Originally Posted by coosbaylumber

Learn to adapt what you already have, like some sandpaper glued to a stick. Use the tools you have at hand, and get started, for it will take longer than anticipated.

Don't run out and buy what ever is written into the instructions, for it may delay the construction such that you loose interest and buy an (Ugh) ARF.

Wm.

I agree here. With ingenuity you can simulate. Save the money for servos or esc's or motors.

Originally Posted by Karrde

Think ahead:
You can never have too many exacto blades, tubes/bottles of glue, sheets of sandpaper in all grits, solder, piano wire, control horns, etc.
It sucks when you've got several hours of time to yourself on a Sunday evening to devote to building and you've run out of one of the essentials and all the stores are closed.
Also, when you are "flying" your supergirl daughter down the hall to her room to tuck her in for the night and start wondering where her center of gravity is... it might be time to take a break from the planes for a day or so.

Rich

CG of daughter. That is hilarious. I find myself finding the CG of everything I pick up now, even a forkful of,spaghetti.

Use of building for a relaxing escape is priceless. Just today while shopping I once again became face to face with another reality.

The conservatisim in my hobby spending when it is actually very nominal in comparison to our current families overall cost of living today.

My point again is that the hobby of building can provide a reasonable relaxing period in our week. Plus it is an escape from the increasing realities of our current times. I expect the present economic trends to get subtantually worse by the way.

This means general inflation is going to go up all too fast soon.With stagnant wages in comparison.

People are going to need a temporary escape from the pressures of what is coming to keep things in perspective. For example there is no real chance of a true general economic recovery left at all now in my opinion.

So if your are siitting on the fence about building give the intangiables some thought is simply my point.

Originally Posted by barry wilson

I expect the present economic trends to get subtantually worse by the way.

This means general inflation is going to go up all too fast soon.With stagnant wages in comparison.

For example there is no real chance of a true general economic recovery left at all now in my opinion.

Isn't this the kind of sentiment that leads to erosion of consumer confidence and causes a decline in the economy??? We could have done without the personal forcast. I hope you aren't one of those people who will actually be dissapointed if we continue to turn it around and improve the economy.

Now I'm depressed. Way to put a damper on the party. I hope you are wrong. I'm not sure what you are hoping for.

And by the way, if this is OT; you started it.

M.

Rather than tape and paper to mask the fuse while painting my new 1/2A Flite Streak, I used Glad Press N seal. I pulled it straight along the newly Monokoted wing root and just pressed it to stick it. No leaks at the edges, worked like a charm. Today I also masked last night's red paint to add the new navy blue on the nose and it stuck but did not mar the fresh red. I had to clean some of the glad glue off the wings with alcohol and it comes right off.

don't breathe in solder fumes, nor cyanoacrylate come to that - make a simple fan

click on this link to my latest tool, and build one for yourself

and on simple things, the best recent suggestion i followed was to use a cable tie around your balsa knife so it can't roll - i am still impressed by the number of times i haven't dropped it on my leg or foot when previously i would have been impaled

Originally Posted by scruffy1

...and on simple things, the best recent suggestion i followed was to use a cable tie around your balsa knife so it can't roll - i am still impressed by the number of times i haven't dropped it on my leg or foot when previously i would have been impaled

Good idea. I glue a small piece of scrap balsa to the handle. I like the zip-tie better. I dropped the knife on my thigh the other day. Luckily I had on tough new cargo pants, so it didn't do too much damage.

I drilled a hole through the end of mine, and put a keyring ring through the hole, now it wont roll, and you can hang the knife up to save the edge if you like.

Originally Posted by Curare

I drilled a hole through the end of mine, and put a keyring ring through the hole, now it wont roll, and you can hang the knife up to save the edge if you like.

I can't find the LIKE button. Anyone?

Barry wilson said the building area is relaxing....that's true...My 8 yr old grandaughter has been building in the shop with me for some time now,and recently,after a particularly trying day,she came home from school and sailed past me to the SHOP,not her bedroom,to unwind.She knows.

Originally Posted by epoxyearl

Barry wilson said the building area is relaxing....that's true...My 8 yr old grandaughter has been building in the shop with me for some time now,and recently,after a particularly trying day,she came home from school and sailed past me to the SHOP,not her bedroom,to unwind.She knows.

Nice story!
It reminds me of a young lady who comes into our local "Mens Shed". She spend less than 2 hours making herself a very assymetrical, but serviceable coffee table out of offcuts etc. We did give her occaisional assistance from time to time, but she mostly did it herself. She took it home that night and put it into commission!
These so called "Men's Sheds" are becoming more widespread in my part of the world and I only found there is one my town some weeks ago. Great idea.

Jim.

Originally Posted by scruffy1

and on simple things, the best recent suggestion i followed was to use a cable tie around your balsa knife so it can't roll - i am still impressed by the number of times i haven't dropped it on my leg or foot when previously i would have been impaled

Originally Posted by RknRusty

Good idea. I glue a small piece of scrap balsa to the handle. I like the zip-tie better. I dropped the knife on my thigh the other day. Luckily I had on tough new cargo pants, so it didn't do too much damage.

Yeah, I don't know why they make those things so round! On my Xacto knife, I use one of those rubber triangular things that you can put on a pencil. That way, it doesn't roll and it is also more comfortable to hold.

I used to work in a micro-electronics lab. I can't count how many people I've seen who had xactos or tweezers fall off the bench and their immediate reflex is to CLAMP their legs together to catch the falling object. YeOwww!!

It only takes once and after that you just let stuff fall to the ground.

I dont know about you but i have something between my legs that id like to protect

Well Scrubmonkey, maybe I'm older (and envious) than you but "Mr. Happy" isn't effected when I clamp my legs together