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Building Tips and technical articles. => Building techniques => Topic started by: Gary Anderson on March 08, 2008, 11:45:04 AM
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Hi guys,
I'm forming some parts for my new junker and was wondering how many form their own parts? Its fun to do and not hard, saves carving blocks and is fast. Some of the nobler kits have formed top cover. I'm making the ares fuselage and decided to form the top and bottom. Might even use stringers for strength. Like most fuselage states to use 1/8", I'm cheap I'm using 3/32" (got the material free, tower send me the wrong balsa). All the balsa I received from tower has the midwest sticker on them, even the 1/16" plywood. My brother wrecked his nobler arf, I'm using the wing and stab from the nobler and I'm installing it in the ares fuse, Just something different, don't want him to have a ordinary plane, what would you call this plane? Maybe install the stiletto type landing gear? I'm going to use the ares tail, love the way it looks. Just having fun, Gary
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Hi Gary,
I usually do this if it's not too complex a shaping. While it can certainly be done with top and bottom block with complex curves, when those curves are steep, it can be quite a pain to get it right. I tried don't this with my the current classic plane I'm building. Top block came out marginally (it has a fairly steep vertical curve along with rather severe horizontal curves making molding a block somewhat frustrating, but doable), but the bottom block it was impossible due to the really severe curves. I could have cut the sheet wood to allow it to work, but since I had some really light 1" stock, I decided to just carve them.
For something with little or no really complex curves, it is easy and works great. And it's generally stronger and lighter.
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Hi guys,
I'm surprised I didn't get any response about this process. I use planes that crashed for forms. The fuselage is nice to use so you don't have to carve new blocks. I believe forming wood is lighter and very quick. Most guys don't crash their planes, just use the ones others crash? I use rubber bands to hold the wood around the old parts, of coarse you have to soak the wood first, form bye hand than mold around part. Easy and fun, have a great day Gary
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Hi guys,
I'm surprised I didn't get any response about this process. I use planes that crashed for forms. The fuselage is nice to use so you don't have to carve new blocks. I believe forming wood is lighter and very quick. Most guys don't crash their planes, just use the ones others crash? I use rubber bands to hold the wood around the old parts, of coarse you have to soak the wood first, form bye hand than mold around part. Easy and fun, have a great day Gary
Hi Gary,
Just saw this. I have been molding balsa for 15 years or so. I mainly do wing LEs, but I am doing a turtle deck for a large P-51B right now. I like to *semi* mold parts like the turtle deck. I use formers, and a middle stringer on the top. It is a lot quicker!
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I do as Bill does, LE's etc. One thing you might want to try Gary is an "Ace Bandage" instead of the rubber bands. They don't need to be put on super tight,as they self tighten as they equalize the tension over the whole part. No ugly marks to sand off.
"Billy G" H^^
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I'm like Bill, but I've also molded complex/compound curve fuselages like my F9F and the current Ephesian. I also did two of my old Seirra's which were complex and compound curves. Robin's View videos on molding balsa are really good, even though I hot wire my fuse' molds to rough shape instead of how Bob & Bill do them, and they show quite well how to make the compound curves.
It's the most fun I've had to date for making fuselages! (I did my first one right after Al Rabe's articles on it "way back when".) And I do a right and left side for the fuse' halves instead of top/bottom assemblies.
Blessings,
Will
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Iwatched a video of Windy's in which he was molding balsa. Instead of 1/8th he would use 1/16th and in place of 1/16th he used 1/32nd. Laminations make for stronger peices. I have also seen the video of Bob Hunts where Billy is doing the molding for the P-47. Well worth the money for the videos. DOC Holliday