This really came from a conversation during FTFF 2015 where Dan Crews, Patrick Murphy, The Viking (Asbjorn), and a few others were checking in on my S-39 build at the event last year. We talked about how FF could be more like a convention where people could observe and participate but also learn through sessions that could show others. Building on the memories and skill is a great combo to get people excited about building! Clearly, for those who know my posts on these forums, this is my passion.
I wrote up a proposal with a rough syllabus and cost for participants and sent it to Austin. It quickly escalated to include the other instructors and I am beyond humbled by being associated with the lineup. Of course Josh, Peter, and David have some amazing things to share. Ed is in a league of his own and I have really been informed and entertained by his contributions to this community.
I will speak for the segments that I am responsible for and I assure you more details are coming on the others.
All of my sessions will be based around the wings of a Bloody Ripper. Also, I want to give a BIG in-advance thank you to Carl (wilmracer) and Patrick (earthsciteach) who will be my "lovely assistants." They, and I, will work with you with the hands-on stuff.
Hotwire Foam cutting 101: Its not hard folks. Really! I'll walk you through the safety aspects (shock hazard, burn risk, fumes) and give a rundown of the hardware. I will also walk you through the creation of your templates using the same method I've been using for years. You will get to prepare your very own templates for you to keep. These will be the templates for cutting the wings of a bloody Ripper.
Hotwire Foam cutting 102: To get the most out of this course I would highly recommend taking 101 as well. You will be given a block of foam and you will get hands-on experience working with a hot wire bow. You will learn how to cut your blanks using gravity (not the table) as your friend. We will then use the templates from 101 to cut a fully-symmetrical wing panel. We will also cover additional shaping of the panel and preparation for glassing. The wing panel will be yours to keep.
Working with Fiberglass: The meat and potatoes of composite construction! We will talk glass weight and use, binders, application, as well as some safety when working with some of the materials. Bring your panel from the 102 session and glass it. If not, we will provide some foam for you to try the technique out! All of this will be based on things discussed in a thread I started fairly recently. All the materials will be provided for you to do this so packing up your entire shop for the event is not needed.
Questions? Please, Please, PLEASE do not hesitate to ask. There are no dumb questions.
