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Old 11-15-2010, 06:09 PM
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CPMcGraw CPMcGraw is offline
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Default A Call For Papers, Thoughts, Ideas...

I opened my mouth (via my fingers) a few days ago in a reply message about scale bring-backs and detailing, concerning what I thought a "New & Improved" EAC program should be developed around. Since then, I've been trying to figure out what a "curriculum program" ought to include for developing the model building skills we use every time we build one. Now, I'm asking for suggestions as to exactly "what" these skills are, spelled out and explained. So much of what we know is a set of developed skills, meaning we learn them by doing and they become second nature, so that we no longer "think of them" when we build, we just "do".

It's a lot like "background information" that makes up our internal "library of knowledge"...

But in order to teach a newer generation of enthusiasts how to get the most from the hobby, recognizing that we're discussing a set of people who know little to nothing about the history of the hobby, or the work that went in to making the hobby safe, or that we have a "Handbook" with many of the answers, there needs to be an "enumerated list" of basic kit-building skills that we can point to.

Can we put together such a list? Can we also describe these skills separately, or as a 'building block' sequence of items?

I think this would be a worthwhile "project" for us to work on. We could post our list as a "sticky" somewhere in the main area so everyone finding our forum for the first time can find it and benefit from it.
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Old 11-15-2010, 07:28 PM
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The most fundamental skill is attaching fins to the body tube, for structural integrity and straight flight as well as appearance.

Mark the fin positions on the tube using a marking guide provided with the kit or purchased separately.

Extend the lines along the tube using a door jamb or a piece of aluminum angle. Use a pencil instead of a pen as ink may bleed through paint later. If the fins will be even with the rear of the body tube, it will be helpful to mark the fin positions on the end of the tube as well as on the outer surface.

Some people prefer to rough up the tube with some sandpaper where the fins will go so that the glue will bond better. Redraw the lines if you do that.

Some people like to punch small holes in the tube with a pin or stylus so that glue forms "rivets" for a stronger joint. I poke holes in a zig-zag pattern along both sides of the line.

Use a double glue joint if using white and especially yellow (wood) glue. Apply a line of glue to the fin and place on the line marked on the tube. Remove the fin and wait for about 30 seconds to allow for the glue to set up. Apply more glue to the fin and place it in its final position on the tube. The glue will grab almost immediately while still allowing adjustment of position. Hold it in place for a few seconds while the glue sets up. Ensure that the fin is parallel with the length of the tube. Smooth out any glue which is squeezed out of the joint along both sides of the fin with a finger or something like a toothpick. Check the fin several times to see that it sticks straight out from the tube. Support the tube vertically for a few minutes for the glue to dry a bit. Repeat with the other fins. Recheck fin alignment as you go.

Some people prefer to place the fin next to the line instead of on top of it to make it easier to align it. If you do that, be sure to place your fins on the same side of all the lines

When the fin joints are dry, apply glue fillets along the joints for added strength, less drag and better appearance. I apply small fillets with yellow glue, smoothed with my finger, to the opposing joints of adjacent fins and support the body tube horizontally until it is dry (about an hour). Repeat for the other sets of joints. The key word is small - a too thick application of glue will develop bubbles and holes as it dries.

Depending on how large I want the final fillets to be, I may do another pass with yellow glue. Then I do one or more passes using white (Elmer's) glue. I have found that white glue is less likely to bubble so that I can apply a thicker fillet at one time.

My reasoning is for the initial yellow glue fillet to provide strength, then a final white glue fillet for cutting drag and nicer looks. On larger models, more passes are done with each.


Bill

Last edited by Bill : 11-15-2010 at 07:33 PM. Reason: this old hoss remembered something else
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Old 11-15-2010, 08:27 PM
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CPMcGraw CPMcGraw is offline
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Thanks for getting us started, Bill. While we may think of this as one step, I think it qualifies as two - Fin Attachment, and Fin Alignment. These steps tend to "flow together" for most of us.
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