Martin Gay Posted August 1, 2019 Share Posted August 1, 2019 Everyone, I have been asked a couple of times to list what sheet and strip material I have used in addition to the CNC kit. I don't buy strip material as I prefer to make my own from sheet material using a SLEC balsa stripper: **LINK** Here is the minimum list: 8 sheets of Med/Hard balsa (my choice) 1/16" x 3" x 36" for wing skins 4 strips 3/16" x 1/4" spruce spars (or hard balsa if fibre-glassing the wings) 4 Strips 1/8" x 5/8" balsa for false LE and TE 6 strips 3/16" x 3/16" balsa fuselage stringers 4 strips 1/8" x 1/4" balsa rear keels 10 sheets of 1/8" x 4" x 36" Med/Soft balsa for tail-planes and fuselage planking 1/2" x 4" x 36" balsa Med/Soft for fin and wing tips 2 pieces 3/8" x 1.1/2" x 36 TE stock Other bits and pieces for hinge blocks, fairings etc will probably be in your scrap balsa box! Edited By Pete B - Moderator on 04/08/2019 09:16:15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Beard Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 Martin, THanks for this list which is really helpful. All the Best Phil Beard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Gay Posted August 8, 2019 Author Share Posted August 8, 2019 I am a bit of a miser when it comes to using balsa, so the provided list is very much the minimum amounts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul d Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 No offence but it's hardly "a kit" if that amount of extra wood is needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Gorham_ Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 The "kit" is a set of CNC parts that Martin is offering to go along with his plan. The rest of the wood (sheet and strip) can be sourced by the individual builder to their tastes. Since Martin and his partner in this venture are not a huge manufacturing or wholesaling concern, it would hardly be cost effective their sourcing ALL of the wood to re-sell onto us builders. This approach is quite common - see companies such a Belair kits - they sell laser cut parts but not full kits. Hope that settles your mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monz Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 It's a 'short kit'. All the hard work of cutting out ply formers, ribs and other bits is already done. Great for people like me that can't set up their wood working tools. The extra wood really isn't very much 'extra'. 8 sheets of 16th at £1.27, 10 sheets of 8th at £1.62 and a sheet of half inch at £3.84 is just over £30 total, add the rest of the bits from an extra sheet or two... The plan is also in there, but the time and effort that has gone into the design and testing of this model, to be able to sell it on to us, is worth lots more than the £70 I've happily paid for mine. I'm getting two kits soon that will require almost 200 sheets of 'extra' wood. They're still "a kit" to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul d Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 As I said I sincerely didn't mean to offend and it does look a stunning model but ( bet you knew there would be a "but"!) 19+ sheets of balsa is quite a bit extra...... Just my opinion of course..... I shall now put on my best tin helmet and go and sit on the naughty step 😂😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Gorham_ Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 We've explained the reasons why the sheets of wood aren't supplied. If we called it a semi-kit would you feel any better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Gay Posted August 8, 2019 Author Share Posted August 8, 2019 Paul, It is generally known as a " short kit". As Al says, it allows the builder to choose strip and sheet materials to their own preference. I have had a number of "full kits" where I have thrown away the poor quality sheet material! Not to mention the clevises etc. The plan is available seperately for those that do not wish to purchase the CNC cut parts and to have total control over the material selection. Edited By Martin Gay on 08/08/2019 19:51:33 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Cooke Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 Kit, semi-kit or short-kit, call it what you will - the fact is there are 114 CNC machined pieces in the Mass Build Sabre package, saving the modeller many hours in creating those parts and ensuring absolute accuracy and repeatability for those important components of the build in any scale model, fuselage formers, wing ribs etc. This is a build project, and we know very well that proper builders like to select their own balsa and like to be left some work to do as well. I think this intent has been captured very well, and from the evidence I've seen the CNC short kits are of very high quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Gorham_ Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 Imagine building from a plan...All they give you there is some lines printed on a sheet of paper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Beard Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 Martin, From the GAMA kit build you said that you used 48 inch long blanking, what thickness of material would that be for especially if it will make the build better. Must thank yourself Martin and Gordon in putting this short kit together as I know from building from plans how long it takes to cut things out. It must have certainly taken both of yourselves time to draw up the plan and design the kit and get it to a standard where it could be made into a laser cut kit and also build the prototypes to make sure everything fits together. Thanks once again and keep the good work up guys. All the Best Phil Beard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Gay Posted August 8, 2019 Author Share Posted August 8, 2019 Hi Phil, I used about five sheets of 48" x 4" x 1/8" balsa (medium to medium soft density) for the fuselage planking - it allowed me to use a single plank from nose to tail and avoided any joints along the way. This would be in lieu of eight or nine sheets of the 36" long 1/8" balsa. Paul d, We are not taking any offense at your opinion. To be honest there was a time when I was aghast at the thought of paying for a short kit when I could do that work myself! These days I seem to have less spare time available and will opt for a short kit, in general, if the price is right! