Share your great building tips

[BalsaDust]

as the title implys share your building tips. What do you do to make things easier during a build. Maybe some sweet tricks on covering an airframe or during your setup to get the plane ready to fly.

 

[BalsaDust]

First up from me is a video I did about using a piece of glass to put covering togheter. I do it this way as it avoids having to cover say an entire wing with one color then having to come back over it with a second color. It also allows you to get a nice tight bond between to pieces of covering where it will be over an open bay.

 

[pawnshopmike]

#1 Tip,

Trick @Decal Dennis into building it for me.

 

[Luchnia]

First up from me is a video I did about using a piece of glass to put covering togheter. I do it this way as it avoids having to cover say an entire wing with one color then having to come back over it with a second color. It also allows you to get a nice tight bond between to pieces of covering where it will be over an open bay.

I have read about doing this and it would certainly save covering. What happens when you get ready to heat and stretch it? Do you ever have any issues with it pulling apart?

 

[BalsaDust]

I have read about doing this and it would certainly save covering. What happens when you get ready to heat and stretch it? Do you ever have any issues with it pulling apart?

I have never worked any in a situation where I have needed to stretch it at the seem but when it come to shrinking the covering I just keep the heat away from the seam. Normally I shrink the covering with the iron itself so I just make quick passes over it. If I do use the heat gun though I use a piece of cardboard. Heat one side of the seam at a time but keep the cardboard directly over it to keep it from pulling away.

 

[BalsaDust]

Another one I have found recently is these little cheap snap blade razors from the dollar tree. Get three of them for a buck and I like them much better than a normal single edge blade for covering. They are very flexible and to me they seem to be holding the edge longer than a single edge or even a #11 blade does.

 

[Jetpainter]

When your working on a fiberglass part or on a fiberglassed balsa wing or fuse, your always chasing those pesky pinholes. After you first time you prime, but before you sand, take a powerful beam flashlight and shine it at a shallow angle across the surface. It will make even small pinholes show up like a sore thumb so you can find them and fill them.

 

[stangflyer]

Good stuff. I will need to keep this in mind.

 

[BalsaDust]

Good stuff. I will need to keep this in mind.

Come on I'm sure you have a few tips to share as well.

 

[stangflyer]

Come on I'm sure you have a few tips to share as well.

Maaaayybeee.... Hee hee