P-40 Posted October 25, 2003 Share Posted October 25, 2003 OK, this isn't very far, but considering that I haven't really touched a model in many months because of health/work/studying/working on the web sites, I'm happy I got this far! I found the drawings using Google and scaled them to 1/32, worked out some basics for building the internals of the model and now have the top wing cut out of balsa and I am sanding it to shape. After I've finished sanding I will sheet it in plastic and use gas station/grocery store receipts with white glue for the leading edge sheeting/wing ribs and the paper circles cut out from a three hole punch for the inspection panels. Feels good to actually be working on a model again! John1 and Derek B 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted October 26, 2003 Share Posted October 26, 2003 Hey Brad, looks promising, how are you going to do the fuselage, vacform and/or heatforming, or balsa as well?? It sure is good to just carving and moulding away isn't it.. have fun, Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-40 Posted October 26, 2003 Author Share Posted October 26, 2003 I'm going to cut the formers out of balsa and then cover it with thin balsa sheet and then cover that with plastic, I will also cover the inside of the cockpit with plastic as the inside of the Cub was covered with fabric. The seats will be made out of balsa and then the final shape with Milliput, if Milliput won't stick to balsa, I'll cover them first with plastic. The engine was holding me back until I talked to James Merrigan (his Condor article in the golden age section has been a help), he told me he built a four-cylinder opposed engine using four cylinders from a Williams Brothers engine and he reshaped them, I will need to rework the heads with Milliput. That will leave 5 cylinders for a Gee Bee E, my favorite plane I haven't worked with balsa in over 10 years since my radio control days (I have a lot of it leftover), I really enjoy working with it. When I finish it, I will have it on a base with grass and I'm going to pick up one of the old Pyro kits from the '60s off of eBay, they're 1/32. I had their 1936 Ford when I was a kid and it was one of my first models, and will be nice to have that alongside the Cub. Derek B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony O Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 Brad Heresy!! wood, what are you thinking man!! (joke!!) seriously though at least you've been able to get started. Have you considered using the poly foam stuff for the fuselage? It might be useful to allow carving a whole fuselage shape or create a profile template and glue two pieces of foam to carve the fuselage shape. You could then skin it and hollow or remove the voids for the cocpit and engine areas. I'll be back in work thurs/fri for some e-mail , but the college suffered a catastrophic power failure earlier this week so there's been no comms at all....I'll fill you in on the plight of all those poor undergrads in the girls dorm....ha ha.. cheers Tony Derek B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-40 Posted October 30, 2003 Author Share Posted October 30, 2003 I've thought of the foam, it's easy to find at building supply places and you can buy the scraps pretty cheap, I bought a scrap 2 1/2 feet wide by 4 feet long buy two inches thick for one dollar when I was building radio control planes, made a great building board. I may try that on a model with more compound curves. So you're stuck in the girls dorm, and the college had a catastrophic power failure how??? Derek B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony O Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 unfortunately i wasn't around at the time...BTW the halls are co-ed but then as 99.9 rec of the students are female, it might as well be single sex accomodation..I had some more thoughts on coverings, I e-mailed em this morning. I remember there was heat shrink covering stuff for RCers but that it came in lurid colours. My idea for covering the balsa core with thick plastic sheet sort of came from this. did you see the links to the cub sites? cheers T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Cochran Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 Looking Good so Far Brad are they the masters for the wings any way you look at it ot should be a great looking J-3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-40 Posted October 30, 2003 Author Share Posted October 30, 2003 unfortunately i wasn't around at the time...BTW the halls are co-ed but then as 99.9 rec of the students are female, it might as well be single sex accomodation..I had some more thoughts on coverings, I e-mailed em this morning. I remember there was heat shrink covering stuff for RCers but that it came in lurid colours. My idea for covering the balsa core with thick plastic sheet sort of came from this. did you see the links to the cub sites? cheers T I'd love to be the .01% of the males in the dorm Monocote and Econocote were two of the coverings, Econocote was lighter. I still have a full roll of chrome monocote, iron some opn a board and you have a cheap mirror base. It might show the grain through on balsa, don't remember, can put filler on first...I think...been a long time.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-40 Posted October 30, 2003 Author Share Posted October 30, 2003 Looking Good so Far Brad are they the masters for the wings any way you look at it ot should be a great looking J-3 Once I get them sanded, they'll be the core for covering them...received a number of suggestions on different ways to cover them, will check out what works best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Cochran Posted October 31, 2003 Share Posted October 31, 2003 Brad if I rember right from my R/C Days they have a balsa filler in a jar about the size of noxzema (?) and it will seal the Grain well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles87 Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 I had a share in a J-3 many years ago so I’ll tag along if I may. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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