Tim Mackey Posted December 28, 2011 Author Share Posted December 28, 2011 On that subject...I am now contemplating the idea of roof bars on the car - and a large tube /box into which the fus could slide. However, Im struggling to find much about fitting bars to my car ( Lexus IS250 ). It seems to have a sort of blanking strip running along the roof line adjacent to the door openings, but there is no mention in the handbook of fitting bars.I did see some inflatable versions when I was googling around, but think I prefer a "proper job"So, calling all car roof rack/roof bar experts. Whats out there ( (dont want to spend a lot ) and of course, the load capacity is very low demand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Grigg Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Halfords Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted December 28, 2011 Author Share Posted December 28, 2011 Er, Halfords and cheap.Two words rarely heard in the same sentence Stephen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vecchio Austriaco Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 You want to transport your expensive model (not from material value - but all these hours of engineering...) so you have to pay a little bit for the roof rack. You are in a better position than I am - I purchased an expensive roof rack system in Italy 2 years ago - and was totally happy to see it goes also on my UK company car. Just lost the keys during moving house and I kept the roof rack in locked position Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marsh Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 I built a pss B-52 years ago with the Air Cadets. never got flown, but as I left as CI, It's still hanging up there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted December 28, 2011 Author Share Posted December 28, 2011 Fair comment VA Paul... it belongs in outdoor air mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted January 1, 2012 Author Share Posted January 1, 2012 Last cutting session being done today - the tailplanes and fins.As promised, here's a quick clip of the tailplane halves being done. Next will be veneering everything, cutting out the control surfaces and balsa edging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Cooke Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 thats great work Tim - it will be a major milestone reached with all the foam components cut out - and with the machine stowed away you will have plenty of space to roll your veneer out for the next phase on the journey to BUFFville. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Very impressive Tim. That quite some machine. BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted January 1, 2012 Author Share Posted January 1, 2012 Aye. Just digging out the PVA and copydex now for a mammoth veneering job next week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marsh Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 The B-52 I built was done with brown paper and PVA. Was balsa fuselage and built-up wings with balsa sheeting. It was cheaper than most other coverings, due to the budget limitation of the ATC model budget for B-52. It won more than once at Wing HQ Stafford Aeromodelling competition those years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted January 4, 2012 Author Share Posted January 4, 2012 As we cancelled the Orme session ( good call incidentally its pretty horrid here ) after my chores, I got stuck into veneering. First off the 1.5mm balsa are trued up, and butt joined to make a panel - I used PVA as it sands pretty well. A light sanding all over results in a nice clean smooth panel. Next I try to maximise sheet usage by positioning of the cores to suit. The panel is marked for cutting allowing a small overlap all around. I managed to cover both halves, on both sides with one panel. Any holes in the foam cores ( and there were quite a few after sanding ) are filled with "nutty putty" and then after this has set, its sliced off flush and then sanded. Get everything prepared - I cover my workbench with a cut open large bin liner. I use copydex latex glue to apply the veneer, and brush on a thin coat to all surfaces using a jenny brush - it washes out much easier than a bristle brush. I find the sheets tend to warp after the glue is applied, as can be seen above - so to stop it curling, I weigh it down with plastic bottles which wont stick to the surface. Then the cores are placed into their saddles and given the same glue treatment. Here they are seen ready to accept the second side sheeting. Always allow plenty of time for the glue to dry before applying the sheets - I usually wait around 30 minutes. I start by aligning the T/E and pressing firmly and positively into place - remember there's an overlap so dont worry too much if its not lined up perfectly. Then I work my hand smoothly and evenly over the surface pressing the sheet down as I work toward the L/E A quick trim with a scalpel, then the permagrit, and a final light rub over with fine sandpaper has them starting to look OK. Heres a quick mock up to test the spar alignment etc. Next job is to cut out the control surfaces, and then let in some balsa pieces to the leading and trailing edges where the hinges will go, then fit balsa edging to all edges. Then its sanding down to shape the profiles all round. Finally, I will cut out the servo well for the rudder servo along with cable routing, and make up a servo mounting system. Edited By Tim Mackey on 04/01/2012 16:38:24 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted January 7, 2012 Author Share Posted January 7, 2012 Took me almost 3 days to get the tailplanes surfaced, and the fin to this, almost completed stage. I cut out a servo hole in the fin, and although not clear from the picture, it was then "lined with epoxy and microballons. The servo was wrapped in clingfilm and