I have built at least 5 ringmasters in my life, and i never had a problem with the solid leadind edges they give you, but this latest kit, has one of the leading edge halfs has a slight warp in it. I tried wetting it, and jigging straight, and it worked for about 2 days!!! now the warp is back! not as bad, but its there!! what do you guys do to straighten out a warped piece?

                                      larry j

I have built at least 5 ringmasters in my life, and i never had a problem with the solid leadind edges they give you, but this latest kit, has one of the leading edge halfs has a slight warp in it. I tried wetting it, and jigging straight, and it worked for about 2 days!!! now the warp is back! not as bad, but its there!! what do you guys do to straighten out a warped piece?

                                      larry j

Steam will relieve the power in the wood!

A method that works, althugh there may be better ways, is to take a razor saw and make cuts about 3/4 way through the LE on the convex side of the piece.  Then secure the piece dead straight and put glue in the slots while keeping pressure on it until the glue dries.  It's trial and error as to how many cuts to make, but as you cut and bend you will see where and how many cuts to make.

I did this to a Giant Stuntmaster LE piece to straighten it and it has lasted for years.  I put the cut side to the outboard wing and the cuts on the bottom.  What little bit of weight added became less tip weight needed.

One thing about it, the "warp" will never come backin that area! 

HI Larry,

Another thought.  Ammonia releases the lecthicin (I'm told) in the wood which allows the structure to "take" a new setting when it dries.  I know ammonia works.  The problem is, the wood takes on some extra brittleness when its dry.

I still prefer my "physical method" of cutting and straightening since the warp is now eliminated with out trying to make the wood do something that it orginally didn't do.

When building older designs which have large solid spars or leading edges, I laminate them out of smaller pieces.  Different ways to to it, but doing a 1/2 square spar of two triangle pieces works well