I learned from that.

Peter Miller · March 2, 2020

This thread was brought on because for some reason I have had several requests for a materials list for Moon Dancer.

THis is a basic skill for anyone who wants to build from plans an there is an article on just that subject in the "Features" section of this forum.

The fact that these days people find it easier justto ask for a list rather than work it out made me think back over some 67 years of modelling to some of the lessons I was taught.

I am sure other poeple will have many such lessons so lets hear them.

My first such lesson is in the next post.

Nigel R · March 2, 2020

Sharp things...

Sharp knives are better than old blunt ones.

Cut away from your fingers.

Make sure your fingers aren't over the edge of the metal rule.

When drilling things, fingers are softer than wood and are easily bored into.

When using a razor plane, don't hold the bit you're actually planing.

Also, props and fingers don't mix, or rather, they mix rather easily. Best learned with a very small motor.

If I'm honest, I'm quite surprised my fingers are still the right size and shape!

Peter Miller · March 2, 2020

When I first started building power models I bought a KK Ladybird kit. Now this kit has a large number of plywood parts to cut out and I did not have a ftretsaw and had never used one.

I took the parts to a modeller in the same village and asked if he could cut them out for me. He didn't say no, he just took them from me.

After a couple of weeks I realised that he wasn't going to cut them out so I collected them. Then I cycled into town and bought a fretsaw kit and learned to do it myself.

That man did me a great favour because not only did I learn the essential skill of fret sawing,I also learned an even greater lesson.

If it is a skill that one needs LEARN TO DO IT YOURSELF!!

Now lets hear how you learned to do things or other lessons that you have been taught

fly boy3 · March 2, 2020

Nice thread Peter. There is one skill I had to learn from day one, that was covering, and I am still learning today as all models and coverings are different. Two, the old adage, "measure twice cut once". Cheers

David Hazell 1 · March 2, 2020

Posted by Peter Miller on 02/03/2020 08:52:01:

This thread was brought on because for some reason I have had several requests for a materials list for Moon Dancer.

For me, the reason was primary because of the flip side of your plan is Tony Nijhuis' plan and that _does_ have a bill of materials. His even has a suggestion for placement of the parts on a sheet. So I wondered if it was an omission and asked. I'm getting back into the hobby and am massively overwhelmed by quite how much there is to take in so anything that frees up my time for digesting the minefield of information is a bonus. Of course I can go ahead and estimate based upon laying up rectangles for each rib, former, the lengths of strut and so on. Indeed, that's what I will do, but it would have been foolish to do so if it had already been done...

Nigel R · March 2, 2020

Doing things "quickly" results in mistakes.

Then you have to undo the mistake.

Then you have to do it again properly.

Usually, that means taking two or three times as long as doing it right the first time, and you likely have to scrap a workpiece.

Building a plane is a process involving an awful lot of small jobs, each of which can be done "quickly", or right.

Don Fry · March 2, 2020

I don't know if I have entirely learned the lesson, but it is plain stupid to acquire, build, or buy any airframe, engine, etc, unless you are sure you want it. Want as in need, not want as in can.

Trevor · March 2, 2020

The first advice when contemplating building from a plan is usually to 'familiarise yourself with the plan before starting work'. This is a rather vague instruction and so easily skipped over. However, if one has to draw up a wood list, this necessitates close study of the plan which will bear dividends later.

That said, I rarely get a wood list anywhere near right! So what I've learned is always to keep a few sheets of commonly used sizes in stock.

Michael Barclay · March 2, 2020

" Don't blame the tools"

"Think construction".

"There is never time to do it right but always time to do it twice."

lessons learned at boatbuilding college and apply equally in model making.

Bob Cotsford · March 2, 2020

Posted by Don Fry on 02/03/2020 09:54:11:

I don't know if I have entirely learned the lesson, but it is plain stupid to acquire, build, or buy any airframe, engine, etc, unless you are sure you want it. Want as in need, not want as in can.

+1 on that!

As for building, it's only bits of wood. If you plane or cut too much off, glue some more wood back on and try again but do think whether it's highly stressed or not. If it is, replace it. Glue is only as strong as the wood it's bonding. You can't make a plane strong enough to survive a crash but you can build light enough to avoid having the crash.

