OMAC page 3
Custom Trim Sealer
Cut the ends of large aluminum rain gutter nails. Then bend, file, and polish the resulting “rods” to make custom trim-sealer tools that can be inserted into your Top Flite trim-sealing iron.
Push Rods
Did you ever go through all the trouble to make up your control surface push rods only to find at installation that they were a quarter inch too short? Try this easy way to get the lengths just right. Tie a string to the control horn on the control surface. Drop the free end of the string through the fuselage. With the control surface in neutral position, tie the other end of the string to the servo arm. Cut off the excess string at both tie points. Now, cut the string at the ties and what you end up with is a piece of string that is the exact length of the push rod you will need to fabricate.
Instrument Panels
An easy and cheap way to obtain an instrument panel for that sport model is to look through a full-scale airplane magazine for an advertisement showing instruments. I found one I liked and used my scanner to scan the image into the computer, and then pasted it into my word processor, scaling it to different sizes. This could also be done using a copy machine that will reduce. If using the computer any size can be easily scaled. I printed out several different sizes to have on hand. The ones I made were all in black and white, but if you have access to a color scanner and color printer, some really nice instrument panels could be created this way. You could also add color to black-and-white copy instruments using markers or colored pencils so they look more realistic.
Quote of the Day!
The man who has no imagination has no wings.
Muhammad Ali
Tips & Tricks
Captured on Tape
Before cutting steel control cable, wrap it tightly with masking tape to prevent the strands from unraveling as you cut. It makes it easier to solder into a threaded push rod end too. Remember to wear safety goggles.
Paper Circles
Use a paper punch to cut out little circles of gummed paper. Stick these pieces to the backside of firewall blind nuts. Once you do this, you can fuel proof the tank compartment with resin without fouling the threads of the blind nuts.
Pellon
Fabric stores sell a product known as “pellon.” This can be used for general reinforcement and is especially good for wing center sections. Be careful when you do apply it as it does have grain and should be applied in the direction that affords maximum strength.
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