Builditright's wing jig, how I used it - latest video, the stab alignment jig

[RknRusty]

Here's a video of wow I installed the wing on my Twister this afternoon, using Builditright, Walter Umland's wing alignment jigs we've discussed in another thread.





This second movie has a copyright infringement due to the music in the background. Right now it's blocked on some mobile devices and in some countries. I filed an appeal, so we'll see what happens.

Here's the newest one, added May 29, 2016

[Dane Martin]

Great video detailing how to use this tool. What a helpful idea. Thanks for taking the time to log this

[Mark Knoepfle]

Nice video Rusty. Thank you.

[RknRusty]

Y'all are welcome. I'll see if Walter thinks I made anything harder than it should have been or left anything out. It's so straight forward even a caveman could do it.
Rusty

[Motorman]

I don't see where that tool really did anything you didn't do with the carpenters square.

MM

[RknRusty]

I don't see where that tool really did anything you didn't do with the carpenters square.

MM

It doesn't. But it makes for a much less frantic operation... for me anyway. With only a square, my hands are a lot busier keeping everything in place while setting up to glue. I'm bad about knocking things around and trying to hustle to beat the glue to the finish. But then I've never tried tacking the wing in place and flowing the epoxy in. I'm a little anxious to see how that really works. I think now that I've used the jig once, I could apply the epoxy and then jig it. But I didn't really know what the hell I was doing until I turned the camera on. Have you ever applied epoxy the way I suggest in the video?
Rusty

[Steve Helmick]

I tacked the wing in with CA, taped the outboard side of the wing/fuselage joint with electrical tape, hung it from the leadouts and poured thin epoxy into the gaps...which had been strategically arranged to tie the LE, TE and spars to the fuselage. When hardened, the tape cam off nicely and there was a solid epoxy fill, with no evidence of bubbles or voids. Most especially for a profile, it's worth a few extra grams to get a solid joint.  Steve

[RknRusty]

Thanks Steve, I'll do that with electrical tape. What did you thin the epoxy with, alky or acetone, heat?
Rusty.

[big ron]

I glue wings in that way except I use a small bead modeling clay instead of electrical tape to keep resin off the opposite side. I use finishing resin for the joint and don't turn plane back horizontally until resin is cured.

[Motorman]

I tack the wing with thin CA then fill any gaps with scrap balsa and CA again. I cover the wing leaving a 1/16th gap then mix epoxy and micro balloons and squeeze it into the joint with my finger. I do one side, let harden, then the other. It seals the edge of the covering.

MM  

[Mike Griffin]

Any of the fore mentioned procedures will work.  Rusty, if you use the West Systems expoxies, their consistency is a lot thinner than the stuff you usually find in hobby shops or places like Home Depot.  I use hypodermics to apply the epoxy in the joint and tape the opposite side like Steve does.  Often, I will mix micro balloons with the epoxy and also use that for my fillets.   If I don't use that, I use SuperFil for the fillets.  I have a clean big garbage can that I use to drop the wing down into to get the plane at a 90 degree angle to apply the epoxy in the joint.

Mike

[RknRusty]

Mike, I have a Monoject syringe with a long applicator tip, I may use that if I can clean all the Titebond out of it. I also have microballoons. I used to use the bag and garbage can method until I got my B & D Workmate, so now I stand it up in between two of the top planks. It's pretty cool today so a good day for epoxy work time. I think I'll combine my idea with Steve's and get'er done. I'll post back later and let y'all know how it goes. I will append it to the movie if I can manage to do it without looking like a doofus. I did pull off the video yesterday without looking too klutzy.

Is any solvent good for thinning hardware store epoxy without compromising its strength? Heat is my choice otherwise, but that has its own side effect of hardening too fast, not soaking as much.
Rusty

[RknRusty]

The The gluing went well. I got most of it on camera until the memory maxed. I forgot to delete yesterday's files. I got the important parts but not the funniest, I turned into a comedian about 2/3rds of the way through. I will have to add a tad more to a couple of places tomorrow, but it would likely be strong enough even if I didn't. That 2" wide fuse offers a lot of contact area. I'll crunch the movie and continue tomorrow.
Rusty

[dennis lipsett]

Mike, I have a Monoject syringe with a long applicator tip, I may use that if I can clean all the Titebond out of it.

