Hints & kinks

Model Airplane News, Nov 1998 by Newman, Jim

Model Airplane News will give a free one-year subscription (or one-year renewal, if you already subscribe) for each idea used in "Hints & Kinks."Send a rough sketch to Jim Newman c/o Model Airplane News, tOO

East Ridge, Ridgefield, CT 06877-4606. BE SURE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS ARE CLEARLY PRINTED ON EACH SKETCH, PHOTO AND NOTE YOU SUBMIT Because of the number of ideas we receive. we can't acknowledge each one, nor can we return unused material.

NON-FOGGING CANOPY

Prevent your canopy from fogging up by drilling a small hole in it at the top and toward the back. A hot nail works well for this because you can tilt it back and forth to mold a small lip or spoiler (a) at the front edge of the hole for better extraction. Another small hole (b) at the front edge of the canopy allows air to flow through; just be sure the canopy will not collect exhaust residue.

Stephen Kelley Jr., Auburn, MA

SUCH A BORE

This simple probe and boring tool ensures reasonable accuracy when boring a wing-core for servo leads or pushrods. The /s-inch (3mm) sharpened music-wire probe locates the servo cutout. then is left in place and used to guide the 1/2-inch (13mm) boring tool, which can only drift off course 316 inch (5mm) at most. The tool was copper tube into which teeth were filed. The teeth (a) were twisted slightly to provide some "set" to cut clearance for the tube. The "T" (b) is soldered on to make a handle. Joe says this also works well on a built-up balsa rib wing.

Joe LeTourneau, Brantford, Ont., Canada

SWITCH GUARD

To prevent push-button switches from being accidentally turned on, add a short length of fuel tubing over the button. Now the button can't be turned on accidentally, and a healthy push will squash the tube enough to activate the device.

Tex Gehman,

Winnipeg, MB, Canada

ATTRACTIVE TOOLS

To magnetize your ball drivers and screwdrivers, stroke them in one direction with a magnet. Now your screws will be held on the ends of the tools when you lower them into deeply recessed holes.

Bob Moffat, Unity, SK, Canada

MAGIC WAND

Pick up an old, working curling iron, then discard all the hardware and the plastic end plug until you are left with just the wand. The high-temperature setting is approximately the same as the medium setting of popular covering irons and is very useful for sealing down film inside air intakes, etc.

Allain Hale, North Port FL

VISIBLE ON

When your transmitter switch is in the "on" position, paint the recessed area below the switch with a quick-drying, bright red paint, or apply a bright, sticky-back trim film square. This will give you a better visual indication that the transmitter has been left on.

Fred Heddleson, Oak Ridge, TN

BUTTON-DOWN DETAIL

Cut out photo enlargements of instruments, stiffen them with CA, then stick them to slightly larger shirt buttons. Paint the edges and dummy bezel matte black. For a glass look, apply clear varnish or thin CA to the dials, then mount them to your panel with glue, drop screw heads and appropriate setting knobs.

Brian Swartz, Herkimer, NY

SANDING FILE

Make this tool out of a hard wood, such as beech or maple. Cut a slit in it that's narrow enough to pinch two layers of sandpaper. The dashed line shows the paper wrapped around and then tucked into the slit. Our contributor obtains used sanding belts from a local cabinet shop.

Christoph Leluschko, Greven, Germany

STEALTH SWITCH

This on/off switch is mounted at an angle in the fuselage and then operated by a pushrod disguised as a foot step. This is ideal for a sport-scale Cub or similar model. The wire runs in a nylon-tube guide. Do not use a metal tube, as there is a danger of radio interference.

Ed Randa, Woodbridge, IL

PAINTER CANISTERS

A plastic 35mm film container will hold more paint than the usual airbrush cup. Drill a small hole (a) in the cap to vent it, then make it force-fit on the dip tube. The canister (b) is spill-proof with a snap-on cap. Jim painted a 90-inch (228cm) model with this rig!

Jim Wilkinson, Panama City, FL

ANTI-MAIM

Wrap a few layers of masking tape around the top of your hobby-knife handle, then pinch the tape to form a "flag." This will prevent the knife from rolling off the workbench.

Joe DeMasi, Redwood City, CA

STICKY SITUATION

If you temporarily mount your control horns with thin servomounting tape, you will be able to move them around to check the range of movement, degree of differential, etc. Once satisfied with the placement, drill the screw holes right through the horn and tape, then peel off the tape and screw the horn in place.

Jim Miller, Salt Lake City, UT