Building Tips and technical articles. > 1/2 A building.
FireBaby Build
Rick Bollinger:
Thanks Fred, I do need some advice on the horz stab. The original had a red cloth hinge running the length of the stab. I want to put the hinge on top of the decal. After I put 2-3 coats of clear lusterkote on. What adhesive would be best and what type of hinge material? Or should I just cut the decal out around the hinge and just put it on over the bear wood like normal? Here is a scan from the original stab and after my wife photoshoped it for me that I will make the decal from.
fred krueger:
Rick,
Here's a scan of a Firebaby stab/elevator that I purchased a while ago on eBay. This one has the hinge material on the bottom which would eliminate your problem. It appears to be cloth of some type. The stab on my 'replica' model uses fabric binding tape that I purchased at Hobby Lobby. I glued this to the wood with Ambroid.
Fred
GGeezer:
Hi Rick,
You did such a good job on this replica that I was initially skeptical that you had just photographed the original! I copied a photo and enlarged it and could see that the firewall and wing mount parts were not punched for a variety of different motors like the original... so they definitely are repos.
I also have an original eBayed Firebaby that I reconditioned. The stab hinge was mostly detached and very stiff. Trust me, the FB is very light on the lines and that hinge has to be very free moving.
I removed the original cloth hinge and replaced it with a red Monocote hinge of the same dimensions ironed on. I don't know what kind of decal material you are using and whether you are top coating it but the iron on hinge may also work for you. I have done a fair amount of flying with my FB and the hinge is holding nicely.
I love the metal work you have done on your model and have some questions:
1. What type of aluminum did you use for the wing mount and firewall?
2. Did you make tooling to press form the firewall?
3. I have had difficulty finding the thin hard aluminum that was used on the original's fin, what did you use?
4. My reconditioned FB is missing the original canopy, would you consider selling me one when you form yours?
Again... great job.
Orv.
Rick Bollinger:
Fred, I wish my stab was in that good of shape it sure would have made things a lot easier. And you are so right. I looked closer at my old stab and the hinge IS on bottom. I am so use to the horn being on the bottom but it is on top on the FB.
Orv.I am a sheet metal worker by trade. Althow not usually this kind of work (unfortunately) A lot of the techincs are the same.
All the alum I was able to get is I believe a 50 series. It is fairly soft which is OK. I would have liked to had some 6061 for the rudder but what I got is adequate. The wing mount is .026, the firewall is.032 and the tail is .016. I got all the aluminum at my local Ace hardware store. It was in the display with the brass tubing and music wire. The firewall I made a plug using epoxy putty. I left a handle on the back so I could clamp it in a vice. Cut the aluminum about 1/8 - 3/16 bigger than the outside of the plug no more or you will not be able to form it. Use a small hammer like a tack hammer just a couple oz's. And start tapping the metal around the plug. It takes time and can be frustrating HB~> . I have tried twice to pull a canopy with no luck yet HB~>.
john e. holliday:
Get a clear soda bottle or what ever color tint you like. Just needs to be big enough for the plug to fit. Looking at the picture, put pointy end towards the neck of the bottle and pack open area under the block with scrap wood of some kind. Grab you hot air gun used for MonoKoting and got at it. It should shrink up/down real tight. Mark your cut lines before removing from the block. It takes time and practice, I went thru several/many soda bottles before I got my P-47 canopy I liked. Still not perfect, but I am satisfied.
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