Tips & tricks

Model Airplane News, Dec 2002

SEND IN YOUR IDEAS. Model Airplane News will give a free, one-year subscription (or one-year renewal, if you already subscribe) for each Idea used in Mps & Tricks.' Send a rough sketch to Model Airplane News, 100 East Ridge, Ridgefield, CT 06877-4606 USA. 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 neither acknowledge each one nor return unused material.

FLYING WIPERS?

Here's a great idea for flying wires on IA-scale or similarly large models. Rubber automotive wiper blades usually have two strips of stainless steel embedded In them to keep them straight The strips measure 42 inch and can vary in length from 16 to 32 Inches. This material is Ideal for creating scale/ooking flying wires; simply measure and trim to the required length. With a rotary tool, cut a slot in a threaded brass coupler (such as those offered by Sullivan) and slide the strip into the slot; use silver solder to attach the coupler permanently. The stainless steel really stands out and will make your scale bipe look like a champ.

Carl Diehl, Matawan, Mt

POWER PROP REAMER

Using a hand-held reamer to size your props can be hard on your hands If you have more than one or two to do. But If you mount your reamer In a drill press or a hand drill, you can make quick work of reaming multiple props. To take the handle off the reamer, lay your reamer across a vise with the bottom half of the handle hanging down between the jaws. Gently tap the handle with a rubber mallet or ball-peen hammer; it It Is press-fit, but if It doesn't come out, heat the reamer to loosen things up. When you've removed the handle, chuck the reamer in your drill press and get started.

Rick Wise, Lambertvlle, MI

A JEWEL OF A STORAGE DEVICE

If you've ever built a model in which the hardware came sorted in labeled plastic bags, you know how much time and frustration that can save you. You can do this in your workshop with Inexpensive jewel cases from your local baseball-card shop. Simply drop your loose small parts into the cases, fold over the tops and tape or staple them closed. Label them with a permanent-ink marker so you'll be able to keep your parts Identified and organized.

Ellis Johnson, Seattle, WA

DON'T GO NUTS!

A dislodged blind nut In a finished model can be frustrating, but here's a clever way to replace it without tearing your plane apart. Slip the replacement blind nut onto a piece of flexible Nyrod, followed by a washer. Next, screw a no. 4 sheetmetal screw with a small washer into the end of the Nyrod. Thread the opposite end of the Nyrod through an access hole (cockpit radio box, etc.) In the model, and direct It to where the replacement blind nut is needed. Pass the Nyrod out through the screw hole and pull It until the blind nut seats. Using a thin piece of plywood to protect the surface of your model, clamp a pair of vise grips onto the sheet-metal screw and Nyrod, then pivot and pull the assembly until the barbs on the blind nut bite firmly into the mounting location. Pass the Nyrod back through the screw hole and draw It back through the access hole; seat the blind nut completely by threading a metal bolt with a washer Into It It's that easy to replace a blind nut-without so much as a scratch on your models finish!

Mark Crawley Ocoee FL

FUELPROOFING MADE EASY

Epoxy resin works well to fuelproof your model's engine bay, but it is expensive and can be a real pain to mix and thin so that it can be brushed on, and the cleanup isn't easy. A better choice would be to use a waterbased polycrylic protective finish; it Is very affordable (about $8 a pint), Is much lighter than epoxy, Is odorless, dries in about an hour and is

easily cleaned up with water. It Is thin enough to be brushed on, and it soaks into the wood to seal It well. Because It is so thin and lightly colored, you'll need to look closely to be sure you have covered all your surfaces.

Calvin Mal)nka, Rialto, CA

HANDS-FREE CLEVIS THREADING

The hardest part of building pushrods Is attaching the clevises. If you use pliers, you'll probably lose your grip at least a dozen times, and when you have finished, the rod will probably show scars from the pliers' teeth. A better solution is to set the clevis in a vise oust tightly enough to hold it steady) and chuck the end of your pushrod In a power drill or screwdriver. Guide the other end of the rod Into the clevis, and let the drill thread the clevis on.

Patrick White, Lee's Summit, MO

CINCH YOUR FILLER LINE

The spring-loaded mechanisms that are on the drawstrings of many jackets make great pinch valves for fuel lines. Compress the fitting to open the hole in Its center and pass your fuel line through. When you let go, the line will be pinched closed, and when you press the mechanism again, the fuel line will open to allow you to fuel your plane.

Victor Hamdan, Salta, Argentina

INSTANT SHINE FOR OLD PARTS

Do you have a favorite plane that looks a little worn around the edges? Canopies, cowls and other plastic parts can become dull and scratched over time, but a great way to restore a like-new shine Is with automotive clearcoat haze and scratch remover.