Conference vmszoo::rc

    Bob,
    
    Personally, I've never used one ...my opinion (and that's all it
    is) is that as much time is spent assembling/setting-up a jig as
    is spent in actual construction.  I've precision levelled (as much
    as is possible) my work bench and simply erect everything square
    to the bench-top and this works fine for me.  For fuselages, I jig
    everything around a centerline drawn on the bench-top, tacking or
    tack-gluing squaring/aligning pieces to the work surface as I go.
    
    If properly used, it cannot be denied, however, that a specialized
    jig of some sort WILL produce a true structure, provided, of course,
    that the surface the jig is mounted to is flat/square as well. 
    The bottom line is, "if it works for you, by all means use it"...
    any means to an end ya' know.  The magnet jig DOES sound interesting
    though...should eliminate the need for a lot of pinning.
    
    As to the contour sander..., never used one but it looks to me like
    you'd have to already have the desired contour BEFORE you could
    adjust the sander to that shape, the old "chicken ot the egg" syn-
    drome.  In cases where I have to duplicate a shape, say a fillet
    or a nose contour, I merely tape a piece of sandpaper on the surface
    I want to duplicate, then carefully run a styrofoam block over it
    'til the "mirror-image" shape has been sanded into it.  Then, all
    you have to do is contact or rubber cement a piece of appropriate
    grit sandpaper onto the prepared foam block and, voila!, you have
    a customized sanding block.  This technique works equally well on
    concave AND convex curves.  One great application is for achieving
    a perfectly shaped leading edge...try it, I think you'll like it.
    
    Another note on sanding:  As I'm sure you've already discovered,
    while it's the MOST important sanding tool you have, a sanding 
    block won't get into all the funny little nooks and crannies that
    occur in the course of building a model.  BE CREATIVE...special
    sanding tools can be made in very little time and make things a
    helluva' lot easier while producing a lot more professional looking
    job.  Example: Cut a 1/4" strip of sandpaper 6 or 8" long and, using
    contact or rubber cement, spiral-wrap it to a piece of dowel appro-
    priate to the job and you'll have the slickest little sanding stick
    you ever saw.  Best of all, IT WAS FREE!  My sandpaper drawer is
    just full of these little specialized sanding tools...THEY'RE GREAT!
    
    Adios,	Al Casey
    

    Saw a magnetic building board at the MARC show in Baltimore this
    Spring...
    
    Was kind of expecsive, but looked like it would do an exceptional
    job!!

    I have the Magic Building Board or whatever they call it..  It was
    not too expensive through mail order...  
    
    It does a pretty good job holding things..  The best thing is does
    is help you build straight fuses..  It has lines on it like graph
    paper so you can easily measure any piece you are building on it..
    
    But, if I were in the market for a building aid, the one I would
    spend my money on is a good wing jig.  You can build an enitre wing
    in 1-2 nights, straighter than before.  It takes a little getting
    used to, but there is nothing that can make a day worse than a warped
    wing...
    
    Cheer,
    jeff
    

    This is a note on a very minor building aid, the Octopus by Dismas
    International, sold by Tower in the soon expiring Bargain Shopper.
    The tool is a hold-little-things-in-the-right-relative-positions
    device, similar to another product sold by Radio Shack.
    
    At first glance it looks like something on the $1 bargain table at
    J&R's Discount --- several plastic parts in a vinyl wallet. But this
    device is well made and worth the six dollars to Tower. It has a well
    made plastic and steel base that clamps on the edge of a table or
    bench.  From this base extend four bendable arms with alligator clips
    on the ends.  An arm with a magnifying glass or one with a magnet can
    be substituted for the others.  A similar tool could be made by putting
    alligator clips on the ends of thick wire solder or #14 copper wire.

     
    
    I have recently been looking around for a small power sander that
    I would use in building my planes. I have not seen many but dremel
    makes a power disc/belt sander. Why do they have a disc and a belt
    sander ? Does each one do certain tasks better. For instance, is
    a belt sander better on curves ? Also, does anyone have any comments
    on power sanders and model planes  in general ?
    
    Another topic. Has anyone used the new oderless CA glues. Do they
    work as well as the normal CA glues ?
    
    Thanks for any comments.
    
    Mike

>    sander ? Does each one do certain tasks better. For instance, is
>    a belt sander better on curves ? Also, does anyone have any comments
>    on power sanders and model planes  in general ?

Talk about overkill - I have a 10 inch radial arm saw that I leave 
a disk sander mounted on.  For a belt I have a Craftsman belt sander with
a vacuum bag.  I have it C-clamped upside down on my bench.