pressed home, so forming a moulded "socket" for a nice snug fit. A liteply mounting plate was made up, and the servo glued and screwed to that. Ply plates are let into and glued in the corners of the servo well, for fixing screws. A hole was made down to the root for the cable, and sleeved with heatshrink...to facilitate removal of the servo at a later date if ever required.I plan on similar arrangements for all servos, as I just dont like the idea of not being able to easily access/remove servos in future. Ive used Kavan flat plate pin hinges, which will be PU glued into place at final assembly stage.A short C/F pushrod and associated 3mm fitting were made for control and all seems to work nicely.The leading and trailing edges of both the fin and the rudder were glassed with lightweight glass cloth and Poly-C, and the main panel surfaces used tissue and Poly-C to keep things light. All rubbed down its feeling nice and smooth, but several more filler coats are yet to be applied before priming and painting Edited By Tim Mackey on 07/01/2012 15:34:17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Cooke Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Looking really good Tim! How long does the Poly-C take to dry between filler coats? And if you have tissued the main section of the fin panel, but glassed the L/E and T/E regions - were you left with a step and if so how have you dealt with that?? Or is the glass a similar thickness to the tissue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 Thanks Phil - in a warmish room, the Poly-C dries in around 15 minutes - enough to add the next coat at least. It gets progressively harder over the weeks.There is a small step between the two, but after a few more coats of "C" it will sand down to be almost invisible - besides have you seen the state of the full size ones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Tailplanes and fins are all now finished apart from final few coats of Poly-C ( I'm awaiting delivery of more stock ). Im almost immobilized with back trouble today, so wont be doing much. Last night I started work on the fuselage sheeting and though peeps may be interested in the method. Unlike the tailplanes, the curvature of the fuselage halves is too severe to simply wrap the balsa around, so it needs to be made more flexible. After making up the panel from the planks as per the tailplane, it is then cut to roughly the right shape and size, and placed in a bath of water and left overnight to thoroughly soak. Best to use waterproof PVA here. The sheet is then placed in the saddle, and the foam fuselage section is gently pressed into the "mould" upon which the balsa then forms into shape. This is then allowed to thoroughly dry in warmish place. The wetted sheet is placed over the open saddle. ....and then the piece is placed into the saddle, forming the balsa veneer. Once completely dried, the balsa will retain the desired shape and can then be glued into place a la fin method shown earlier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingman Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 How decadent is that?? Model making (nearly said "modelling" which flashed a horrible picture of Timbo through my head) in your dressing gown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly P Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Wingman - I often do the same - that little extra bit of gluing just before bed allows another bit of glue to go off overnight! Means I can sometimes get 2 waves in in the eveing if I work fast enough to do some before SWMBO gets home. Olly PS, mine isn't nice and strippy though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myron Beaumont Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 It's been shown apparently that vertical stripes do not make you look thinner contrary to popular belief . It's a smoking jacket isn't it ? There's posh isn it Edited By Myron Beaumont on 12/01/2012 12:30:01 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil May Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Looking good Tim, model that is ........... Will it be ready if I venture up to your neck of the woods in the spring? Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Jones Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Looking good Tim, sorry I'd missed this thread Ready for the April meet????? It looks like there may be a third '52 on the way,, not for a while yet though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Posted by Wingman on 12/01/2012 11:26:09:How decadent is that?? Model making (nearly said "modelling" which flashed a horrible picture of Timbo through my head) in your dressing gown Smoking jacket old boy.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Posted by Olly P on 12/01/2012 11:39:08:Wingman - I often do the same - that little extra bit of gluing just before bed allows another bit of glue to go off overnight! Means I can sometimes get 2 waves in in the eveing if I work fast enough to do some before SWMBO gets home. Olly PS, mine isn't nice and strippy though... I do hope you meant STRIPEY Olly You really wouldn't want to see me stripping mate - honestly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Posted by Myron Beaumont on 12/01/2012 12:18:41:It's been shown apparently that vertical stripes do not make you look thinner contrary to popular belief . It's a smoking jacket isn't it ? There's posh isn it Edited By Myron Beaumont on 12/01/2012 12:30:01 Well done Myron old boy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Posted by Big Phil on 12/01/2012 12:27:16:Looking good Tim, model that is ........... Will it be ready if I venture up to your neck of the woods in the spring? Phil I am aiming to heave her ready for the first PSSA meet on the Great Orme April 21st. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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