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Building Tips and technical articles. => Building techniques => Topic started by: Bill Little on October 05, 2006, 09:37:46 PM
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Since I haven't ordered my Super Fil yet, and I have tons (literally it seems) of scrap contest balsa, I am going to make some wood fillets on my Profile Stuka that I am getting ready to cover. I will use Ambroids to glue it all down, and then carve/sand them to shape. I tried it under the stab, and it is a quick process.
Anyone else use wood for fillets??
Bill <><
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You will see them on my next T-Bolt. Much stronger and lighter..
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I've thought about using triangle stock stuck down with Sigment. I guess one would have to wet it to go around the leading edge curve. Think I'll try it on the Oriental I'm building "at". Glen
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Ty,
Epoxy fillets, without even some 'dust' (microballoons or whatever) CAN be painted and not lift.
First to suggest this, I think, was Dee Rice, in the MAN Oriental article. Basically, 5-minute epoxy smoothed on with fingertip or prop tip...
For the amount used, negligible weight gain. To keep it paintable, nitrate dope dusted-over per Joe Reinhardt's FM Gypsy 35 article... Just overspray to build color coats and butyrate color.
Mask? yeah. and some high% rubbing alcohol to feather the edges. Use the high% rubbing isopropyl to kill finger oils if you, like me, can't resist touching the fillets with oily fingers.
Sanded balsa fillets with a wipe of 5-minute are even lighter and larger... Going around tight turns may require cutting a 'glove' of soft balsa to the curve... No matter - even 5-minute will saturate well enough. When all this under-stuff looks right, a thinly stretched scrape of 5-minute finish-preps the fillet for final finishing.
Ty, if I can do it, you sure can.
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Do you have to soften the leather filets before you glue them down? How?
Did balsa once...How come I never did that again?
???
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The leather fillets I use are very soft. I pre-glue the area the fillets will "fill" and then using a lot of Ambroid I lay the precut fillet into the joint. I use a ball on a stick to force them into the groove so to speak. They come out very smooth and no edge. They lay right down. On occasion I have wet an area with thinner and relaid it. Then after they dry, I coat them with Ambroid. Later I dope and sand them. I do the fillets AFTER the wing is covered. There is a warehouse that sells them in one hundred foot batches. That's where everyone gets them. No kidding. ;D <=
The ball on a stick is a device I obtained through Micro Mark that is used to smack a drilled hole to make it a little smaller. ;)
You are correct, Sir!
For the "ball on a stick", I just glued a ball on a stick with J.B. Weld. **)
Bill <><
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Marbles!
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Yes a marble will work. You can also use steel ball bearings. The size depends on the radius of the fillet. Ive used popcicle sticks too, which can be bought at a crafts store. But, the ball on a stick give a more consistant radius.
Thomas
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Why Ambroid glue? ??? Ron.
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Why Ambroid glue? ??? Ron.
It's light, sands well, It's light, and dope sticks to it really good! Did I say it's light??
Bill <><
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Thanks Bill, makes sense to me. y1 Ron.
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And it makes my jeans stand up in the corner all by themselves!
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I used balsa fillets on my Nobler.I cut the balsa into a triangle stick shape .It is cut across the end grain so you pieces are going to be 3 or 4" long.This way it makes curves nice and adds more strength.I sand a slight concave into it before gluing it down with as stated (Ambroid).Then just sand and blend into the wing and fuse.Very easy and light. ;D
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Just use your wing rib pattern to cut fillets out of scrap balsa.
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I sell leather fillets by the foot. There is no minimum. My ad is on the classifieds. I also will send instruction sheets if needed.