Your right - the belt works on inside curves (Berliner-Joyce Gull wings)
and the disks claim to fame is perfect 90 degree angles.

On a much smaller scale you may want to consider a 10-20 dollar sanding
assembly that allows angles and their complements.  Perfect for these
built up stick construction fuselages and cross braced ribs.

Hidden deep within this notes file there has been much praise in the past
for the Dremel sander you have your eyes on.  If you get it and you spend
much time building you will love it.

Bye          --+--
Kay R. Fisher  |
---------------O---------------
================================================================================

    
    I have and use a dremel disk belt sander unit. With the dremel the
    disk section has a tilt table and a miter fence that allows compound
    angles to be sanded into the pieces. I use the belt for outside
    curves and roughing out.
    
    
    
    As a side note I just bought myself a band saw. It's a three wheeler
    with a 14" throat. It takes blades from 1/4 to 1/2". It came with
    a miter guage,rip fence, circle cutter, 1/2"sanding belt and it's
    three speeds with a tilt table. Weight about 35 lbs.
    
    
    Cost you ask?		Brand new    169.00 Inc tax.
    
    
    Tom

    God, I hope the moderator doesn't get on my case again for putting this
    message is the wrong place (he's been really good so in putting up with
    my putting new notes on the system when they go in another category).
    
    How about your comments about what you use for a building board.  
    
    Hogie states that he uses a hollow door as his buildi
    
    Regards,

I went to the local home center and selected the two flattest sheets of 
particle board I could find, then bought a couple packs of 1 foot square cork
board. I used contact cement to glue the cork to the particle board. With 
two of these, I can work on one while glue is setting on the other. I've been
using them for 3 years now, and my only regret is that I should have used 
better quality cork. The stuff I used has a tendency to come apart, but it's
still quite usable.

One thing: store the board flat, not on its side, or it will warp.

Dave

    Better than cork board, buy the cheapest suspended ceiling board they
    have, they come in 2x4 foot panels for $2 to $3.  

    Great idea - from the mind of experts comes the best, simplest and
    cheaptest ideas.  
    
    Thanks much,
    
    Ollie

>                    -< Use Ceiling Board as Building Board >-

Every couple of years I stop in McManus Hobbies in Fitchburg
and pick up a "building board".  It is sort of a ceiling tile
(with no finish side) and only cost a few bucks.

I'm over due for a new one (mostly from being sloppy and spilling
epoxy and zap on it over a couple of years) - thanks for the
reminder.

Bye          --+--
Kay R. Fisher  |
---------------O---------------
################################################################################

    Most Home Construction stores like Grossmans sell these pine board
    thingies (not getting too techincal here, am I?).  They're made up of a
    bunch of 1 inch square pieces of pine, glued together and then Finish
    Planed on all sides and edges, al-la Butcher Block style table tops. 
    You're supposed to use them to make cheap furniture, I guess.  Anyway,
    they sell one that's a 3x5 foot size.  I use one of these.  The wood's
    soft enough that it's fairly easy to put pins into, and because it's
    made up of lots of pieces of wood glued together, the variations in
    grain and grain orientation make it extremely resistant to warpage. 
    I've had one I've used for 4 years now, and it hasn't warped or worn
    out.  Since it's wood, not soft composite tile or cork, you can also cut
    against it with an Exacto, or hammer on it, if need be.

    I find that TV tray tables are particularly useful. You can use
    them individually, or put two or more together. I you put one side
    ways, and another length wise (kind of like T shape), my planes
    sit very nicely on them.
    
    I have one end table that is a two tier table. Kind of like one
    square sitting on top of another square. It provides an extreamly
    hard flat surface with a nice right angle. This came in very handy
    when I was building the split elevator for the WOT-4. There was
    a need to have a flat surface to butt the elevator up against, but
    it also needed to be "on" a flat surface. The end table worked great.
    
    For large jobs, I generally use the dinning room table. That's where
    I can really spread out. Again, nice hard flat surface for bigger
    things like wings and fuse's.
    
    I'll be able to start building again once the divorce is final.
    
    Steve

Thanks Steve, that's my best laugh in weeks.  

John-who-is-banished-to-a-corner-of-the-basement

    The most important thing is you need a perfectly flat surface, in all
    directions. A hollow core door is ok, but because it's insides are just
    strips of cardboard holding the veneer apart, it might be concave or
    convex, and will also bend if you put any weight on it. My first
    trainer was built on a hollow core door, with a 2x4' ceiling tile as
    the pinboard. You can get the tiles for about $1 if you go to a
    building supply store and ask for a damaged tile. Find one that has
    been dropped on the corner. It can't be used as a ceiling tile, so
    they'll probably sell it to you for a bargain.
    
