mightypeesh Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 Hi folks. I have just started a small Dr1 build, and having drawn out the plans I worked out that I would need 60 odd ribs - and me being a bit ham fisted with small parts thought I would make up some jigs to help and to line up all the slots. I am sure I have seen this method somewhere before as there is nothing new under the sun, but have never tried it out in practice! The ribs do vary but only in that some are cut off shorter than others, so I figured to make all 60 the same and trim as needed. Ok. work out where the spar's and trailing edges need to be and project out across a bit of flat wood. Use the same size stock and attach 80 grit abrasive to it by laying a strip of double sided tape onto the back of the abrasive paper and placing the wood strip on it befor cutting flush to the edges with a scalpel. Stick the strips to your bit of flat board with a bit of super glue, adding a thicker section at the front to act as a guide. Make sure they are all parallel or it will not work! I added some of my favorite thin cardboard stock to shim up between the wood strip to account for the extra thickness added by the abrasive paper. That's it really - I did not time this bit, but I still had tea in my cup when I had finished! Time to break out the SLEC wood stripper. I cut down a sheet of 2.5mm into strips 15mm wide. I have had the stripper for about 3 years and had never used it before as we moved house and the metal bar disappeared in the process - When in B&Q the other day I notice some 'u' channel that looked about right for it - it was spot on! I now love it - great bit of kit. I then bundled them together and cut them to 100mm on my little band saw, you could use a razor saw - just keep it square! I then bundled them into blocks of 30 using an engineers square to keep all the leading edges level. Keep the leading edges square to the guide and rubb gently back and forth. A couple of minutes - all nice and slotted. Next to make a thin ply template for the rib - once again use the slotting jig to cut out the spar slots in the ply before cutting the rib shape. Next make up another jig from scrap. Use the slotting jig to locate some small bits of spar material and glue in with small post sticking up. These act as indexing guides for the balsa blanks and the template. This all takes longer to describe than do..... It took 18 minutes to cut all the blanks into ribs! Like I say nothing new, but a little bit of time spent marking out and making a jig make cutting ribs a lot quicker! Hope this is of some use to someone, Cheers, Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bert baker Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 Cool great way to do multiples, I have learnt something new, many thanks Bert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanN Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 I've used ply templates for ribs many, many, times but would never have thought to use abrasive strips like this for the slots Just goes to show, there's always something new or different that can be learned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrian lawrence 1 Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 Many thanks for sharing Simon. It looks a great way of producing ribs, will try it myself on my next build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DelRay Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 Simon, Thanks for a splendid tip, I can see where a little time building the jig will save a lot of time and frustration later. I've done a similar process with my band saw, but this is more accurate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormB Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 Really like this idea Simon, never seen it before. I'll be using it on my next build ! Thanks for sharing. Norm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mowerman Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 Very neat thankyou. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff S Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 Useful idea. I just hope I remember it next time I need to make ribs. My only contribution to rib manufacture was to make an aluminium template to cut the ribs for my plan built Limbo Dancer (a lot fewer than this) but the slot cutting jig would still have helped. Geoff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 Excellent - just the sort of tip I like, well done!! I've done ribs via router templates as well, and coupled with this method ensures accuracy and saves time"" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted October 25, 2015 Author Share Posted October 25, 2015 Glad its of use chaps. Like I say, I am sure I have read or seen it described somewhere over the years - its good to know it works though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devcon1 Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 I do not like cutting ribs at all but this method, which I've never seen before, is brilliant. What a neat way of doing them. Thanks for sharing it. Regards John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn K Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Superb. Need to remember this. Perhaps convert it into an article for the website. A master class. Martyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Harrison 2 Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Really interesting and genuinely useful, thanks. Cutting out ribs is something I find very tedious indeed. I shall use your method next time it's called for. Thanks again for taking the trouble to shoot those pictures and explain so clearly. And I'll look into one of those SLEC cutters. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David perry 1 Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Nice trick. Thanks for the tip D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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