Martin McIntosh Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Before I got divorced I had just two competition models at any one time. It takes about fifteen years to get over the financial shock. Now I have so many that I may have to get remarried to get someone to help me clear out the house/garage/shed/loft of them. Does not even bear thinking about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolstonFlyer Posted June 20, 2013 Author Share Posted June 20, 2013 That sounds like a lot of hard work Martin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Kearney Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 WF, I'm in the building a tuc but no build log camp, so we are out here Mine is just ready for covering so won't make greenacres this year. r. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolstonFlyer Posted June 20, 2013 Author Share Posted June 20, 2013 Hi Robin, nice to hear you are there and building a tuc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolstonFlyer Posted June 24, 2013 Author Share Posted June 24, 2013 Finally.... the canopy is done! Many thanks to Phil for giving me some pre-cut Model Technics trim tape when we met up at Greenacres, it is very easy to work with and does a super job. Back to balsa bashing to get the nose finished off now that I have got some 3mm T-nuts and cap head bolts for fixing the nose leg saddle clamps in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Looks very smart indeed that WF - you're getting there mate - won't be long now before your fretting about the maiden! BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Winks Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Thats tidy James very tidy like BEB says not long before your fretting over the maiden Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolstonFlyer Posted June 24, 2013 Author Share Posted June 24, 2013 Thanks both, it will be a bit longer before I have to worry about flying it.I have another day off work tomorrow (lots of leave to use) so if it is too windy to fly I will be building. I also intend to have a play with my new covering iron and hot air gun on some scrap balsa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Winks Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 You'll find it a wonderfully rewarding experience James once you've got the temps set right start low and work up, re the weather its looking perfect for flying here tomorrow just a shame I have be in torquay to work on the esplanade refurbishment not a pleasant job forming shuttering for the repair of the piles under the pier and worrying about beating the tide to, never mind more pennies for more models lol may get a chance to start on the new JP Bluebird 100 at the weekend, man thats a huge wing 8'4" Phil Edited By Phil Winks on 24/06/2013 20:33:01 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin McIntosh Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Hi again James, good to meet you at the weekend. Before you start to play with the heat gun look at my build blogs regarding covering once more. It has to be stuck down to the balsa all over or it will wrinkle in the sun so any areas done with the gun will look fantastic for a very short while only. These are great for open structures but of no use whatsoever on sheeting. Even patting down with a cloth will not beat going over with a cool iron to stick it to the wood properly. We have all had to experiment with covering methods and this is the best advice that I can give you. If you use a gun, what will happen when you try to put trim on top of the base colour? You will have no solid surface underneath to stick it to is the answer. Best of luck, Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolstonFlyer Posted June 24, 2013 Author Share Posted June 24, 2013 Hi Martin, it was very good to meet you at the weekend. Yes I remember now, you posted a whole sequence of pictures while covering your models, I will go and have a look.Thanks for the tip about the heat gun, I understand what you mean about sticking the covering down with pressure from an iron.Many thanks!I will post pictures of my progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Hi WF, if you are looking for pointers on covering you could do a lot worse than look at Danny Fenton's time lapse video he made during the 2011 Mass build of the Webbit. An excellent guide to the general approach. I've dug it out and enbedded it below for you. BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolstonFlyer Posted June 24, 2013 Author Share Posted June 24, 2013 Thanks for the video BEB, I think I need to watch it several times to pick up the little details. Danny really is a master at work in that video, the end result looks so neat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouncebounce crunch Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 We need one of his rivetting job on the Hurricane and set to the Benny Hill credits music. BEB great way of explaining the covering process, I hope a few newcomers take notice, I can vision arfs being recovered in custom livery once the bug bites. Now, to get the price of covering to come down. that is a different story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin McIntosh Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Shame on you Danny. You covered the top of the tail before the underside so the overlap must surely show or be in the wrong direction for the airflow. Tut tut, basic mistake! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolstonFlyer Posted June 24, 2013 Author Share Posted June 24, 2013 I was just wondering about that Martin, I take it that the bottom of the wing and tail is normally covered first? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin McIntosh Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolstonFlyer Posted June 24, 2013 Author Share Posted June 24, 2013 Thanks Martin. Well all of this talk about covering I had to have a go tonight. I located my new Prolux LCD Iron, my roll of Giant Shark black covering film and a small scrap of balsa. First thing I noticed is how thin the covering is, and that there is a peel off clear backing. I cut a small piece of covering, set the iron to 100 degrees and let it warm up. (This matt side of the film is the glue, it is black and not white glue as the reviews on the GS website said it would be) I didn't take a picture sequence but this is what I ended up with after sticking down the edges of the top surface and then folding the sides under. I then turned the iron up to 110 degrees and with the supplied cloth bag over the iron I pressed the covering film down tight onto the surfaces. I am quite pleased with the end result although the grain of the balsa can be seen. This shows how smooth I will need to get my Tucano sanded! Edited By WolstonFlyer on 24/06/2013 23:14:53 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin McIntosh Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 By far the best bet for the final balsa finish is a fine 5mm thick flexible foam sanding sheet from B&Q. It only takes seconds to do and beats sandpaper hands down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolstonFlyer Posted June 25, 2013 Author Share Posted June 25, 2013 Another step closer, finally made the hard point for the nose wheel and bolted it in place with T-nuts and cap head bolts with thin ply strips each side of the bottom sheet. and installed the nose ring ready for sanding to meet the spinner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Step by step - we get there! BEB PS I was initially confused by your bottom photo WF - I thought at first that you had made the front of the fuselage out of some sort of lamination! Its the masking tape holding the underneath on while it dries! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolstonFlyer Posted June 25, 2013 Author Share Posted June 25, 2013 They are very small steps indeed, I might have it done by December! Yes that is the tape holding the underneath decking in place while the glue dries Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly boy3 Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Nice one WF, the covering is easier than it looks, and the more of it you do, the better the finish as you will pick up tips as you go along. Don't have the iron too hot to begin with, as then you can peel the covering off if it looks wrong, and then replace it. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolstonFlyer Posted June 26, 2013 Author Share Posted June 26, 2013 Thanks fb3, I am quite pleased that my test piece of covering went so well. I think 100 C is a good starting point for the GS covering film, the glue semed to stick down just enough.Edited By WolstonFlyer on 26/06/2013 19:47:50 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Hardy Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 Hi WF, I am looking at your cockpit detail (page 11), - Have you cut down the width of the pilot and seat? I have noticed that the Vortex parts are almost the full width of the fuselage. Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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