In case any of you guys have been following my podcast and have wanted to join "Crash's Scratch-build Club", but just couldn't bring yourself to hand-cut your parts , well I just wanted you to know that I'm not leaving you out!

I am including my PhlatCodes AND my SU file that the codes were generated from so that you can move the parts around to best fit whatever balsa sizes you can get your hands on. Please note that all PhlatCodes were generated with the 1/16" PhlatBit (the one that comes in the PhlatBitZ kit) in mind. As well, there are some pieces that are not included in this package due to the fact that I don't recommend machine-cutting these parts (things like the 1/16" trailing edge stock for the wing). Not knowing really what speed is best, I set my files to cut at 20ipm, but ended up running 150% in Mach3 (30ipm result).

Make sure your ol' Phlatprinter is tuned up good and properly calibrated before you cut these parts (wood is not quite as forgiving as foam - especially the 1/8" Lite Ply). Also please note that I found that cutting balsa plank material on MY machine wasn't an easy task - it really wanted to walk all over the cutting deck, even with the fences set up. I remedied this by creating a "make-shift" fence on the back-side of that machine and that solved all of my problems.

For more information on this project, please check out TheCrashCast, starting with the 71st installment (entitled "Crash's Scratch-build Club"). In the 72nd episode (e-QSC - It's Wing Week!) we officially get things started, and you can get the links for getting my file package and for seeing my build-along videos.

I hope to see you guys join in on the fun! Attached files e-QSC PhlatCodes and SU.zip (1.1 MB)Â

 

Oh, I guess I should post a pic of my solution for running balsa plank through MY Phlatprinter without getting any skewing...

Attached files

 

I liked the first set (4) of videos you did on this build Crash. Very well done.

-Buk

 

Thanks, Buk! I am having a ball doing this. It's a LOT of work, but if I get just one foamie/ARF guy or gal to realize just how cheap and easy it is to build a premium balsa model from scratch, it's gonna all be worth it.

Just trying to give back a little...

 

I built quite a few balsa kits and do agree, they do fly better.
I think it's great your doing this Mike. I don't think I've seen anyone yet do a balsa scratch built tutorial series like your doing. Keep up the good work man!

BTW I like the socket fence in the back. I think I'm gonna have to use that one too.

 

Mike this is a great project and is sure to take the fear out of balsa building for a lot of folks. I remember before I was into scratch building, walking into a friend of my Dads house who is a scratch balsa builder. He had a plane he was working on laid out and pined to a set of plans. It looked like a month long project of meticulous cutting/shaping of each and every little part that only a master builder could complete.
What you have done here is to eliminate all of that, with these awesome laid out plan set and easy to build aircraft! Nice work Mike the plans turned out great and on my next trip to the hobby shop I will be getting some balsa to join in on this community build!
Thanks brother for putting this together.
Mark and Trish

 

BTW Mike could you tell the guys here what the e-QSC stands for? I think it will give them a good understanding of the concept that you have created for this build.
Thanks Mike
Mark and Trish

 

Looks good crash; I'll have to check it out in more detail when I get home.
Interesting that you were getting skewing... I mostly cut wood on mine, and my cobbled together fence in the front works just fine even for 1/8" "Real" ply, and my materials surface is super slippery UHMW.
Although not needed, I find the multi-pass really helps with 1/8" ply and balsa any larger than 3/16" Did you find you are now having more waste with the addition of the rear fence ?

I see you have plans for the wing; if you egg-create it, no plans are needed. This is what I did with my Pronto wing, and it came out great.

Also where are you getting your balsa/ply. I used to get it from Lone Star, but after their fire, they don't seem to have the ply that I need, so to consolidate the order, I got it from National and Superior, but wasn't too thrilled with some of the wood I got from them.

 

Thanks for the kind words, Mark! e-QSC stands for the "electric" version of a plane I designed about 15 years ago - the QSC. That simply stood for Quick building, Simple design, and Cheap to build!

Yoram, we've been down similar paths. When I started this hobby, balsa kits were all there was. I explored some Coroplast in the mid-90's for some combat designs, and then got into foams about 4 years ago. All of this has just brought me "full circle" and back to balsa. It just flies so much better. Cost is only marginally more than foam and the planes fly so much nicer! Sure, they don't necessarily bounce like EPP, but once you've mastered RC flight, you typically don't pile alot of planes in anymore.

 

Hey, bud!

I thought about doing a wing kinda like yours, but then again, the primary scope of this project is to get people accustomed to building "old school". I want folks to see a kit in a store, or even a plans sheet (at RCM, AMA, or even something they find at a swap meet), and realize that planes built in this manner really ARE do-able by the average RC'er. Since most designs require the builder to work over a plans sheet for ALL facets of the build, I thought I would ease into this with a wing that required building over plans. I am planning (in Autumn) for the next build to be an inexpensive kit - just not certain which one yet. LOL

Oh, how I miss Lone Star Balsa! I used to get all of my balsa from them. Now I get most everything from my LHS and he's carrying mostly wood from Sig. It's okay, but not nearly as good as Lone Star used to supply. My favorite balsa is that which is supplied by Midwest, but that stuff is so premium and the cost matches the quality!

You know, it's really odd about the skewing thing. I set all of my feeds at 20ipm, but I still had a dickens of a time getting the wood to track straight through the machine. I even took extra care setting up the fences dead center in the machine and with a square to be certain that I was starting things off dead-straight. I am not certain if the grain of the wood I was using had some bearing on what was going on, or if maybe it was that the thickness of my wood was not uniform (some of this wood is like 12-15 years old). Surprisingly, even the 6" wide, 1/8" thick balsa I used skewed badly, too. I've not tried 1/8" Lite Ply on this yet (as I don't have any!), but the file I set up for those parts are multipass for use with a 12" x 24" sheet, which is a common size. I'd be interested in finding out if I have skewing with Ply, too, which should be more uniform in thickness than my balsa.

 

Started cutting mine tonight....

Attached files

 

SWEET! I really thought about adding lightening holes to those ribs, but then figured it might confuse the new people. Good job, TT!

 

Mine is starting to come together finally. Having a phlatty makes this a lot more fun. I think I'd of quit on the third rib if I had to cut this by hand. Sorry old schoolers! I am starting to eyeball some laser cut kits however.

I had a slight delay in getting my fuse together as I was having too much fun building magnetic jigs. These have really proved awesome for me.

Mike, looking forward to seeing your recommendations on covering!

Attached files

 

FWIW, here is the sketchup file for the magnet jigs.

For more information on building with magnet fixtures, and TONs of great modeling tips, visit:

http://www.airfieldmodels.com/informati ... /index.htm


Attached files MagneticBuildingTools2.skp (1 MB)Â

 

Nice! Thank you Toxic Toast
Mark and Trish

 

Toast, your build is looking great! It is so cool of you to include the file for your jigs - I guess great minds think alike; I didn't have a decent square for small work and cut a few of them similar to yours on MY Phlatty! LOL The magnet idea never even crossed my mind, though.

Thanks for showing and sharing your work!