Die Cut Parts

[Dai Fledermaus]

I noticed on the sig manufacturing website the other day, that the parts for their Kadet Senior are still die cut which surprised me somewhat because I assumed that the industry was now using laser cutting.

My impression of die cut parts as being a bit out dated and perhaps not so accurate, probably comes from the many KeilKraft kits I built when I were a lad where I seem to remember that the balsa sheet was crushed as much as cut. When you tried to ease them from the surrounding sheet, bits often broke off. Notches for wing spars were always a problem I remember

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Bob Cotsford]

Die-cutting was usually just a way of providing an outline for the builder to cut to once the dies became worn and blunt. I built a Great Planes Super Skybolt kit a year or two back that contained some variable cutting, some parts dropping out with crisp edges and others looking as though they had been shaped with a club. The quality or otherwise seemed to depend on the wood used.

[Levanter]

Dai. A useful tip for die cut sheets is to lightly sand the back with a block to keep the sanding uniform. Wing ribs for instances where the thickness does not affect any other mating surface can be sanded until they virtually fall out with the added bonus of saving some weight. Other bits that have to slot into something need a bit more care.

Another thing is not to try to tease them out. This will always result in grief somewhere. Cut with a sharp knife outside the line and sand of trim back to suit. Some kits are just printed and this is the technique needed fore these.

I quite like die-cut because I don't like the brown edge of laser cutting and always end up sanding it off which is even more work.