How do I build Neat

Liam21j

New member
Hello Everyone,

I am building the Hangars simple stick,
This is my first time building from foam-board
I only have experience from flying pre-builds.

Currently I am cutting out plans that I printed and Im not
sure how to proceed from there onwards I want to build my plane
as neatly and nice as possible.

Any Help and tips will be greatly appreciated

thanks- Liam
 

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  • Simple Stick V1.4 tiled plans (1).pdf
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Mr NCT

Site Moderator
@Bo123 is absolutely right - sharp knife, razor, razor knife with break off tips. Second is have some squares of foam board scrape cut to small squares to use to squeegee excess hot glue so it doesn't cool in blobs.
 

MrClean

Well-known member
OK, I'll be the guy to SOUND all condescending.
How do you get to Carnegie Hall?
Practice.
Don't expect your first build to be your Magnum Opus. There is no problem with downloading some of the easier designs, the simple swappable motor box and Delta wing planes OR the chuck glider ones, printing them out, transferring and building several of those If only to scrunch them up, put them in the trash and try again. (Actually, build another one looking at what is sketchy about the previous and correct it). It's only going to cost you a couple more pieces of foamboard AND when you get the construction part done, you can try finishing part of hitting them with PolyV, wiping it and making it fuel proof. Then painting it. THEN you can scrunch em all up, pretend you're a natural and build that fancy one looking good. Or, you know, Just get it good enough to fly and enjoy. The next one will be better. And better and Better if your like the rest of us. Or ANYONE in an apprentice type of job. Woodworkers used to start making joints then after grading, throwing those in the fire and making more. and more. till they got the joints right AND I hear that in Japan you can expect to be making rice for several years before they think you know what you're doing. Well that's what I heard on one of the cooking shows my wife is always watching.
When she's not watching one of those "Whoops, I killed my husband" detective shows.
Sharp tools, the right tools, the right glues and glue guns and Practice.
It's not a race. Its an adventure.
 

MrClean

Well-known member
OH, and get a cutting surface not your kitchen table unprotected and DEFINATELY not your leg. I saw a guy with some pretty serious but now funny stitches. My mom hasn't talked to me since the table. Well, she DID after a while. And my leg didn't need stitches. The first two inches were enough for me to quit. It hardly stung at all. I was lucky wondering why the wood changed color.
 

danskis

Master member
Glue the plans to poster board to make part templates or put the plans directly on the foam board and push pins through the plans to mark the corners - then connect the dots after removing the plans. Test fit your parts before gluing. A cutting mat will save your blades and they will last longer but mats are expensive. Shop around for one. As has been said before, wipe your joints while the hot glue is still hot so there are no globs of glue around the joins. This will ensure that parts fit together. When joining parts to make a 90 degree angle use a square or the wall - simply push the upright part against the wall.

Poster board at dollar tree is fitty cent.

Start watching build videos. There is probably one for the FT simple stick. Do a search for it on youtube.
 

JDSnavely

Member
Wally World has some smaller mats that are nice for about $5. We used these along with our others on a group Tiny Trainer build we hosted. Also might want some placemats or silicone mats for the glue gun.
 

Piotrsko

Master member
Don't get discouraged. Been doing this for probably longer than forever and my planes sometimes look like they crashed even when brand new. Doesn't mean they don't fly really well, they just never look like some of these planes here and I am good with that.
 

MrClean

Well-known member
I know I mentioned Woodworkers and making joints till they were allowed to move on, DIG this one. You know this guy didn't just start yesterday. We're making planes out of foamboard, it doesn't have to be perfect to be fun but the more you do it, the better you'll get. Anyways, check out this youtube short of an awesome joint.
 

Liam21j

New member
I know I mentioned Woodworkers and making joints till they were allowed to move on, DIG this one. You know this guy didn't just start yesterday. We're making planes out of foamboard, it doesn't have to be perfect to be fun but the more you do it, the better you'll get. Anyways, check out this youtube short of an awesome joint.
Thanks that looks sick
 

Hyperdrive

Member
Hello Everyone,

I am building the Hangars simple stick,
This is my first time building from foam-board
I only have experience from flying pre-builds.

Currently I am cutting out plans that I printed and Im not
sure how to proceed from there onwards I want to build my plane
as neatly and nice as possible.

Any Help and tips will be greatly appreciated

thanks- Liam
A nice sharp knife and lots of practice. Familiarise yourself with different cuts in the build on some scraps of foam board.
 

Crazed Scout Pilot

Well-known member
Don't get discouraged. Been doing this for probably longer than forever and my planes sometimes look like they crashed even when brand new. Doesn't mean they don't fly really well, they just never look like some of these planes here and I am good with that.
I didn't know that anyone else had coined that phrase. That's what some of my planes look like as well crashed before their flown. Love it!
 

akimbo

Active member
Hello Everyone,

I am building the Hangars simple stick,
This is my first time building from foam-board
I only have experience from flying pre-builds.

Currently I am cutting out plans that I printed and Im not
sure how to proceed from there onwards I want to build my plane
as neatly and nice as possible.

Any Help and tips will be greatly appreciated

thanks- Liam
I used to have really jagged cuts and paper tears but I started sharpening my blades and doing score cuts before I cut all the way through
 

Erasmus80

Member
First, on edge cuts, I started using two Master Airscrew Balsa Strippers with no offset and blades extended to provide either a half-thru score (for cutting the paper on one side when a score is needed) and the second adjusted for a thru cut into the cutting mat (for a complete cut). It keeps the cuts nice and perpendicular. As akimbo mentioned, I often use both, one after the other to keep the force required to get a clean cut to a minimum.

Second, I made a cutting bar from a Great Planes Sanding Bar. It has coarse sandpaper glued to the bottom, a handle on top, and is much easier to keep in place when I'm holding down and running the balsa stripper/cutter along it. It has really reduced slipups and slanted cuts.