Wood lists

[Phil Gilbert 9]

Hello everyone,

I personally feel that having a wood list to accompany the free plans would help beginners at old hands alike. Having a list of materials required would certainly help beginners get all their materials before a build and sustain the interest in a new project as new builders tend not to have a scrap box to rely on as our more experienced chaps may have.

I know in the past this has been done and from personal experience ,can tell you getting all my materials together before a build was invaluable.

😁

[Rob Fairweather 1]

Having lost our local model shop, it would certainly make life easier when having to order wood online.

[Steve McIntosh]

Cracking idea.

[Wilco Wingco]

Ah the good old days when we all had to build our own models. No ARTF then just balsa and glue from a plan, who could afford a kit?, great fun and so relaxxxxxing

[kc]

It would be nice to have someone do it for you! The downside is the list might be incorrect as so often happens - they get the thickness wrong usually. But it's easy to estimate- there is a Peter Miller article about this in Features at top of this page. My method is to take a piece of 36 inch balsa and lay it on each part of the plan - fuselage, wing sheeting, ribs etc - and see how it would fit roughtly then noting the number of sheets and thickness. Allowing for 2 fus sides, upper and lower LE sheeting etc and noting if 3 inch or 4 inch sheeting would be better. Same with stripwood. Order a few extra sheets to be safe and allow for errors. Extra sheets are cheaper than postage to send a few extra sheets later! Make sure you order the piano wire etc too.

Hardwood bits can be cut from scrap hardwood like beech from old chairs or wooden coat hangers - yesterday i was just about to throw out a broken wooden hanger when I saw it had nice square edges and of course its been seasoned for years indoors and therefore better timber than you could buy. Just right for servo or engine bearers.

[Peter Miller]

Yes, Go and read my article.

Estimating wood was always a basic skill that we had to learn in the old days when we were not handed everything on a plate.

Many of the old plans had lists as has been said.....And then we used to have to go and buy all the missing stuff. But we learned very quickly and only did that once.

Cycling another 12 mile round trip to get the couple of extra sheets soon taught you that!!

[Phil Gilbert 9]

Thanks for your replies,but it was an idea to get people without experience to start building from scratch ,not giving them everything on a plate! A little help can go a long way and maybe some of the replies received is why,unless someone has a family member who is already into model flight, that people do not take up the hobby.

When I were a lad attitudes do not help anyone, times change.

Thanks to all the contributers.