottle to perfectly clean glass, then allow the solvent carrier to evaporate, then polish with a soft tissue until clear. The other method is to use the RainX® Glass Cleaner, which works much like Windex. RainX® is easily found at supermarkets and auto parts stores. The RainX® glass cleaner I have found only at Albertson’s in the Automotive chemical section. The results you obtain with this product may vary. Have your eyes checked every two years at least. 20/20 vision means you can see a 20-degree arc in a circle (pie chart) at 20 feet. 20/15 vision means you can see a 15 degree arc at 20 feet (better). Birds of prey are thought to have 20/10 vision or better!
from Update
Soaring League of North Texas
Mike Glass, editor
Dallas TX
by Ray Orr
| If you have a wing or tail surface that has overlapping sheets which form the trailing edge, put a strip of 1/64-inch ply between the sheeting to provide a harder edge for sanding or finishing. |
|
from Radio Flyer
Pikes Peak Radio Control Club
Bill Sanderman, editor
Colorado Springs CO
by Randy Lipscomb
William Hervoy, of Waukegan IL, paid a little more attention in home economics than the rest of us guys, and he’s laughing all the way to the bank. I’ll bet that most of you have taken the easy way out and have gone to the hobby shop to purchase a cloth boot to slip over your covering iron. Not William! In an all out Boy Scout attack on this outrageous expenditure of money, Mr. Hervoy has come up with a very cost effective method for solving the same dilemma. He goes to his neighborhood fabric store and buys a yard of white flannel. So far, the outlay of cash has been about two dollars. This fabric will produce approximately 40 iron boots, bringing our investment to five cents per boot. Who’s laughing now? Cut the material into three-inch wide strips in six-inch and 12-inch lengths. You will need one of each length for one boot. Trace the iron onto the smaller piece and then line this one up on top of a larger piece. Sew around the line you traced on the six-inch pattern and then cut off the excess material around the sewn line. With a pair of scissors, cut the side opposite the pointy end of the iron in half, length-wise. Turn the boot inside out and slip the iron inside. Use the two strips of material to lace the boot onto the handle portion of the iron. With William’s design, you get twice the life out of your boot by turning the whole thing over and relacing it when one side becomes scruffy looking. He was kind enough to enclose a sample of his handiwork, and I can tell you that it works great! Thanks, William.
| from The Altimeter Clarksburg Model Aviation Club Richard Rader, editor Bridgeport WV |
|
by Edward Russell
I recommend that everyone should try to maintain a log for each of their planes, especially a new airplane. This will add greater interest to your flying. Entries in the log should contain date, time, weather, and a short summary, number of flights, failures, success, etc. I consider a flight as a takeoff and landing. I have maintained a log on my Seniorita and it now has reached 533 flights without incidence or engine failure. Remember, a well-maintained airplane will look better, fly better, fly longer, and provide more joy.
from Talespins
Aeromasters MAC
David Hoe, editor
Fredericksburg VA