    After I decided I was going to get serious about this hobby, I
    constructed a modelling workbench out of a solid core door and some
    2x4s. This cost well under $50, including lag bolts to bolt it together
    (it can be disassembled easily, if necessary). It's heavy and very
    flat. (NOTE: You really ought to have a workshop for this, it doesn't
    go over too well in the living room or kitchen!)
    
    Since the 2x4' ceiling tile isn't big enough for a full wing, I now use
    a piece of sheetrock as the table surface. I cut it to the size of the
    door. I use a couple sheetrock screws to screw it to the bench,
    although that's not really necessary. It's easy to pin to, and stays
    flat. It's surface is paper, so you can draw on it of you like. The
    front edge gets cut up, glue drops, etc on it, but you can then turn it
    around and get a new front edge. Even if you don't use the back of the
    sheetrock (it's very rough gray cardboard), you can get two edges out
    of one piece of sheetrock. You can double this if you only cut the
    sheetrock 2' wide, and get two pieces out of a 4x8'.
    
    Dave

As a table base use whatever you want thats flat and sturdy. I use hollow core
doors, and as long as they are properly supported find them to be flat. On top
of the doors though I like a piece of Homasote. I learned of this miracle
product from one of my other addictions, model railroading. Homasote comes in
4x8' sheets and is 5/8" thick. It is a product made from recycled newspapers.
It will accept pins easily and will hold them firmly. It has two advantages over
ceiling tile, Celotex, drywall and the like. First is that its "self healing". 
That is you can push pins into it for a very very long time before it becomes 
unusable. Second is that it tends to hold pins much more firmly. Disadvantages
are that it can be difficult to find, its somewhat expensive (about $20.00/sheet
the last time I bought any), and it can be messy to cut - think what would 
happen if you cut a stack of newspapers with a sabre saw.

Randy

    Randy, thanks for your suggestion - it sounds like a good idea.  
    
    Can you suggest where one may find a sheet of homasote???
    
    I know this sounds dumb, but in building my homebuilt KR-2, the plans
    stated to use an "angle finder" for determining the correct angle for
    locating the root wing rib.
    
    After going to some 6-7 speciality hardware stores, I found out that an
    "angle finder" is really a protractor (I know - dumb, dumb, dumb).
    
    Hopefully, I want get laughed at again when I go in a store and ask for
    a sheet of Homasote - they might sell me a left handed monkey wrench.
    
    Regards,                                                   

        I bought a couple of sheets of Homasote at Sundeen's on Mammoth
        Road in Manchester, NH, for around $12-14  per  sheet,  (8'x4')
        and it seems to be readily available.
        
        It cuts easily with a circular saw, BUT, the cutting produces a
        lot of fine, woolly dust,  so I elastic-banded my shop vac hose
        to my wrist, and this keeps the dust manageable.
        
        Andy
        

RE:251.18
    
>    After going to some 6-7 speciality hardware stores, I found out that an
>    "angle finder" is really a protractor (I know - dumb, dumb, dumb).
  

Don't feel bad. There really is such a device. I got mine from the mail order
place Micro-Mart. It consist of two straight edges about 6 inches long. On the
end of one of the straight edges is a protractor. The other straight edge is 
joined to the first one on top of the protractor and swings thru 360 degrees.
The top piece has a pointer to the graduations on the protractor. Slap this 
widget up on the two surfaces and read the angle off. Its real handy for 
transfering angles off of plans onto balsa sheets for cutting.

    Thanks for the infor Dan.  What you described is the gizmo (sp) I
    purchased and the Speciality Store called it a protactor.
    
    Regards,
    
    Ollie

Hi Ollie,

Someone from your neck of the woods has already suggested one location. I'm here
in Colorado Springs and the only location that I know of would be a bit of a
drive for you. My understanding is that Homasote is much more prevalent in the
northeast than here and you should be able to get it at most any good lumber
yard.

I have solved the messy cutting problem by using a sabre saw with a knife edged
blade to do the cutting. The knife edged blade is a standard sabre saw blade
with no teeth. Its usually used for leather I think. It slices slowly through
the Homasote leaving a very nice glazed/fused edge. This method does produce
some heat and smoke. The heat produces the nice finished edge and the smoke can 
be gotten rid of with a fan in the window.

Randy

Jerry,

The only place to get it here is Crissey Fowler Lumber, 117 West Vermijo. Last
time I bought some it was about $18.00 for a 4x8 sheet.

