Kevin Fairgrieve Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Posted by Cyclicscooby on 24/02/2012 17:22:44: Posted by Seamus O'Leprosy on 24/02/2012 17:02:55: Vaseline. Is that meant for this post... ?? Luv Chrisie.. xx Yep. Smear it on the hinge line when fixing them in with epoxy. Epoxy dont stick to (Vaseline TM) (Petrolium Jelly). Kev Edited By Kevin Fairgrieve on 24/02/2012 18:32:29 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Argos catalogues. Ideal for holding down the sheet on wings, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buster prop Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Don't throw away your VHS video cassettes just yet. I copied or threw out most of mine but not all because they're useful as model supports during building. VHS's are square sided, can be stacked and are just the right size to put either side of a fuselage or whatever. An alternative to batteries, lego blocks or lumps of wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plummet Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Masking tape - I buy cheap packs of 10 or a dozen rolls in a local cash and carry. Great for holding things in place until... whatever... I am surprised that no-one has so far mentioned the scalpel - or at least, the scalpel handle and blades. Sharp is good. Scalpel is sharp. You can buy cheapish rolls of abrasive paper from screwfix and the like. Cut off a length, glue it on a piece of MDF, and you have a huge flat sanding block for shaping or straightening leading or trailing edges. Then there are all sorts of bits of straight metal. Great for cutting in a straight line. A bit ago I bought a set of watchmakers broaches. These are thin reamers for opening out holes by a small amount. They are great for opening out holes in control horns or servo arms to get minimum slop. They cost a few quid. Plummet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daithi O Buitigh Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Of course one absolute essential is a magnetic tipped screwdriver (or as I picked up in a pound shop one day - a long spring thingy with a magnetic tip) It's vital for finding that errant spring or circlip that went SPUUUNG when you were trying to fix it on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ashby - Moderator Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 This old keyboard stand is great at bringing an airframe up to an easy working height and it frees up bench space too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamus O'Leprosy Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Posted by Cyclicscooby on 24/02/2012 17:22:44: Posted by Seamus O'Leprosy on 24/02/2012 17:02:55: Vaseline. Is that meant for this post... ?? Luv Chrisie.. xx Tut tut tut Yea it's great for keeping glue off my nuts and hinges Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Big fan of Lego for all sorts of jobs, bits of bent wire and a blow torch for cutting appertures in foam wings for servos, retracts etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myron Beaumont Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 David That's a Casio stand isn't it ? What a good idea -Just found a use for mine that I havn't used since 'er indoors bought me a decent piano . Do you play? Myron YO13 music dept Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Brooks Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Plastic milk containers (or old fuel containers) filled or part filled with water make a good alternative if you haven't a supply of heavy batteries, and can be adjusted to give the right weight. Yoghurt pots for mixing epoxy. A two inch layer of upholstery foam topped off with a pile of magazines helps spread the pressure when skinning wings. Most useful gadget at this time of year is the fan heater, though for several reasons I haven't been able to get to the garage for two weeks. I need my fix of balsa dust and cyano. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bott - Moderator Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 I find a magnetic dish useful for putting screws down in. I could always do with a "magic finder" for the tool I just put down! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Couldn't we all! Its amazing isn't it, you use a tool, put it down and 10secs later its absolutely nowhere to be seen! Then,...as if by magic, its right there under your nose again, just where you looked, but it wasn't, only now...it is. BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bott - Moderator Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Phew! Not just me then that has mischievous tool pixies that seem to take great pleasure in winding me up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W-O Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 Zip-lock bags full of sand to hold curved sheets down while glueing. (don't use cheap bags unless you want sand everywhere) Vacuum clothes storage bags for holding wing sheeting on while glueing, even better with a vacuum cleaner with a speed control, turn it down and leave it running Edited By Steve W-O on 25/02/2012 04:49:46 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ashby - Moderator Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 Posted by Myron Beaumont on 24/02/2012 21:19:52: David That's a Casio stand isn't it ? What a good idea -Just found a use for mine that I havn't used since 'er indoors bought me a decent piano . Do you play? Myron YO13 music dept Yes Casio, I think so Myron. No, I'm a great piano music lover but regret I don't play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chaddock Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 With a bench grinder old hack saw blades make superb knives and scrapers. A good hacksaw blade is made of a quality tool steel so takes a fine edge yet is tough enough not to break unless seriously mishandled and of course can be re-sharpened as often as required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hargreaves - Moderator Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Back in the 70's the guy who taught me to fly used to make his modelling knives out of hacksaw blades.....he cut & ground them as you say & then cut a length of silicone exhaust tubing in half & placed one half either side of the blade (this was to allow the blade to flex slightly in the handle) & then placed this arrangement into the centre of a an old fashioned cut down clothes peg.....clamping the peg tightly to hold the blade in place insulating tape was wrapped around the peg to keep it tightly closed & form the knife handle..... Being tool steel the blade held its edge very nicely & could be re-sharpened on an oil stone.... I would use these now but I don't have access to a grinding wheel!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly P Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Cutting mats - the type used by quilters etc, and the associated cutting wheels and rulers - great for cutting solar film and trim off the roll, and getting a good cut without damaging the bench. I just have to be careful not to use the one she is about to use for fabric.....and to use the correct cutting wheel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomas oliver 1 Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I have a length of cycle inner tube and one of motorcycle inner tube. I cut bands from these with scissors and find them amazingly useful for holding together all sorts of things. They do not stretch forever but increase in tension as expanded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Fairgrieve Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Posted by thomas oliver 1 on 04/04/2012 17:35:52: I have a length of cycle inner tube and one of motorcycle inner tube. I cut bands from these with scissors and find them amazingly useful for holding together all sorts of things. They do not stretch forever but increase in tension as expanded. See the black bands holding the fuel bottle in on my flight box? Cycle inner tube. Kev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W-O Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I was thinking of this thread the other day, seems it became an article in the latest magazine, and the blocks in the very first picture had a long paragraph about them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I thought of this thread the other day, and thought of.... Plastic milk bottles..... The tops are spot on for mixing a small quantity of epoxy, and.... You know those posh epoxy mixing mats that are made of a waxy plastic so that you can get all the epoxy residue off of them? Well it just so happens that a square cut from a plastic milk bottle seems to work in the same way. The epoxy hardly adheres at all, so a quick flex when its dry and you have a fresh place to mix the next batch! And finally Tesco's Helter Skelter Lollies have the most fantastic piece of dowel in the middle instead of a stick. Ok its only about five inches long, but I will find a use for them! Fortunately the kids like them and they are cheap! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclicscooby Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 Posted by Steve W-O on 04/04/2012 18:37:24: I was thinking of this thread the other day, seems it became an article in the latest magazine, and the blocks in the very first picture had a long paragraph about them Cool.. Do I get commission... ?? Haven't got the latest mag yet.. Can't wait to read it now.. !! Luv Chrisie.. xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W-O Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Posted by Cyclicscooby on 05/04/2012 11:06:16: Posted by Steve W-O on 04/04/2012 18:37:24: I was thinking of this thread the other day, seems it became an article in the latest magazine, and the blocks in the very first picture had a long paragraph about them Cool.. Do I get commission... ?? Haven't got the latest mag yet.. Can't wait to read it now.. !! Luv Chrisie.. xx I don't think so, it made no reference to this thread, although it was certanly mentioned here first ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly P Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Graham C - the dowel sounds ideal for wing locators on the LE in a built up fuselage, or wing alignment checkers before epoxying 2 halfs together.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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