Formers

coop000 · Post by **coop000** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 8:25 pm

I realize this is a pretty stupid question but how do you get your formers straight, especially when working the second half?

SteveM · Post by **SteveM** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 9:23 pm

Sounds like a good question to me. I don't have a real good answer so it'll be interesting to see if others have ideas and techniques.

The first side is easy, as you noted, I just used a right angle square to get it straight. For the second side I prop up the fuse so the keel is flat then use a combination of eyeballing and using the square, but it's never as good as the first half.

supercruiser · Post by **supercruiser** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 9:47 pm

Thats a good question. Some folks build a jig using 1/2 inch square pine boards. Probably takes quite a bit of effort to make. sorry I don't have a picture. My method is to take two 3/16" square balsa sticks and clamp them, one on each side of the left hand former. The free ends of the sticks are pointed over toward the right side of fuselage. I then slide the right hand former in between the two sticks, and then clamp the sticks together, with the former sandwiched in between, with a clothes pin. It's hard to describe but, really simple to do.

thymekiller · Post by **thymekiller** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:09 am

I just eyeball mine. You can sandwhich the former halves with popcycle sticks and put a clamp in place. The popcycle sticks go through the middle of each former and glue the top and bottom.

Or ;
http://www.rockytopmodels.com/rta-004_details.htm

This unit is cheap, but you can make your own. I saw a nice one made from ali. tubeing that stood straight up on the table. The cross braces were clamped top and bottom.

thymekiller

svaughn · Post by **svaughn** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 12:27 pm

I use popsicle sticks too, but I glued 1/16" sheet balsa spacer between the sticks at one end so that they look kind of like tongs. Then I slide the first former (the one attached to the keels already) between the sticks, slide the adjacent former between the sticks, put another piece of 1/16 sheet between the other ends of the sticks as another spacer, and then put a rubber band around the open end. This sandwiches the former on the second side into a right angle with the keels directly across from the former on the first side of the frame.

Because of the 1/16 sheet spacers between the popsicle sticks, the second former is secure, but also be be move. Next I put glue on the edges of the second former where it will touch the keels and finally I slide it flush against the keels.

If I am careful, it works perfect (of course I am not always as careful as I would like to be).

Be careful with the rubber band. If it snaps you might break something. Also, the rubber band only needs to be snug. You don't want to crush the spacer or the former. I'm going to try a paper clamp instead of a rubber band next time based on thymekiller's post.

Also, be careful with the glue. It isn't hard to accidentally glue the popsicle sticks to the formers. Long narrow, and of course straight, Popsicle sticks work the best

You can make more of these 'tongs' and glue all the formers simultaneously, or you can just reuse the one if you are patient.

John G. Jedinak · Post by **John G. Jedinak** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 1:09 pm

Ditto SVaughn....I have a couple of sets of the popsicle tongs. Also I have made a couple of the tongs using tongue depressers...helpful in larger size models. The tongue depressor idea came from Mark Tennant our Forum Moderator...Thanx, Mark..........Luck, JGJ

thymekiller · Post by **thymekiller** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:36 pm

I like the tong idea. Sometimes the clamp thing isnt so easy. Gonna make a set of tongs.

thymekiller

coop000 · Post by **coop000** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 4:46 pm

Thanks for all the tips. I've only built one but i'm already thinking about how to make my next one better!

thymekiller · Post by **thymekiller** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 7:26 pm

Thats the spirit.

thymekiller