Randy

When I left California, I bought a handful of Testor's  Model
Master's Xacto knife blades, because I didn't know if I could get
them here in the Coleraddy wilds.  I've been using them for the
last several years now, finally I ran out of them sometime in
November.  So I went to Phlyin' Phil's and tried to get some from
him.  No luck, he said they weren't available.  So I bought the
"Brand X" blades, thinking they couldn't be as dull as I
remembered. Guess what, they are!

What to do?  I've been a Model Builder subscriber for some time
now, and as anybody who reads the mag knows, you can't
hardly turn a page without a mention of the Uber Skiver knife.
At $20 a pop, plus shipping, I had hesitated, but finally, with a
little extra money in my pocket I ordered a set in early
December.

I go through this detail because I just got them last week. 
Lesson 1: when you order the knife, read the fine print, and
enclose $2- something for postage and handling, you don't want to
get tangled in their paper mill like I did.  I'll be charitable
and call it a family operation.  4 to 6 weeks is their normal
delivery time.

Back to the knife.  After all this anticipation, the package
finally arrived last week and I eagerly opened it.  What I found
was a little box with a rather delicate looking handle when you
compare it to the Xacto.  Its a little larger around than the
diameter of a pencil, and is about 5 inches long.  The blades are
about half the size of Xacto's #11.  Huh, sez I, this won't cut
hot butter.

Wrong.  The first time I sliced a piece of wood it melted away
with the lightest touch.  The blades are not quite as sharp as a
double edge Gilette platinum blade (very, very sharp), but they
are much sharper than the Xacto, and more than adequate for our
work.  The delicate looking handle is perfectly balanced and does
both hard cutting and fine carving with ease.  I suppose I could
go on from here with more praises, but really, you must hold one
in your hand to appreciate it.  The Uber Skiver has no comparison
as a hobby knife.  

I'm usually more conservative in recommending a product after a
short try, but I'm confident that this is not a fluke; this is
one fantastic product.

For the $20 you get the knife, an extra set of #11s, and a
sampler of the other blades.  These include curved carving
blades, as well as a couple more familiar to Xacto users.  I
bought an extra set of #11s for $5, but I'm willing to bet it'll
be a long while before I get to them.  Expensive, but a bargain
in the long run.

For the record, my usual practice is to have one knife that I use
for all 'clean' cutting.   I also have another handle or two to
use for things that wreck a good blade, like scraping.  The good
blade used to be one of the Testors (fantastic blades if you can
get them, and they're cheaper than the Xacto), but now it'll be
the Uber Skiver.

        I first saw the uber skiver about 15 years ago. I still don't
        think it is worth the bucks. Those fantastic blades are nothing
        more than surgical scalpel blades, cut down to fit their
        overpriced handle. The handle itself is hexagonal, so it doesn't
        roll off the table and fall towards your foot  quite as easilly as
        round brand-x knives.
        
        I just use medical scalpels in the first place. They cost about $5
        each, and the blades end up about $.25 each. Unlike brand-x
        blades, these can be sharpened repeatedly, and will hold their
        edge much longer.
        
        One bit of advice I got from my cousin who is a nurse. NEVER
        change a scalpel blade by hand. It is easy to slip and take a nice
        slice out of several fingers. She recommended a hemostat for the
        job, which I have used ever since.

You know, I was wondering why the tip of the blade has a funny
shape; almost round compared to brand x (doesn't hurt the ability
to use the blade like a #11).  Also the shape of the blade is as
if somebody actually did cut it down out of something else. 
Thanks for the tip.

I had considered a scalpel.  I thought they did not have
changeable blades, and its a surprise to me that you can change
the blade.  Hmmm, is the end that goes into the handle the same
as the Skiver?  Might be a good source of blades.

Also, I thought scalpels were much sharper than anything we use,
enough so that when the skin is touched, it splits apart
cleanly...the Uber Skiver blade is far from that. Nice to know
that I can sharpen the blade though, I had intended on trying as
the steel looks good.

Well, I'd still go with the Skiver.  I have other blade shapes
which in the Xacto were too dull to use, such as the curved
carving blade; in the Skiver its sharp enough to use practically.
Also, the handle is much nicer to hold than a scalpel, though
that's a weak argument when you consider the practical use of a
scalpel.  Never was too good at arguments.

BTW, I made a mistake yesterday in the price of the knife; its
closer to $16 for the basic set, including two vials of spare
blades (about 10 total).  I had ordered an extra vial of #11s and
that brought my price to $20.  Still think it a good deal.

