Tips & tricks

Model Airplane News, Aug 2003

TOOLTIME

Modelers tend to cram a lot of tools into their field boxes so that any emergency they may encounter at the flying field will be covered. But this usually means that the tools aren't very well organized, and it's difficult to find what you need. Here's a simple way to end the chaos. At your local hardware store, purchase a length of 2-inch-diameter, thin-wall PVC pipe. Cut it to match the width of your field box, bore holes of various sizes in it, and mount the pipe on the back of your field box. You now have an organized, handy place to "hang" your tools.

Fred Williams, Jacksonville, FL

PROP-ER STORAGE

Over time, most modelers end up with a collection of propellers that usually end up in stored in a box. To retrieve one, you have to rummage through the box. Here's a clever idea: use an empty coffee can for propeller storage. Make two interlocking dividers out of cardboard (or another similar material), and place them in the can at a 90-degree angle to each other. Add subdividers to make as many compartments as you need, and then label the outside of the can with each prop compartment's contents (diameter and pitch). It's now easy to identify-and grab-the prop you want when you need it.

Jack Goodrich, Sterling Heights, MI

GOING SEPARATE WAYS

Has this ever happened to you? You're working on your latest model and have covered the plan with a sheet of wax paper to prevent the glue from sticking to it. But CA sometimes sticks to the wax paper, and this makes it difficult to remove the parts from it. To quickly and easily separate balsa from wax paper, use a curved-blade artist's palette knife. Palette knives are made of thin, high-quality metal and can be carefully slid between the balsa and the wax paper to separate the two. These knives are available in art stores, are inexpensive and come in a wide range of shapes and sizes.

Gary Ritchie, Olympia, WA

SEAMLESS SHEETING

On some built-up wings that are fully sheeted, have you ever noticed that the balsa sheeting sags between the ribs or that the seams don't match up? By simply placing a piece of balsa on the underside of the sheeting between the ribs, you add additional support for the sheeting and a lip that perfectly aligns the seams of the sheeting.

Avey Shaw, Huntington Station, NY