Tips & Tricks
Editor's Note
Model Aviation is printing this article again because caption information was switched on page 84 of the March 1993 issue. We regret the error.
Welcome
Welcome to the premiere edition of what will be an occasional feature in this magazine. The reason for this column's existence is to solicit your ideas, modeling hints, clever techniques, or to pass along to the readers whatever you conjure up that will make their modeling life a little easier.
Armed with the info you send—and this can be rough sketches, written descriptions, photos, video, or audiotape—I will transcribe it into simple line art and text that will appear right here.
The ideas included in this issue come from my own experience, so you can see that your submissions don't have to be all that clever.
I believe the modeling fraternity constitutes the most unique group of thinking people around. I know there won't be a shortage of great contributions, so get busy and send in those sketches today to Neil Liptak, 19810 Tanglewood Drive, Elwood, IL 60421. I'll be looking for your hint!
Drawing long, sweeping curves on a sketch or part
- Cut a narrow (3/32- to 1/8-inch) strip of 1/16-inch balsa at least as long as the curve you want to draw.
- Starting at one end, pin the strip to the plan or object and work your way to the opposite end.
- Sight down the curve and readjust it as needed.
Correction — Receiver antenna mounting
- Hold the free end of your receiver antenna.
- Squeeze the clasp of a small safety pin with pliers to form a smaller hole.
- Thread the antenna through the pin and into the coil's hole.
- Push the sharp end of the pin into the top of the fin to secure it.
Finding the center of round or square stock
- Place a common flat washer on the surface for which you wish to find the center.
- Eyeball the concentricity and place a dot in the center of the hole in the washer.
- For larger diameter stock, use a larger diameter washer to get the center point.
Correction — Reaching confined screw or bolt locations
Having trouble getting to places where you need to reach in with a bolt or a screw? Place a small drop of CYA glue on the screwdriver and tack-glue it to the screw. Now thread the screw in. The glue joint will break off once the fastener is tight.
Hole saw for split-free, true, clean holes
- Shave the inside circumference of a suitable brass tube to a reasonably sharp edge.
- Cut several slits into the edge, and bend the cut edges out to form serrations around the circumference of the tube.
- Use the modified tube as a hole saw to cut the hole.
- Knock out the cut plug.
Remedy for an airplane that rocks in the transport cradle
- Cut three discs from 3/16-inch plywood: one 4-inch diameter disc and two 1-inch diameter discs.
- Glue a 1-inch disc on each side of the larger disc about 1/8 inch from the edge.
- Drill a 3/16-inch hole through all three laminations.
- Slit a windshield washer hose and wrap it around the circumference of the laminated discs.
- Secure the snubber to the fuselage cradle with a 1-inch carriage bolt and wing nut.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
