Self supporting set squares for kit building

[toto]

I was having a hunt on the net for 123 builders blocks and stumbled across these which I had also seen being used in a how to video on utube where the model builder used both the 123 blocks and these self supporting set squares to great use.

 

 

they appear very accurately made and of decent quality steel. 

 

 

they will come in very handy for assisting in keeping surfaces true in kit builds as will the 123 blocks that I bought. they should be here tomorrow.

 

toto

[leccyflyer]

Look good.

 

In addition to squares I make great use of Lego bricks to construct various jigs to try to keep things nice and square. They are particularly nice to use with wing ribs, as they can bot keep the ribs plumb and physically support them whilst the glue grabs.

 

 

 

[toto]

I have a friend in Australia who is a first class scenic and building model maker. he can do amazing things with lego when using it as an aid. 

 

I think we all wish we had kept our lego sets now. 

 

toto 

[Don Fry]

Have a look at T section fence posts.  Mine are 1400 mm long, heavy, dead straight. Great for holding wing skins down, drawing lines. Cheap. 
 

I hated Lego. But I can see it’s uses here.

Edited August 21, 2023 by Don Fry

[Engine Doctor]

Old credit / key cards are also very handy to set ribs  and bits squarely when building. 

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

27 minutes ago, Engine Doctor said:

Old credit / key cards are also very handy to set ribs  and bits squarely when building. 

And to buy them.😄

[Engine Doctor]

12 hours ago, Paul De Tourtoulon said:

And to buy them.😄

Operative word is "OLD" 😀

[toto]

So ..... part two of my kit building tool delivery .....

 

 

very handy 1 2 3 blocks. You don't want to drop one of these on your toes .... no way.

 

 

I'm thinking fuselage building here. holding the sides upright and square ......

 

 

and a slightly better idea of scale up against my computer moose. Albeit ..... the scale is in the name 1 2 3 ( inches ) blocks. Duhhhh

 

They come in pairs so I bought 3 pairs giving me six in total. I have other engineers squares, micrometers, clamps and various other handy tools for this kind of thing. these blocks though are so simple by design and accurately square surfaces. Quick and easy to use and move about all you want. I like simples.

 

toto

[Don Fry]

Thank God for the last photo. Now I’m baking in the heat, have resorted to Champagne to cool off, have eaten Buddha bowls, dread the result,  and thrown myself in the river. But I was thinking, “ what is this idiot doing with wine racks to build aircraft.” Apologies over the ether Toto. 

[toto]

Enjoy the champagne.... stay out of the heat ...... the effects are becoming obvious.

 

Toto

[Rich Griff]

Hi toto,

 

May I ask please, the 123 blocks, a wurth product, might you have the product number please ?

 

Leccy, Lego, good thinking, what do you fill the voids with the make them heavier, or do you place a weight on top of a stack please ?

 

I only have two engineering vee blocks...

[Don Fry]

When I want to fill a void, I use steel shot, doll makers sell it, and mix with epoxy. If you want to bother with lead, gunsmiths use fine lead shot. 

[GrumpyGnome]

Useful stuff. You can't beat a proper jig (like SLECs) for building/repairing fuselages........

[Outrunner]

I use metric 123 blocks when wing building, SLEC jig for nice straight fuselage.

[leccyflyer]

33 minutes ago, Rich Griff said:

Hi toto,

 

May I ask please, the 123 blocks, a wurth product, might you have the product number please ?

 

Leccy, Lego, good thinking, what do you fill the voids with the make them heavier, or do you place a weight on top of a stack please ?

 

I only have two engineering vee blocks...

No need to make the Lego bricks heavier, they do the job just fine as they are. As they are set up to be perfectly square you can also use them round corners - such as where there is a quadrant fillet on a tailplane where the fin meets the fuselage top, or just the fuselage side makes it impossible to use a square. You just build a structure offset by the amount of the obstruction, so that the base sits on the tailplane and the upper, offset part lines up against the fin. Easier to do than to describe.

 

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

53 minutes ago, Don Fry said:

When I want to fill a void, I use steel shot, doll makers sell it, and mix with epoxy. If you want to bother with lead, gunsmiths use fine lead shot. 

