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Introduction to Building by Phil Fearn
I am frequently asked at club meetings and at the field “how do you do this” so I have decided to do a Wet weekend article describing some of the tools and methods I use to build from plans . Most of this will not be new to most of you ,but we do have a few new members who have not assembled anything other than a basic ARTF so hopefully this may help
I’ll start with some of the basic tools etc needed for building built up kits or from plans
Building Board
A flat building board . You will need a FLAT building board to pin structures too . This is a must as bent planes don’t fly very well ! I have the luxury of a large bench that I don’t have to put away after a building session so this may not be suitable for all . The table I have in my workshop ,although sturdy had a slight dip in the middle . I reinforced it underneath with angle iron which improved it but it still wasn’t smooth so I bought a cheap interior door and fitted this to top. This was very flat but was too hard to push pins into .I then covered the door with a sheet of ordinary chip board ,not the flooring grade as this is too hard. The beauty of this is that as the surface deteriorates with pin , drill holes and knife cuts ,its cheap and easy to replace.
As you can see the edge of the board deteriorates quite quickly due to cutting , drilling and trimming. This pic also demonstrates the need for a flat board when gluing components together
Chip board will hold a pin well and its not too hard to push them in . Sometimes I tap them in with a small hammer for an extra firm hold .If you have the room, a piece of work top used upside down makes a good building board and stays flat ; the downside is its very heavy.
For very small models such as indoor jobs , an excellent building board can be made from a Cake Board (drum) . These are available up to about 30 inches long x 20 inches . This size costs about £5. Make sure you ask for a DRUM as these are about ½ thick and made from a material that take pins well. They are light ,flat and providing you lay them on a flat surface , will stay flat.
Pinning down and covering you plans
Laying out your plans a few hours before you need them will let the paper take on the moisture in the room . Large plans can expand considerably if you are building in a shed that can be a bit damp. Once flat Cover with a decent polythene sheet . I use a heavy gauge sheet courteousy of some plastic bags Iv’e been given. To fix it to the board I use a staple gun and some scraps of thin ply ( this stops the plan and sheet tearing through the staples)
What I said earlier about plans changing size with moisture content can be a problem especially on large models. If you are building from a kit with all parts cut out for you and you notice that the parts don’t match the plan then this shouldn’t be a problem , simply use the plan as a guide and the pre cut parts should ensure an accurate build. If however you are cutting all your own parts to match the plan then be aware that you may need to adjust some components to fit. Another consideration is that some of the plans out there ,including some of the well known one have some serious discrepancies ,beware.
Here again you can see the need for a FLAT building board ,and the plastic sheet to stop all the components sticking to the plan.
Scaled up or down Plans
When building from scaled up or down plans the sizes of the
wood stated on the plans can be misleading . A good helping of
experience and common sense comes in handy here. If you are converting a free flight model to radio then have a chat with a club member who has already done some of this type of modelling for some advice . If built as per plan you may find some of the flying surfaces will collapse under load.
Some basic tools
Scalpels
Use a good quality scalpel . Some of the modelling knives I’ve seen are pretty rubbish . I use a couple of different sizes of scalpel made by Swan Morten .A small handle that takes a 10a blade and a medium handle that takes a 26 blade. These are suitable for most cutting out or trimming jobs are not too expensive and are stocked by most model shops. Old or blunt scalpel blades can still cause serious injury .Dispose of them carefully. And don’t just throw them in a waste bin. Keep an old jar on your work bench with a screw lid and make slot in the top . When you have finished with
a blade, slip it in the jar so that it cant cause an accident.
Razor Plane
As the name suggest the razor plane uses a blade similar in size to an old fashioned safety razor. The best in my opinion, is the David’s Razor plane. These are excellent for shaping or removing large amounts of wood and much easier and quicker than
sanding or grinding ,also a lot less messy .Scalpel is for scale. Treat old blades the same as old scalpel blades.
Razor Saw and Mitre block.
This is an invaluable tool for getting good, tight and accurate joints quickly and easily . Again as the name suggests , the saw is called a razor saw because it is very thin and cuts razor thin slots
.A brilliant tool ,that most definitely should be put into the “must have” category of hand tools for the aero modeller . Its an excellent tool for making scarf joints ,used to join spars and sheet
The mitre block in conjunction with the saw is used for cutting accurate 45 and 90degree cuts.
Pins
The pins used for modelling can vary considerably. For plan and kit building I use good quality modelling pins with a moulded plastic or glass bead/ball head . you can also buy “T” pins as the name suggests they T shaped and are fine but I prefer the bead or ball headed pins as they are easier to tap in wiyh a small hamer without bending.Both these types are fine for most applications but for smaller models, dressmaking pins can be used as these are a bit finer. Pins don’t last for ever ! if they
become dull/blunt or slightly bent don’t use them . If they snap they really hurt and more importantly the blood will ruin or stain your model and plan ! Also keep the pins clean . Glue can accumulate on the point and this stops them piercing cleanly and makes larger holes in the balsa .Glue can easily be removed with a scrape from an old scalpel blade.
Permagrit tools
These tools are an excellent investment for the serious model builder. They may seem expensive but will last for years. They come in a variety of shapes and grades . They can be used to sand or shape glass fibre ,plastics and wood or
soft metals, such as aluminium or copper. A very versatile set of tools that can be soaked in thinners if they become clogged with paint or glue.
Read Part 2 of Phil Fearns Introduction to Building