Rusty,

Go to a place like Tractor Supply or any place that sells hypo and needles for shots for their live stock. No prescription required. They are really cheap about $2.50/3.00 and a package of 5 needles a few bucks more. These are of course no good for illicit use and have a bunch of different sized needles. Totally disposable when done and makes applying epoxy a simple matter.

Dennis

[RknRusty]

I bought a bunch of turkey basting syringes in the grill accessories section at Walmart for $.88 cents. They had a Luer Lock metal tip that I cut off the sideways holes, flattened the tip, and it worked great.
Rusty

[Mike Griffin]

Sounds like you got it nailed down Rusty...

Mike

[RknRusty]

I think so, Mike, I'm not extremely experienced at building stunt ships. I've kitbashed a Skyray35 to look like a Flite Streak. That was after I won Beginner and wanted a new plane for Intermediate. And an old Sterling Yak-9. So I get a little better every time, and I'm really proud of how this project is coming out. I spent a lot of the winter building the wing, in between getting flooded out of the shop. And you guys have helped me along in many ways too. I sort of cherry pick what seems consistent, and it's working for me. I hope I can fly this Twister into Advanced, I'm getting tired of second place trophies Lol
Rusty

[RknRusty]

Nice and neat.

[Mike Griffin]

I think so, Mike, I'm not extremely experienced at building stunt ships. I've kitbashed a Skyray35 to look like a Flite Streak. That was after I won Beginner and wanted a new plane for Intermediate. And an old Sterling Yak-9. So I get a little better every time, and I'm really proud of how this project is coming out. I spent a lot of the winter building the wing, in between getting flooded out of the shop. And you guys have helped me along in many ways too. I sort of cherry pick what seems consistent, and it's working for me. I hope I can fly this Twister into Advanced, I'm getting tired of second place trophies Lol
Rusty

I'm sure you will Rusty.  The greatest thing about this forum is the wealth of knowledge and the combined hundreds of years if experience you can draw from.  There are various tried and true methods to arrive at the same goal and if it works for you, that is what matters.  Whenever I offer a "how to" video on here, I just show the way I do it but that does not mean it is the only way to do it.

I quit flying competitivly years ago because my back got so bad and I never really was that great of flyer anyway.  I have always enjoyed building more than flying and I guess that is why I got into building for other people for several years.  The comradary of the hobby is what is important to me and always will be.

Mike

[RknRusty]

Here is the second movie, the final gluing into the fuselage. Not quite as polished as the first, as I lost some footage to full memory... in the camera. My own memory forgot to clear it first. Look at my age... oh gosh it's the first time I've seen it in public... the end of my youth is upon me!

There is a copyright problem with my background music, so it's blocked in some mobile devices and also some countries. I filed an appeal. It never occurred to me to not listen to music while I work.




P.S.  Anyone who cannot view this video, please let me know, and tell me what device was blocked. Looks like just cell phones.
I might have to give Eric Clapton and Roger Clyne a phone call.
Rusty

[RknRusty]

All the alignments and measuring in the world are no good if not jigged in place so they stay aligned while you glue them together....

Ty, I had the wing securely CA tacked in all 4 corners with a 1/32" shim before I moved it to the gluing table. It passed the tenderness test before moving too. It's still straight and square in every direction.

I have the stab jigs too.
Rusty

[RknRusty]

Here's the Monokote job. Next I have to silkspan the stab and elevator. I'll paint them as light as I can before installing.

Navy Blue on the Inb wingtip, Missile Red on the Obd tip. She's moving along.

[RknRusty]

Here's the latest video using Walter's stabilizer alignment jig:

[RC Storick]

Good job! I am glad more people are making movies on how to do this stuff

[RknRusty]

Good job! I am glad more people are making movies on how to do this stuff

Thanks Sparky. I enjoy videoing projects like this. Over the years I've made various how-to movies, including things like turning a Cox Black Widow into a Mouse racer(borrowing from Paul Gibeault), making pressure bladders, and how to use them, etc.

I video all of my flight reports, but usually only post them on another small forum since my flying doesn't really interest the higher level stunt crowd here.
Coming from you, I do appreciate the compliment.
Thanks,
Rusty