October 2004
HINTS and TRIVIA - Things I find useful in my shop.
Mr. Fixit – Murray Berman
IKEA - Go to their furniture department and you will find paper tape measures hanging around to use to measure their furniture etc. They are free. Take one or two and then glue one down on the centre or edge of your worktable. It is quite useful when you want to measure something or need a straight line to line something up…and you don’t have to hunt for a ruler or tape measure.
THIRD HAND – Ever try to spray paint a cowling or wheel pants but can’t hold it and paint and then try to hang it up? Get a coat hanger and cut it into a v or u and then bend hooks on the ends. The Tension in the bend will spring out and you can now put the hooks into some of the openings. You will now be able to turn it around or upside down and then hang it dry.
HINGE POINTS - I found that these nice hinges are a job to drill out the hole in the aileron or elevator etc so they can be inserted. Using a drill does not seem to be the answer since the bit spins too fast and it is hard to direct without coming out the side.
Try using a piece of 1/8 brass tubing or whatever you think is the correct size. Sharpen one edge of the tube so it will cut well and then insert it into your drill or mount it onto a piece of dowel or wood as a handle. Now you can slowly twist it and you will make a perfect hole. The tube will fill up with the cut out so then just push it out with a piece of wire or a nail etc.
MAKE YOUR OWN TANK - I mentioned this once before. Sometimes the commercial tank is not going to fit into the spot you want but you do have a vitamin bottle or plastic container that is perfect if it was a tank. Well, clean it out good. Rinse with alcohol or fuel. Drill three holes in the cap with 13/64 bit. This size hole will just accommodate medium Silicone tubing. Fit your brass tubing and clunk for the inside of the tank ( you can even carefully push the brass tubing and silicone tubing into the hole in the cap for extra tight fitting.) Be careful not to puncture the silicone. Now, put a little silicone seal around the threads of the cap and screw it on. Voila ! Make sure the pick up, vent and fill are facing in the right directions. You don’t need brass tubing to come out the cap. Just run the line directly to its proper location.
WAX PAPER ? - I always used to bug my wife to use some of her wax paper. I could buy my own but that would be ridiculous to spend my airplane money on something she has lots of ! HA HA ! Next time you strip the backing off your Plastic film – Monokote or Ultracote etc – save the big sheets and use that. It is also good for wrapping around something you want to cyanoacrylate (hot stuff ) and you don’t want to hold the piece with your bare skin.
Have you got a hot idea you care to share with us ?
Why not drop a line to the Newsletter. It might be simple to you, but some of us have not thought of it yet I betcha !
Happy Flying – after you get it fixed !