Arrival!

[KnifeEdge51]

I won an Ebay auction a while ago for a double peanut kit from Sterling. It's the Waco S.R.E. and the Interstate Cadet kit. It arrived in the original factory wrapping. :D I tore into that baby so fast, I couldn't believe it myself. What awaited me inside the box was a pleasent surprise. The wood is of excellent quality, the printing on the wood is rather fine (leaves no quess work), and everything needed (other than tools), is furnished to high standards. :D My only complaint is that the plans are folded. I never like my folded Guillows plans. But I can adapt. I can't wait to dig in.

Nick R.

[Terry Lyttle]

I have built 2 Wacos from 2 different plans (including the Sterlng kit) and they were both odd to trim. At least with the Cadet you are only dealing with one wing, and the moments make it easier to trim. Once you are bored (!) with the Cadet, then try the Waco...

You sound a bit enthused...:D ;)

[KnifeEdge51]

I do sound a bit excited, don't I? I couldn't believe the size of the wings of the things! They're tiny! I need to finish my Guillow Cub first, and that's at a stand still. My Medium CA has thickened up to the point where it could pass as Thick CA. :( I tried to work on the Cub's landing gear the other day and nothing but "goop" came out of the bottle. :eek: Oh well. I'll just have to save up a bit and get some glue with a few fine tip applicators. If I can learn how to run our digital camera and post photos (don't I need someone to host webspace for me??), then I'll keep you all posted, once I begin building. Otherwise, I'll just keep you informed by word of mouth.

Nick R.

[Bob Chiang]

Many free flighters consider themselves Luddites, and would tell you to throw out the bottle of CA and replace it with Duco cement anyways. ;)

-Bob Chiang
Ithaca, NY

[KnifeEdge51]

I'm not familiar with Duco cement. Where can one obtain it? I'm assuming it's a light weight glue. Thanks!

Nick R.

[Bob Chiang]

Duco is similar to Ambroid. I've found it in hardware stores and a college campus store. It is light, and some folks thin it even more. Aliphatic resin glue (I think exterior wood glue) is also supposed to be lighter than CA. I think it's even more important to be careful about the quantity of glue that you use than the type.

With cement or aliphatic glues, some folks use a double glue process of coating the joint once, allowing it to penetrate, then apply a bit more before joining the pieces.

[Rifleman]

Nick I stumbled on you here, so its my turn to catch up here is a note on glues..........
Aliphatic Resins are fine glues and I use them at times for outdoor work...indoors, I have no patience in waiting for them to dry....I will usually break them down with lots of water....75:25 and only to ensure I get good penetration of the wood. The one I use is Weld-Bond by name and is a good one in that it dries clear and is a good general purpose cement. Double gluing is a tried and true method for gluing end grain balsa, and is not necessary on other types of joints.
You can use the "Duco" cement as its a good glue too and dries a bit faster than the watered down Weld-Bond(Aliphatic) glue that I use.........Most glues like Duco(Ambroid) can be loosened up with some acetone so its not a totally permanent joint, a good thing when you want to move that temporary stab setting.
More than anything though, its not the type of glue but as Bob Chiang just related, its the quantity of glue that counts....if you force yourself to make extremely tight joints you will be a better builder and have a stronger model with less weight of glue and less relying on the glue to fill a misfitted part....take the time to mitre your wood as good as you can and maximize the gluing surface area. Here is a pic to show my 'tool" which I have used for years to apply gllue to my indoor models....its a piece of .020 music wire, flattened into a "spoon" to carry the smallest amount of the thinnest Cyano I can get my hands on..........I built my Bearcat with it and many, many others too.

[KnifeEdge51]

You've just got some of the neatest little things, you know that Rifleman? :D I can't express how thankful I am for all the help (and wonderful photos!) you've provided!

Typically, I try to get my joints as tight as possible to minimize play. That way, as you stated, I'm not relying on a massive glue joint to hold my plane together. Alas, still being new to a degree (and having only a bottle of half set medium CA!:() I still put a bit more glue on joints than is needed at times. Practice, I suppose, will have to remedy this. However, I really appreciate you sharing that tool design. I may have to try something similar and see how it works. Thanks again!

Nick

[T. Lyttle]

I use Aliphatic exclusively, it is cheap and light. A pint will build your next 97 models; by then you will know how much to thin it for various applications. :D I use a syringe minus needle for an applicator, and add a length of small dia brass tube for tight/thin applications . The only thing about that is the looks you get when you buy it (hmmmm, recreational druggie, eh?). You have to replace the syringe occasionally for a few cents, but you can increase its life by using olive oil on the plunger each time you reload it. GOOD attitude towards joints, keep it up!