Chris Perkins 1 Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Hi, One of the projects at work is a printing service and recently I have heard of Litho Plate as I've been looking into making a nice cockpit for the 1/6th scale mustang I have on the way. So I thought I would chance my arm and ask my supplier if they know of anyone that use it. The email back was "How many sheets and what size" I didn't think it would be that easy. Does anyone have any tips on using this? I'll be getting some instruments from Aerocockpit and they don't do anything else for 1/6 scale so will have to make the rest myself. I'm thinking balsa then cover it in the Litho plate? Thanks, Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly P Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 I think that is how it's done Chris, but I have never used it - please let me know how it goes, and I might ask you to get some for me!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Can you buy just a small quantity? If so let everyone know the source. David Boddington covered using lithoplate in his book Scale Aircraft for RC, also Brian Peckham, Ross Woodcock did an articles years ago, probably others too. Main thing I remember from these articles is they cut it with a knife not a saw and formed it by stroking with a wooden implement or a spoon. I believe they cut circles with a pair of dividers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Perkins 1 Posted December 11, 2012 Author Share Posted December 11, 2012 Olly I'll post some pictures while I'm doing it, so you can see how I get on with it (Or not get on ). Yeah no worries Olly. kc Thanks for that. Not sure how its going to work yet regarding how much they will send, they said it comes in big sheets so would be hard to transport. I think you can get A4 sheets on ebay they work out at about 90p per sheet plus postage. But if its possible I might be able to cut it up and send some to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 You might want to take a look at Danny Fenton's Hurricane build as I think he's made a lot of litho parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Perkins 1 Posted December 11, 2012 Author Share Posted December 11, 2012 Thanks Bob I'll take a look. Also I know I need to be carefull of adding too much weight. Its a 71" mustang by kyosho (Sorry its an ARF I don't have enough time to build one from a kit. I will do one one day) what do you think I need to keep the cockpit down to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy watson Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Litho plate is brilliant stuff for making all kinds of scale details. Generally speaking you can make hatches/panels etc by cutting the required shape from litho and simply gluing it to the balsa sheeting before glassing/covering. These could easily be made from card/plastic if litho is scarce. More involved shapes like air scoops and fairings need a little more work. Firstly the litho needs annealing to make it more pliable. Rub the surface of the litho with soap, then warm it on a cooker ring/blow torch until the soap turns black. This means it has got hot enough and has softened. There are 2 methods I use- one is to make a pine mould and beat the litho to shape over it with a small hammer, the other is to hammer from the inside onto a softish base (a piece of wood works well). It takes a little practice- and a few go in the bin, but I found I got good results pretty quickly. Small quantities are available on ebay, although I ended up buying a load of the stuff. The Suka I built was done with litho bits- the blog is on here. Olly- are you still in accrington? If so I am in Rossendale and can easily let you have a few sheets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Great stuff litho plate. There are a few "tricks of the trade" to do with forming and bending it - using soap and heat! Danny did a pice in the mag on it a few issues ago - look that up for guidelines. BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Perkins 1 Posted December 11, 2012 Author Share Posted December 11, 2012 Thanks for the info Andy its invaluable! I can't seem to find your build thought. What was it called? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Perkins 1 Posted December 11, 2012 Author Share Posted December 11, 2012 BEB - Where would I find it, google or in features? I cant seem to find much. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly P Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Andy - I'm down a bit south of there now, Stockport! Thanks for the offer. I'm a little way off needing any atm, and will have to decide if/how to use it but have a house move and shed build to achieve first!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cymaz Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 litho plate on ebay???????/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 As others have said litho is fabulous stuff, I prefer to "tease" it into shape rather than using hammers, a spoon or the rounded end of a piece of dowel are my favorite tools. Bear in mind also that Litho comes in many different thicknesses. If it seems to work harden you can anneal the metal again, but be careful as you can see here, I melted it For doing the cockpit of a Mustang then the lith will be great for flat sections, and even the panel, (though I prefer styrene for that) To cut lith, don't use scissors or a knife if you can avoid doing so, gently score it and fold back and forward along the score, it will give the cleanest break. You can even do this for curved cuts believe it or not. Hope this helps? For the levers and pipe work etc you will have to be imginative, and use anything that comes to hand, but styrene rod of various sizes will work for many things such as tubing, cable runs and pipes. Hex styrene is great for nuts and bolt heads. For making things like gunsights and sculpted shapes then I use Chemiwood. I am hoping to do a cockpit detailing article in the future Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy watson Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 I did say a small hammer!!! Danny has it pretty much spot on- although I find a pair of scissors a very useful tool as well. I have used styrene rods, but it can be expnsive if you need tiny amounts of lots of different sizes. To be honest most scratch built detailing is made from the kinds of scrap that is just laying around waiting for inspiration! I have never used chemiwood- although I have heard good things about it- I tend to just use randon off cuts of anything. Once paint goes on it is almost impossible to work out what was underneath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Perkins 1 Posted December 11, 2012 Author Share Posted December 11, 2012 Wow thanks for that Danny, that will help alot ! ! ! Can't wait for the mustang to turn up so I can start ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Perkins 1 Posted December 11, 2012 Author Share Posted December 11, 2012 cymaz Here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Whybrow Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Litho plate commonly comes in 0.15, 0.20 and 0.30mm thicknesses. A company I used to work for used about 1/2 tonne a month and was disposed of in a clean condition (no printing ink) as it was used only to test the imaging equipment. Sizes vary from about 150x200mm up to 1160x960mm, although a few presses use even larger sizes. It's a fairly pure grade of alumimium, and it's quite hard in its normal state; easily annealed though, as mentioned previously. Incidentally, several sellers on ebay supply what looks like photopolymer coated plates (typically blue or green coating); if you want to remove the coating, a solution of potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide will remove it (taking all neccessary safety precautions of course). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 I have found that nail polish remover (acetone) lifts the blue straight off with no fuss what so-ever. Don't know about the green none of mine has ever come in that color. I use the .15 and .3 extensively, I also have some at .6 It really is a very useful material to learn to use. Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Can you cover the use of the soap Danny? I understand its best applied to one side - but the side you heat, or the side you don't? BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Hi BEB sure, you rub soap all over one side, you don't have to be accurate or cover completely, heat the other side while watching the soap. Waft the flame around, keeping it moving all over the metal. I hold the lith in a pair of forceps to avoid burning the fongers when the soap turns black you are done. The guy doing a demo at Gaydon dipped the lith in water to cool it but I prefer to let it cool gradually. Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Ah, thanks Danny. So its a temperature indicator really. Makes sense. BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Yep you have it, the soap is just normal household soap as in the bar shown in the previous picture. Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cymaz Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 Bought mine on ebay, also this is good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 Thats the guy from Gaydon, (Harry Harland) I watched him for ages, thanks CYMAZ , he is an excellent modeller. Ian Redshaw is also a wizard with lith if you follow his threads. Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cymaz Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 Where can I find his articles please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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