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You asked for ’em, we’ve got ’em! Here are four terrific shop tips you can use this weekend to make your time in the workshop easier and more enjoyable. Don’t forget to send us your favorite tip!
SMOOTH OPERATOR
Razor saws are handy for cutting various materials, but their teeth sometimes “snag” the material, especially during long cuts on hardwood. Here’s an old woodworking trick that works equally well for modeling. Rub a slightly damp bar of soap on both sides of the saw blade. The soap acts as a lubricant and helps the razor saw cut smoothly without catching its teeth on the cut edge.
MEASURING UP
Did you ever find it difficult to take inside measurements in confined areas, such as the inside of a fuselage or between wing ribs? You can make a simple measuring gauge using two pieces of telescoping brass or aluminum tubes. Cut suitable lengths of ¼- inch-o.d. and 9/32-inch-o.d. tubes, and insert the small-diameter tube inside the larger one and then collapse the mechanism. Place the gauge in the area to be measured, and pull the tubes apart until they touch both sides. Mark and withdraw the gauge, and measure its length. You now have the inside measurement that you need.
TIE UP LOOSE ENDS
Your control over an airplane is only as secure as the plane’s servo-extension connections. Try this tip to make sure that yours don’t come loose during an aggressive aerobatic maneuver or a bumpy landing. Simply take the leads and cross them over into a half-knot, then plug them together. Any tension on the leads will draw the knot tighter and make it next to impossible for the connection to come undone. And if you ever need to disconnect them, you won’t have to mess with tape or glue joints.
FAR-REACHING
Sometimes you need to drill a hole in a place that your drill bit can’t quite reach. A way to extend the bit’s length is to use a fiberglass arrow shaft or brass tubing as an extension. A couple of drops of thin CA will securely hold the drill bit in the shaft. Using different-size fiberglass and brass tubes will accommodate bits of different sizes. Just be sure to plug the open end of the tube with a dowel so that you don’t crush the tube when it’s chucked in the drill.
Model Airplane News - The #1 resource for RC plane and helicopter enthusiasts featuring news, videos, product releases and tech tips.
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SMOOTH OPERATOR
Razor saws are handy for cutting various materials, but their teeth sometimes “snag” the material, especially during long cuts on hardwood. Here’s an old woodworking trick that works equally well for modeling. Rub a slightly damp bar of soap on both sides of the saw blade. The soap acts as a lubricant and helps the razor saw cut smoothly without catching its teeth on the cut edge.
MEASURING UP
Did you ever find it difficult to take inside measurements in confined areas, such as the inside of a fuselage or between wing ribs? You can make a simple measuring gauge using two pieces of telescoping brass or aluminum tubes. Cut suitable lengths of ¼- inch-o.d. and 9/32-inch-o.d. tubes, and insert the small-diameter tube inside the larger one and then collapse the mechanism. Place the gauge in the area to be measured, and pull the tubes apart until they touch both sides. Mark and withdraw the gauge, and measure its length. You now have the inside measurement that you need.
TIE UP LOOSE ENDS
Your control over an airplane is only as secure as the plane’s servo-extension connections. Try this tip to make sure that yours don’t come loose during an aggressive aerobatic maneuver or a bumpy landing. Simply take the leads and cross them over into a half-knot, then plug them together. Any tension on the leads will draw the knot tighter and make it next to impossible for the connection to come undone. And if you ever need to disconnect them, you won’t have to mess with tape or glue joints.
FAR-REACHING
Sometimes you need to drill a hole in a place that your drill bit can’t quite reach. A way to extend the bit’s length is to use a fiberglass arrow shaft or brass tubing as an extension. A couple of drops of thin CA will securely hold the drill bit in the shaft. Using different-size fiberglass and brass tubes will accommodate bits of different sizes. Just be sure to plug the open end of the tube with a dowel so that you don’t crush the tube when it’s chucked in the drill.
Model Airplane News - The #1 resource for RC plane and helicopter enthusiasts featuring news, videos, product releases and tech tips.
Continue reading...