So I'm very new to this hobby and like I do whenever I get into a new hobby I geeked out and bought a bunch of new tools. Among those tools was a pair of Z bend pliers (for servo push rods) from the Flite Test store, and those things absolutely win. It's way easier to make a precision bend with those things than manually bending one with regular pliers. Funny how sometimes it's the smallest things that make the biggest difference. What are some other nifty gadgets that have made building a little easier or more enjoyable?
Z bend pliers
- Thread starter Threedog
- Start date
"helping hands" for soldering
kdobson83
Well-known member
Spray glue. I usually print up cool decals with my normal inkjet printer, cover front and back of the picture with packing tape to make water proof, cut out carefully with scissors, and spray glue to plane. Perfect fit every time. I think it's called 3m Super 77 spray adhesive. I think a lot of people spray glue the printed plans directly to raw foam board when scratch building too.
foamtest
Toothpick glider kid
A hot knife. It is a must have for scratch building with foam board, it cuts curves very clean and easy and seals up the edges of the foam like a laser cutter without the U melted into the sides of the foam. Plus its just so satisfying to use, it cuts foam like butter!
My 'must have, use it every single time I'm in the workshop' tool is a magnet glued to a shelf above my workbench that I stick my currently in use single edge razor blade to, right under a sharps disposal pill bottle.
The magnet makes the razors easy to reach and keeps them from getting lost under the clutter or parts on the workbench. And even though I have an exacto holder in the same area, I find myself grabbing the single edge razor for cutting jobs more frequently. And by keeping a pill bottle with a slot cut in the lid for disposing of 'sharps' - i.e. dull razors - handy as well, I don't keep using a dull razor so long and ruining a work piece, or slipping a cut into something soft and squishy.
It's become a very smooth working operation over the last couple months that keeps my fingers working and not bleeding.
The magnet makes the razors easy to reach and keeps them from getting lost under the clutter or parts on the workbench. And even though I have an exacto holder in the same area, I find myself grabbing the single edge razor for cutting jobs more frequently. And by keeping a pill bottle with a slot cut in the lid for disposing of 'sharps' - i.e. dull razors - handy as well, I don't keep using a dull razor so long and ruining a work piece, or slipping a cut into something soft and squishy.
It's become a very smooth working operation over the last couple months that keeps my fingers working and not bleeding.
I've bought the Elmer's brand of this at Hobby Lobby on a 40% off coupon; haven't tried the 3M stuff yet because my local Hobby Lobby doesn't stock it and I'm not willing to pay full price for it.
HilldaFlyer
Well-known member
Here are my favorite tools:
Arkansas Sharpening stone and strop - keep my knife sharp for months of use.
Scroll Saw - make your own plywood parts.
Black and Decker RTX (more powerful than Dremel) at Target.
Decent soldering iron - SRA has a great one
Set of good hex wrenches, screw drivers, - Wiha
Thick aluminum ruler with metric markings, backed with cork keeps it from skidding.
3" vice
Arkansas Sharpening stone and strop - keep my knife sharp for months of use.
Scroll Saw - make your own plywood parts.
Black and Decker RTX (more powerful than Dremel) at Target.
Decent soldering iron - SRA has a great one
Set of good hex wrenches, screw drivers, - Wiha
Thick aluminum ruler with metric markings, backed with cork keeps it from skidding.
3" vice
Duck
Active member
Big workspace & airplane hangers! My father in law helped fancy up my work space when he was in town and the biggest difference was made with a nice big workspace and a place to put planes. Before every flat surface was accumulating planes and working was a constant hazard. With everything up and a dedicated space for the stuff I do have, missing a tool or two isn't so bad.
Tons of great responses here, thanks everyone for the great tips! I particularly like the idea of using spray glue/contact cement to do graphics and transfer the plans to the foamboard.
Foamtest: I'm definitely interested in trying a hot knife for cutting foam board. Can you post a pic or a link of the kind of knife you use? I do some beekeeping. and the hot knives I'm familiar with for uncapping honeycomb are about the size of a large bread knife! I'm assuming you must be using something a lot smaller and more precise than that. Does the hot knife technique work with the paper on the board or do you have to peel it off?
Again thanks everyone for these great tips!
foamtest
Toothpick glider kid
I can't link to the direct one the I use because I got it from a craft store but it is essentially a soldering iron with an exacto blade on the end of it. Here is a pic of mine
Also it does work great with the paper on the foam, and the blades last quite a while because all they are doing is cutting through the paper, while the heat deals with the foam.
Also it does work great with the paper on the foam, and the blades last quite a while because all they are doing is cutting through the paper, while the heat deals with the foam.
Brett_N
Well-known member
I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT MY HOT KNIFE. You shouldn't either. They're cheap but make all the world of difference when cutting rounded bits and pieces.
They also "cauterize" the foam when doing 45* cuts for flaps and such, so no more squeezing glue in to stiffen it.
Once you start using one of these, you'll put down the other blades.
For sure. I'm looking for one now, that thing looks lethal LOL! It would be great if FT sold these, since it's pretty much inevitable I'll be ordering another load of stuff from them before long anyway
foamtest
Toothpick glider kid
Hey guys just a quick update I got this from harbor freight for $8 yesterday.
(Ill add pictures later)
It is a wood burning, soldering, hot knife combo thing, and the best part is that it uses normal exacto blades so I don't have to pay $3 each for a new blade to my hot knife. I have yet to test this though but it looks really promising!
(Ill add pictures later)
It is a wood burning, soldering, hot knife combo thing, and the best part is that it uses normal exacto blades so I don't have to pay $3 each for a new blade to my hot knife. I have yet to test this though but it looks really promising!
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