Bottom line: if you're unhappy with the edge and feel of the Xacto,
there's definitely something better out there.

    Re: .-1, John,
    
    Most scalpels seen today are of the disposable variety...have plastic
    handles and the blades are not replaceable.  However, the good scalpel
    has a nice stainless steel handle and the blades are readily
    replaceable.  I have about three, maybe four of these that were given
    me by a hospital tech I used to fly with along with several tons of
    replacement blades of almost every description.
    
    The problem with scalpels is that the blades are not terribly strong;
    if you put much pressure on them, they'll snap.  Later/improved blades
    had a strengthening rib on the backside to strengthen them but this rib
    gets in the way when slicing/carving balsa.  Also, it's a myth that
    scalpels will literally split the skin upon contact.  Yes, they're
    sharper than X-Acto blades but not _that_ much sharper.  Treat a
    scalpel with the same respect you treat your X-Acto and it's no more
    (or less) dangerous than any other hobby knife, though it should be
    borne in mind that scalpel blades are fragile, almost to the point of
    being flimsy.
    
    Frankly, I still have jillions of scalpel blades stashed away for the
    simple fact that, for most hobby applications, I _much_ prefer the good
    ol' X-Acto.  Scalpel blades are simply not strong enough to suit me so
    I just keep a good fresh blade in the X-Acto at all times and am
    happier than the proverbial clam.  I drag out the scalpel when ultra
    sharpness is a must but I most often prefer the X-Acto...I'll spend my
    $20 on something I _really_ need, like a coupla' cases of Colorado
    Cool-Aid. ;b^}
						 __
				|      |        / |\	   	       
      	         \|/		|______|__(o/--/  | \	   	       
      | |        00	       <|  ~~~  ____ 04 ---- | --------------------
    |_|_|        (O>o		|\)____/___|\_____|_/	   Adios amigos, Al
      |     \__(O_\_	        |	  |___/	 o	   (The Desert Rat)

    I just ran across the EJ Lind Extra Hands covering tool...  It
    apparently holds the covering taut so you can concentrate on ironing.
    
    Has anyone used one or heard how it works..  The concept looks like it
    might really save on some wrinkles.  It also has a straight edge so
    that you can cut neatly without worrying about nicking your model..
    
    Thanks,
    jeff
    

    I just received a dial indicating caliper from Northern Tool,
    Minneapolis,Mn.
    It reads to .001", stainless steel construction, very good quality.
    
    I was expecting much less for $30, but thought it might be worth it
    since Starrett calipers are going for ~$180.
    
    It appears to be identical to the Starrett model except for the 
    "Made in China" stamped on it.
    
    Also got a 115 piece set of drill bits for $43, in an indexed case.
    Remains to be seen how well they'll hold their edge but should be
    adequate for hobbyist use.
    
    Terry

From:	WRKSYS::EXPAT::VNS "The VOGON News Service  11-Mar-1993 0408" 11-MAR-1993 05:34:16.35
To:	VNS-Distribution
CC:	
Subj:	VNS #2784  Thu 11-Mar-1993

<><><><><><><><>  T h e   V O G O N   N e w s   S e r v i c e  <><><><><><><><>

 Edition : 2784             Thursday 11-Mar-1993            Circulation :  7099 

VNS TECHNOLOGY WATCH:                           [Mike Taylor, VNS Correspondent]
=====================                           [Littleton, MA, USA            ]

                         Multimedia Model Directions

    Building plastic models of planes, boats, and cars is a hobby that has
    not changed much over the years. following the complex instructions can
    confusing static drawings is not all that appealing to kids accustomed
    to the interactivity of video games. Revell Monogram has come up with a
    high-tech way to grab the Nintendo generation. The toymaker plans to
    introduce a new line of model kits, dubbed Power Modeler. Replacing the
    traditional paper instructions sheet will be a compact disk that will
    display digitized photos of the kit's pieces being assembled as well as
    details and photos of the actual car or plane. The disk, which will
    play on any PC equipped with a CD-ROM drive, will also include a
    simulation program so hobbyists can "fly" or "drive" the model they
    have just built. Tim Cawley, chief executive of Revell Monogram, says
    disks for the popular SEGA Genesis game systems will be available soon.
    {Business Week Feb 15, 1993}

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        Please send subscription and backissue requests to EXPAT::VNS

    Permission to copy material from this VNS is granted (per DIGITAL PP&P)
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<><><><><><><><>   VNS Edition : 2784    Thursday 11-Mar-1993   <><><><><><><><>