Peter Miller · March 2, 2020

As a Maintenance fitter standing by on night shift I taught my self some skills.

I taught my self to use a lathe. In my last job I was able make a live centre for a lathe from scratch.This involves a lot of different operations

I also taught myself to gas weld 16 SWG aluminium sheet into a very nice silencer for a rear exhaust Fox 36, Any welder willtellyou that that ain't easy

Jon Laughton · March 2, 2020

Try to trial fit the engine/motor and fuselage servos / linkages before the empennage is fitted so that potential damage from moving he airframe around is minimised...

Peter Miller · March 2, 2020

Posted by David Hazell 1 on 02/03/2020 09:52:02:

Posted by Peter Miller on 02/03/2020 08:52:01:

This thread was brought on because for some reason I have had several requests for a materials list for Moon Dancer.

For me, the reason was primary because of the flip side of your plan is Tony Nijhuis' plan and that _does_ have a bill of materials. His even has a suggestion for placement of the parts on a sheet. So I wondered if it was an omission and asked. I'm getting back into the hobby and am massively overwhelmed by quite how much there is to take in so anything that frees up my time for digesting the minefield of information is a bonus. Of course I can go ahead and estimate based upon laying up rectangles for each rib, former, the lengths of strut and so on. Indeed, that's what I will do, but it would have been foolish to do so if it had already been done...

THank you David because it gave me the inspiration for this thread.

Don Fry · March 2, 2020

Advertisements. When did you last read " and your pride and joy builds into a very indifferent flyer, tail heavy to provide extra excitement, and the motor of choice has a bit of funny steel employed in its small end, to provide the thrill of a loud crack in flight,"

Wisdom comes when you can stand in any shop, turn around, and believe, "wallet emptying con trick."

Dont think me a cynic. I'm having a good day. I have stared at a problem on the bench ( converting a IC aircraft to electric) for several hours. Nigel R's post above applies. And I finally see a route to a solution. My other post above, however, also applies as to why I have anything that needs conversion, at such a cost of time and effort.

Peter Miller · March 2, 2020

Just remember Miller's first law.

Nothing "simple" ever is!

And Miller's second law:

The light at the end of the tunnel is a locomotive coming towards you!

Edited By Peter Miller on 02/03/2020 12:01:27

Stuphedd · March 2, 2020

You learn from your mistakes !!!!

and when your over 70 you have made a lot ..

for an example , One factory in Lancaster I knew very well , made aluminium kitchen ware . The old type kettles had their spouts , welded /brazed /attached to the main body.This was a job for the apprentices ! You were shown how to do it only once ! the next was up to you ! Its difficult as mentioned above, so your first attempts fail , so you watch others you ask questions and try try try again until you can , a lot of scrap was produced , but in the end the company felt it was "proper education "

At Loughborough Uni you were showed how to use a mid size lathe , then given a drawing and a chunk of metal and told to get on with it . . It was a trick , it looked easy and obvious , but 90% of students started by machining the datum off !! Another way of learning , !!

Just glad its not applied to airline pilots !

cheers

Don Fry · March 2, 2020

"Just glad its not applied to airline pilots !"

You sure? Training for 737 Max, springs to mind. And something broke up on landing in Eastern Europe, first time the pilot had landed one manually?

Braddock, VC · March 2, 2020

Never respond in the affirmative to your wife/partner/girlfriend or sister's question "does my bum look big in this" I learned from that.

David Hazell 1 · March 2, 2020

Posted by Braddock, VC on 02/03/2020 15:02:35:

Never respond in the affirmative to your wife/partner/girlfriend or sister's question "does my bum look big in this" I learned from that.

Best advice yet.

Plummet · March 2, 2020

Before I retired I used to work in a University. Part of my job was to "help" with some of the teaching. Since I generally had more experience with the topic than the actual lecturer I also prepared a lot of the course materials.

When the students moaned about things I would often reply "You learn by your mistakes. It is our job to get you to make as many mistakes as possible."

Plummet

Eric Robson · March 2, 2020