I am a newbie and just about to complete my first build,focker from the ww1 laser cut series,so now i am spolit for quality
On this build the formers were no all completly flat/even to the stringers,next time i will try harder to avoid this BUT i have just seen a post where the builder sanded the former concavely between the stringers which did look very neat/tidy.Is this a common practice.I do not know if the convering should really be attached to the formers to give a correct look.
Also how do you sand a fuse once complete? if you go down the stringers you bust the formers.
After my post above i spent some(a lot) looking at old posts for info/advice,being a newbie.
And i see a post where the guy says he leaves his stringers slightly proud of the formers,even after sanding.He also says thats why they are called "formers" and should not be seen,just the stringers.
So on my build i have spent time getting the stringers flush and attaching tissue to stringers AND formers,Is this wrong?
I saw where someone used a small brush handle with sandpaper wrapped around it to sand in between the stringers leaving the former slightly below the stringer shape. It does make for a cleaner tissue covering. Good Luck!
I actually tried last night to use some wood with sandpaper on it to sand out the sections, but it gave me less than perfect results. At this point I will just have to fill in some sections to smooth out the body of it. I cut the ribs on the wings after it was half done and cutting right down into them carefully gave perfect cuts. This would be hard to do on the body since its not flat, but something to play with.
keep in mind that if you sand the formers down with the paintbrush/sandpaper you get rid of the curve of the fuse, and it will make the fuselage not as round and nice and the newer planes are.
I sometimes do this, more because i find it quite theraputic then any technical reason, other than the fact it tends to make the fusalge more streamlined looking, and does save a reasonable amount of weight (probably about 1g on a 500 series).
I use a multitude of different objects to wrap my sandpaper around dependant on the gap between the formers. I'd guess that the diameter is around 60 to 100% of the distance between the stringers ie making the depth 30 to 50% of the "gap". Wine bottle corks, pencils etc are good ones to use. I never use dremel type instruments, I can't see the reason since the balsa (yes even guillows balsa!) is so easily sanded by hand.
Just remember that you need to leave the formers "as is" where joins or tissue strips end, you definitely need to plan ahead!