They used to make them 15 klm from me, for 12 bore cartridges, and now and again I used to 'visit' them and scrounge a few, sadly they closed down 8 years ago, it was fascinating watching them make them with old frying pans.

[toto]

Hi Rich,

 

I'll check the product box for a code for you. I'll be back in the shed a little later.

 

Cheers

 

Toto

[Geoff S]

1 hour ago, leccyflyer said:

No need to make the Lego bricks heavier, they do the job just fine as they are. As they are set up to be perfectly square you can also use them round corners - such as where there is a quadrant fillet on a tailplane where the fin meets the fuselage top, or just the fuselage side makes it impossible to use a square. You just build a structure offset by the amount of the obstruction, so that the base sits on the tailplane and the upper, offset part lines up against the fin. Easier to do than to describe.

 

 

Never had any Lego - I'm too old and childless as well - my thing was Meccano and I had a huge set I think my father had acquired over the years. My oldest half-brother has it stowed away somewhere, I think.  However, that Lego structure looks very useful.  I check fin/tailplane angle with a big plastic set square with the right-angled corner cut off to bridge round the fuselage but it doesn't support like the Lego blocks do

[toto]

I sort of agree with the comments with regards to the SLEC jig and had ( still am ) pondering one. I can also see the benefit of building off a plan as well though and for that, both the tools highlighted above come into their own for various reasons.

 

I will look up the video build I was watching where I discovered both these products because as well as highlighting the products in use, it was a very good video from a tutorial point of view ..... more so for those " about to give it a go ".

 

Cheers

 

Toto

[leccyflyer]

27 minutes ago, Geoff S said:

 

Never had any Lego - I'm too old and childless as well - my thing was Meccano and I had a huge set I think my father had acquired over the years. My oldest half-brother has it stowed away somewhere, I think.  However, that Lego structure looks very useful.  I check fin/tailplane angle with a big plastic set square with the right-angled corner cut off to bridge round the fuselage but it doesn't support like the Lego blocks do

That photo is just  grabbed, whilst in progress - whilst actually gluing the fin has one of those on each side. I do have one of those modified set squares somewhere, which would work for the quadrant. but in this case it wouldn't clear the pushrod and fuselage side. 

 

Using the Lego bricks for wing rib supports, you can put a couple of bricks each side of the rib, where it meets the spar and trap the rib between them, with another couple of bricks where the rib meets the trailing edge. That keeps everything lovely and square over the plan.

 

Charity shops are a good source of just a few basic Lego bricks - all mine are salvaged from the gigantic collection that my boy had when he was little - he also used them extensively when he built his first scale flying model, a Peter Rake Fokker Eindekker. 

 

[toto]

5 hours ago, Rich Griff said:

Hi toto,

 

May I ask please, the 123 blocks, a wurth product, might you have the product number please ?

 

Leccy, Lego, good thinking, what do you fill the voids with the make them heavier, or do you place a weight on top of a stack please ?

 

I only have two engineering vee blocks...

Hi Rich

 

The only details that I can find ( from my order ) as are follows

 

Manufacturer ..... WEN

Part and Item model no ...... 10423

 

I hope this is of help.

 

I need to learn how to attach links. If I can get a grip of this once on my PC in the shed, I'll create a product link and post it up later.

 

Toto

[EarlyBird]

58 minutes ago, toto said:

I need to learn how to attach links.

Simply copy and paste the link into your post.

[EarlyBird]

or use the link menu 

[EarlyBird]

Amazon.com: WEN 10423 3 x 2 x 1-Inch Steel-Hardened Precision 123 Blocks, Two Pack : Industrial & Scientific

[Rich Griff]

Thanks toto and eb, 30 quid or so, mmmmmm

 

Lego and angle iron ....

 

The quality of skip contents has really dropped over the years.....

 

If your thinking of getting a jig, get the MDF from you know where, get the plastic angles and set screws/captive nuts from you know where, get a new pencil and long steel ruler or similar.

 

You will have a drill and drill/centre pop.

 

Anything made on a jig will only be as "accurate" as the jig and the person using it.

 

Worth having though !