Been in't workshop

Free flight and rubber powered models
Stew
Posts: 495
Joined: 02 Mar 2018, 10:21
Location: Staindrop, Darlington.

Been in't workshop

Post by Stew »

Hi all.

I've been doing some balsa bashing as it's an 'Eric Olthwaite' kind of day. Overcast with lots of precipitation...
Subjects on the board have been a Ron Warring 'Titch' for sport flying, (and as a test bed for an engine I'm attempting to build) and a Vic Smeed 'Tomboy' for the worldwide postal comp. It will probably get an MP-Jet or a DC Merlin.
The Titch is a fiddly little bugger, and covering the formers behind the cockpit was an exercise in patience. It's a nice little thing though, and quite robust.
The Tomboy was straightforward, and I'll do another post about it soon. There's a couple of little things that help matters...
They're both free-flight. The Tomboy will have a clockwork DT, (that's what the bit if sheet infill is for at the side) and the Titch will have one of those little button DT's.
Both will be covered the way I always do it. Single layer of Esaki LiteFlite Jap tissue. Shrinking dope thinned 50/50. No mylar, I can't abide the stuff.
I tend to use black for fuselages these days as I have no imagination.
P1070936.JPG
P1070943.JPG

This one shows how small the Titch is. The Tomboy is standard 36" to the Aero Modeller plan.
P1070944.JPG
Last edited by Stew on 15 Feb 2020, 15:51, edited 1 time in total.
Stew
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Joined: 02 Mar 2018, 10:21
Location: Staindrop, Darlington.

Re: Been in't workshop

Post by Stew »

Bit more covering done.
P1070950.JPG
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PaulJ
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Location: Ipswich, UK

Re: Been in't workshop

Post by PaulJ »

'Lovely job Stew, what motor will you put in the Titch?

You say you don't like mylar but FWIW, I have discovered what I think is a great way to cover models like these.... First Mylar and then lightweight esaki tissue applied on top with Ronseal "Diamond Hard" interior varnish thinned 50/50 with water smoothed out with a sponge. The tissue is put on dry but because of the very thin watery varnish it is effectively applied "wet" and goes round compound curves easily and as it dries it water shrinks and tightens. Use as many coats as you think necessary (3 coats gives a nice sheen). Because of the mylar it it much more resistant to puncturing, it looks the business, is fuel proof and best of all, there is no smell. :P

Paul
Stew
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Joined: 02 Mar 2018, 10:21
Location: Staindrop, Darlington.

Re: Been in't workshop

Post by Stew »

Hi Paul. I take on board your comments about mylar. I tried it a few years ago, 10 and 5 micron from Mike Woodhouse. I got an excellent finish, no wrinkles, tough etc, but if it did get punctured or torn, I couldn't figure out any way to repair it.
I just use Jap tissue for everything now, or modelspan, and good old dope.
The engine going in it will either be the Topsy 0.375 I'm working on, (modified for beam mount rather than radial) or if that turns out to be a rather intricate paperweight, one of the smaller Red Fins, probably the 020.
Being lazy and impatient, it'll probably get the Red Fin first.

Stew.
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PaulJ
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Location: Ipswich, UK

Re: Been in't workshop

Post by PaulJ »

Stew wrote: 16 Feb 2020, 10:51 if it did get punctured or torn, I couldn't figure out any way to repair it.

Tissue/mylar is so much more resistant to puncture that the only time I have had to repair it, the tissue had split but the mylar had only deformed/stretched inwards so a quick dose of heatgun re-shrank the mylar and then a tissue patch was applied. But if a big hole was the problem I think I would just cut the whole panel out and re-mylar and tissue it..... or just use tissue and accept that that panel would be more vulnerable than the rest of the model. But of course we all have our own favourite ways of doing things! ;) :P

I would never try to tell someone how to build their model but I am just passing on stuff I have picked up through going to various meetings and seeing models that were better than mine! I learned about mylar off the old "singlechannellers" forum and the acrylic varnish just last year from a guy at Old Warden who builds arguably the most beautifully built models I have ever seen.......

Paul
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Sundancer
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Joined: 07 Jun 2018, 09:28
Location: Limousin, France

Re: Been in't workshop

Post by Sundancer »

Try using 28-37 micron document laminating film under Esaki or Modelspan tissue instead of mylar Stew. A hundred times easier to handle than mylar, has it's own very tenacious adhesive, shrinks beautifully and very little weight penalty, I use it on anything down to 20 inches span. With Esaki Liteflite it is very puncture resistant, with lightweight Modelspan even more so, with heavy Modelspan - bullet proof! Apply wet with nitrate dope or dry with WBPU floor varnish.

These models all use doculam/various tissues, all get LOTS of flying ad don't have a single puncture between them - OK, they are radio so I (usually!!) keep them out of trees, but they have all had a fair amount of abuse.
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Stew
Posts: 495
Joined: 02 Mar 2018, 10:21
Location: Staindrop, Darlington.

Re: Been in't workshop

Post by Stew »

Paul, I tried the repairs, but it just seemed a faff, so I'm just going to stick with Tissue. I like the 'purity' and trad aspect of it. But mylar does give a hell of a good finish.
Old Warden is hallowed turf for me. I've seen models there that I will never get close to building the likes of.
I've dug out some photos of various visits, I will post them in the appropriate section. Some of you may be interested in seeing them.
Stew
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Joined: 02 Mar 2018, 10:21
Location: Staindrop, Darlington.

Re: Been in't workshop

Post by Stew »

Sundancer. Stunning work!
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Wayne_H
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Re: Been in't workshop

Post by Wayne_H »

Stew wrote: 16 Feb 2020, 13:16 Sundancer. Stunning work!
Stew, I second that motion!

Also, looking forward to seeing pics of your completed Tomboy & Titch.
Cheers,

Wayne
Once a Retrobate, always a Retrobate............ ;)
Stew
Posts: 495
Joined: 02 Mar 2018, 10:21
Location: Staindrop, Darlington.

Re: Been in't workshop

Post by Stew »

I'm just finishing the wings on the Ron Warring 'Titch'.
I am at the bit where you join them to the centre section and then glue them in place at the correct dihedral angle. 10 degrees (not inches distance under each tip, thanks for that Mr Warring)...adding the angled end ribs after that...not before.... :oops:

The wings have been a sodding nightmare. I can see why you don't see many of these about. They're on the fiddly side.
The wing merits a whopping seven short lines in the description. After that it's up to you. I guess this was the 1950's, and modellers didn't need more hand holding. I understand that.

The plan only shows one side of the wing, so I drew my own opposite side on backing paper and built on that. Other methods are available.

I can see why at no point in the text does it say that this is a beginners model, but the picture in the description slyly shows Warring minor holding the thing! sneaky!
On a happier note, it does say that with a powerful engine fitted the climb is quite spectacular :twisted:
I'll post some photos once the wings are at a stage that doesn't make me want to cry with shame.

I think the trimming process (as someone not that great or experienced at trimming FF power models) to achieve the spectacular climb may be 'interesting'

Stew.
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