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Ball Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 Hi Martin, Thanks for the wood list, it's saved me a lot of time. Can I ask why there is a difference in 2 sizes below? or have I missed something? I would have thought they should be both 5/8 or 3/8? 4 Strips 1/8" x 5/8" balsa for false LE and TE 2 pieces 3/8" x 1.1/2" x 36 TE stock Cheers Ray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Gay Posted September 12, 2019 Author Share Posted September 12, 2019 False LE and TE are cut from 1/8" sheet at 5/8" wide. (5/8" is the widest needed for the LE root). Four strips all the same size is easier to cut than two different sizes of tapered material. The actual trailing edge (ailerons/flaps) are from pre shaped TE stock 3/8 thick and 1.1/2" wide. Hope that makes a bit more sense than the abbreviated version. Martin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Ball Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 Thanks Martin, I understand now. Cheers Ray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Edmead Posted September 14, 2019 Share Posted September 14, 2019 Hi does a £60 spend seem about right for the extra wood ??? Andy Edited By Andrew Edmead on 14/09/2019 23:13:09 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted September 15, 2019 Share Posted September 15, 2019 Posted by Alan Gorham_ on 08/08/2019 20:25:06: Imagine building from a plan...All they give you there is some lines printed on a sheet of paper Try designing your own!!! Then you have to work EVERYTHING out down to the last nut and bolt and HOW to draw the shapes so that everything fits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Gay Posted September 15, 2019 Author Share Posted September 15, 2019 Hi Andy, £60 seems a bit high at first glance. However, I already had the wood in the workshop. I will total it up later when I get back to the hotel. Martin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Gay Posted September 15, 2019 Author Share Posted September 15, 2019 Hi Andy, I have just been onto the SLEC website and the minimum balsa list came to £45. Please bear in mind that I am a miser when it comes to using balsa, and try to use all of a sheet up without any wastage! Martin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Houghton Posted September 16, 2019 Share Posted September 16, 2019 Martin/Gordon, Thanks for the delivery of my plan pack. Can I please confirm the thickness of the tailplane? The plan says two laminations of 3.18mm sheet but the typical cross section seems to show it as being 12mm thick (2x6mm). Two laminations of 6mm would seem better for containing the joining tubes. Your recommendations, please? Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Edmead Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 Hi Martin thanks for checking that for me, I'm going to look again now but I read your Gamma build blog and you said that it was neater to use 48" balsa fuselage planking. I think you used 36" originally but you had to join the planking. I think for me it would be much easier to use the longer sheets for planking but your wood list suggests 36". I may have misunderstood. On your wood list you mentioned "10 sheets of 1/8" x 4" x 36" Med/Soft balsa for tail-planes and fuselage planking", I added 10 x 48" sheets, so this could be why I'm getting to £60. Would you say 8 sheets of the 48" 1/8th would be enough? ***********Edit******* I've just read all the posts in this thread and you have already addressed this, So I think probably 7 sheets of the 48" 1/8 should do? Andy Thanks Andy Edited By Andrew Edmead on 17/09/2019 10:01:29 Edited By Andrew Edmead on 17/09/2019 10:02:11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John H. Rood Posted September 18, 2019 Share Posted September 18, 2019 Martin, thanks for that detailed list. Helps a lot with getting organized and ready. Here in the USA, I’m ordering the wood I need from National Balsa in Ware, Massachusetts, and their inventory matches your specs very nicely. Piece of cake! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Gay Posted October 9, 2019 Author Share Posted October 9, 2019 Hi Steve, During the Gamma build, it was noticed that the plan shows the tailplanes are made from 2 laminations of 1/8" balsa sheet. THIS IS INCORRECT! it should be from two laminations of 1/4" as per the cross section. Martin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Edmead Posted November 21, 2019 Share Posted November 21, 2019 Can you clarify something please. On my plan the main spars are noted as 1/8 by 1/4 but 1/8 is too small for the rib. On the wood pack list it says 3/16 x 1/4, but for some reason I've bought 1/8 x 1/4 spruce spars. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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