Originally Posted by lakerider8

Terry you must be a cabinet maker by profession,judging from the shop photos?

Not cabinets, but I do make fireplace surrounds, range hoods and other accessories. 60% of our business is just CNC's parts for other companies. We do both nested and solid wood CNC cutting.

I've been slacking on posting my how-to for the 30nf...sorry about that.

You can use a crappy covering iron or a clothes iron...obviously clothes iron would make it easier/quicker. The best temp is debatable but I have found a good way to test it...edge glue a couple small pieces of sheeting with titebond 2 or 3...once it is dried heat up the iron and apply it to the joint add heat until it turns brownish and then back off slightly...that seems to be the sweet spot for me. Titebond 2 seems to show up the best. If for any reason you have some spots that didn't stay stuck after pressing them together...once you apply the heat it will stick for good.

Sounds like you need an infrared temp sensor in your stocking for Christmas

Thanks for the info, as usual! I'll probably try a sample before I commit to the real deal. Looks like I can get an iron at Walmart for $10.

Do you think I can add food coloring to the 30NF since they sent me natural color instead of green?? Would be nice to have a little warning if things get a little thin during sanding.

Originally Posted by terryscustom

Sounds like you need an infrared temp sensor in your stocking for Christmas

Thanks for the info, as usual! I'll probably try a sample before I commit to the real deal. Looks like I can get an iron at Walmart for $10.

Do you think I can add food coloring to the 30NF since they sent me natural color instead of green?? Would be nice to have a little warning if things get a little thin during sanding.

I have an infrared temp sensor already...just never thought to use it

I don't see a problem with using food coloring or dye. Of course I'd test first to be sure.

OK, planned on Friday afternoon.....but work got in the way. Planned on working on it all day today, but it was nice out and I went flying.....kick butt!

I found that the fuse was tweaking a little and buy the looks of it mostly because the formers are spaced quite far apart. I found the main source of the problem was between F-5 and F-6 so I stuck the thing all back down to the table, re-installed the angles and put a new former in. Took the angles off and fuse is nice and straight now. Glued up one side of the sheeting and let that dry for a bit. Then glued up the other side before I went home last night.

I did get a little done today. The 30NF so far is good stuff in my book. I got a cheap iron at Walmart, $6.50 and it works great. Funny that my food coloring for the 30NF cost half what the iron did. Sheeted the belly pan and installed that with monkey glue, it's still foaming a little so I'll let it set overnight. I carved out some foam blocks to fill in the rest of the fuselage. Tomorrow I hope to install the tail wheel plate, tail wheel assembly, sheet and install the rest of the bottom cap.

During this week I want to fit the wings and see how they look. One of my stabs had a ding and with 30NF I can't really fill it, so I am waiting for new ones. While I'm waiting for that, I may start checking out the canopy deck and turtle deck.

Also after the Aerotech is done I'll be doing a scratch-build 35%'er, but I'll probably start a new thread when I get going on that. I ordered up an Edge and an Extra 300 cowl and two Edge 540 canopies. Things will come together after I start drawing plans, but right now I am torn between the Extra 300SC and the 300SR. I have not decided which cowl to use. The Extra cowl works for the SC and the Edge would be a good fit for the SR........Hmmm Decisions. Either way they are both single seat planes, so the short canopy will look pretty cool.

The Extra cowl is a single pc. so I will either split it in half, or make baffling to fit in the front with a single pc.

Looking great!

Terry,
Where did you get the cowls and canopies from?

I found that the fuse was tweaking a little and buy the looks of it mostly because the formers are spaced quite far apart. I found the main source of the problem was between F-5 and F-6 so I stuck the thing all back down to the table, re-installed the angles and put a new former in. Took the angles off and fuse is nice and straight now

Was this an assembly problem or another flaw in the kit?

That 30nf is awesome. I have pretty much determined if you don't like it you must be doing it wrong. Especially for the fuse parts...you can get those done in no time and you don't have to babysit a stack of bricks.

Originally Posted by Barn-E-Stormer

Was this an assembly problem or another flaw in the kit?

Just formers widely spaced and sticks are hard to keep straight and / or straighten out. With the Extra former installed and the belly pan glued on the thing is solid as a rock and nice and straight.

Didn't get squat done again today, 52 degrees and hardly any wind......flying got in the way, but I don't see that as a problem!!!

Pretty awesome from Dec 18th!! I did sheet the tail end of the bottom and pre-fit the tail wheel. Also glued the newly sheeted pc to the fuse before I went home.l

I got a huge block of foam yesterday for scratch builds on the way 36" x 48" x 96" cut into 3" and 5" slices (one 9" slice for turtle decks) and cleaned on all four edges.

Originally Posted by terryscustom

I got a huge block of foam yesterday for scratch builds on the way 36" x 48" x 96" cut into 3" and 5" slices (one 9" slice for turtle decks) and cleaned on all four edges.

Holy foam Batman!!