The 'What did you do in your workshop tonight?' thread

I will try to explain working on glass is a totally different approach to building. Pins and T pins are not used. First of all you will need to understand that this how I do it and I am sure there are many ways to skin a cat. I build with stainless steel blocks and very large roller bearing rollers. Now if I am building a wing the main spar I will glue the ends to the glass with tiny drop of CA and then put few weights on top of the spar at strategic locations. Note the drawing is under the glass. Then I will place the ribs on the spar and place the square blocks on either side of the rib to hold it square. And to hold the ribs down I will place strip of wood across the top of the ribs and then place a few weight on it to hold everything down straight and square. The blocks are 2 by 3 by 1 inch and the rollers are about 1 inch round and 1 inch long. And a couple of lead shot bags. With everything set and checked then everything is glued. Note to disconnect the spar from the glass I take one of the steel blocks and just side the block over the glass into the side of the spar and it just knocks it lose. Added two pictures to see the blocks. If you have anymore questions please ask.

Snoopy1 said:

I will try to explain working on glass is a totally different approach to building. Pins and T pins are not used. First of all you will need to understand that this how I do it and I am sure there are many ways to skin a cat. I build with stainless steel blocks and very large roller bearing rollers. Now if I am building a wing the main spar I will glue the ends to the glass with tiny drop of CA and then put few weights on top of the spar at strategic locations. Note the drawing is under the glass. Then I will place the ribs on the spar and place the square blocks on either side of the rib to hold it square. And to hold the ribs down I will place strip of wood across the top of the ribs and then place a few weight on it to hold everything down straight and square. The blocks are 2 by 3 by 1 inch and the rollers are about 1 inch round and 1 inch long. And a couple of lead shot bags. With everything set and checked then everything is glued. Note to disconnect the spar from the glass I take one of the steel blocks and just side the block over the glass into the side of the spar and it just knocks it lose. Added two pictures to see the blocks. If you have anymore questions please ask.

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Have you built both ways, pins, tpins, etc. verses glass? Are the actual build times to completion any different - is glass faster? Also, where do you get your glass at? I am thinking glass makes a more precise build, but maybe not. I would really like to see a benefits verse challenges on this. It seems so many people build on wood or other materials and not nearly as much on glass.

I have been building on glass cause I’m too lazy to move the piece of glass after the last plane is covered. Would still build the same way without it though as I do like snoopy and use weights. I just find it easier and don’t like pin holes all in my builds.

I would not say necessarily faster but do believe a better and straighter wing. With glue and weight you are guaranteed that you are down flat on the bench and with pins I have found parts or wood that is not straight and being held brown with a straight pin will not always stay down and flat. And one thing that also like about a glass plate you never have blobs of glue you did not see keeping things of the working surface. Because before I start you run a razor blade across the glass plate and it is perfectly clean and flat again whiteout any imperfections. One thing also is that on a clean glass plate it is smooth and does not damage anything and you do not get hanger rash from it. Personally I believe that since I have changed over to glass my building has improved and planes are straighter. But I must say it is big change and you have to work at it for a bit and then all of a sudden you will get it. I was lucky that I was in Florida one fall and one of the master builders from top gun that I was talking to we got into building methods. He was kind enough to take to his work shop and show me some techniques he used to build planes and the glass plate was one of them. I got my glass from a glass place that did store fronts. Gave him the dimensions and he said that if I was patiencet he get a piece at a reasonable price. If I my recommend get safety glass and have it finished on all the edges.

Luchnia said:

Have you built both ways, pins, tpins, etc. verses glass? Are the actual build times to completion any different - is glass faster? Also, where do you get your glass at? I am thinking glass makes a more precise build, but maybe not. I would really like to see a benefits verse challenges on this. It seems so many people build on wood or other materials and not nearly as much on glass.

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Also bud I got my piece of glass from Virginia auto glass in Petersburg. It was originally supposed to replace the piece I busted in my sliding door but still hasn’t been done so I use it for this. Lol

What type of price are you guys paying for the glass? I had read somewhere to use the think tempered stuff.

Mine was a piece of tempered as it was supposed to be for a door which makes it more expensive but really strong. I don’t have to worry about dropping my weights on it and breaking it. But remember a bit on the edge of tempered glass will shatter it into a million pieces.

Not really much progress on the Crack Camel. Some of the fuse done and gluing the spars in the wings. @pawnshopmike ordered some micro MKS servos, gonna give those a whirl on the ailerons.

My tempered glass I got from my local glass guy that was supposed to be used for a shower. Tempered. Paid $20, but he was going to give it to me.

Got a bit more done on the cub repair. The rear wing attach block and door side frame fractures have been repaired with 4-40x1.75" SS screws. Drilled and tapped all locations and chased the threads with thin CA. Solid as a rock now and I can pick up the fuse by the door frame alone.
I grinded down the heads on the two screws holding the top and front frame stringers. The four exposed heads on the fuse sides will be left as is.
I have two 5000mah single cell lipo's that have done nothing but sit in a drawer for almost 3 years. I made a custom 2S1P Flat Pack out of them that fits the cabin floor perfectly for concealment. When I tested the assembled pack both cells were balanced and had about a 65% charge on them .