TommyTucker
New member
I am scratch building the simple cub currently - my first ever scratch build. I am using the free online plans which I have printed on A4 and taped together. Any tips on how to transfer the plans onto the foam to cut out?
How to transfer designs from paper to foam?
- Thread starter TommyTucker
- Start date
There are lots of ways to accomplish this task. Just tape the cut plans to the foam and trace them out. If you are good, you can skip the trace and just cut them out.
One way I use is to glue the uncut plans to the foam, cut them out. Then use that cutout as a template for the actual plane. Some use poster board for the template, I prefer foam board templates. One advantage of FB templets, they are easily to modify. I generally modify the plans. If you need to make the nose longer, just cut and glue in an extension and your good to go.
One way I use is to glue the uncut plans to the foam, cut them out. Then use that cutout as a template for the actual plane. Some use poster board for the template, I prefer foam board templates. One advantage of FB templets, they are easily to modify. I generally modify the plans. If you need to make the nose longer, just cut and glue in an extension and your good to go.
All my plans are setup for attaching the plan directly to the FB. I save the plan cutout and layout step. I either tape loop it down (at least 2/cutout) or spray either the plan or board with Super77 and then spread it in place. Dollar tree tape comes back up easily.
For the spray, I put the plan face down sprayed on back over a light color table. Then line up the DTFB to the marked corners. Afterwards just cut away.
I bet a print shop might could print directly into the foam. Anyone here know?
For the spray, I put the plan face down sprayed on back over a light color table. Then line up the DTFB to the marked corners. Afterwards just cut away.
I bet a print shop might could print directly into the foam. Anyone here know?
TommyTucker
New member
Thank you so so much for your reply! I’m from England so I imagine some of the brands you mention will be different but the process itself makes sense! Cheers for that!
Steve Fox
Active member
First of all, the FT Cub is a very good choice, it can be a very capable plane if you ignore the FT Specs and build it with your own electronics and also forget trying to build it to the official weight, YOU WANT IT HEAVIER!!!
I have a thread ive started to talk about the FT Cub for experienced owners of the cub and new builders alike
and heading over there and asking anything you need to know on building the cub and what power setup and servos (not FT ones!) to use will get you a very good flying cub
heres the thread: https://forum.flitetest.com/index.p...ic-allowed.60133/#lg=attachment142299&slide=0
you can also see crash repair of the cub on there too
Dont fix your printed plans to the foam, make posterboard templates with them and use those to cut out your parts!
use spray adhesive to fix the printed plans to the posterboard and then cut it out, you will have easy to cut aount templates which can be used again and again which will come in very handy when you crash and need to make new parts or even a new plane!
All of my builds get posterboard templates made, i wont do it any other way and my cub templates have been used over and over to make 5 separate ft cubs and countless wings and other repair parts, anything can be repaired, no matter how hard the crash and quickly when you have templates available to just grab and use.
Im in the UK too, our foamboard is better than the stuff in the states, its a lot stronger but can be a challenge to peel the paper from but once you have the technique its not too hard to do
Last edited:
TommyTucker
New member
Thank you! Super super helpful!First of all, the FT Cub is a very good choice, it can be a very capable plane if you ignore the FT Specs and build it with your own electronics and also forget trying to build it to the official weight, YOU WANT IT HEAVIER!!!
I have a thread ive started to talk about the FT Cub for experienced owners of the cub and new builders alike
and heading over there and asking anything you need to know on building the cub and what power setup and servos (not FT ones!) to use will get you a very good flying cub
heres the thread: https://forum.flitetest.com/index.p...ic-allowed.60133/#lg=attachment142299&slide=0
you can also see crash repair of the cub on there too
Dont fix your printed plans to the foam, make posterboard templates with them and use those to cut out your parts!
use spray adhesive to fix the printed plans to the posterboard and then cut it out, you will have easy to cut aount templates which can be used again and again which will come in very handy when you crash and need to make new parts or even a new plane!
All of my builds get posterboard templates made, i wont do it any other way and my cub templates have been used over and over to make 5 separate ft cubs and countless wings and other repair parts, anything can be repaired, no matter how hard the crash and quickly when you have templates available to just grab and use.
Im in the UK too, our foamboard is better than the stuff in the states, its a lot stronger but can be a challenge to peel the paper from but once you have the technique its not too hard to do
View attachment 142384
Do you mind sharing your technique to get the paper off the tougher stuff... we get the same foam here in NZ.. the best way I've found so far is to use water
Foam Folder
Active member
I use 3 views and a vernier caliper to scale the 3 view
bwarz
Master member
my early builds were plans permanent glued to cardstock which I used as plans. It works OK, but the tracing part invariably ended up with parts just a touch larger, holes smaller, etc. I ended up finding it tedious to trace the parts as well. I settled on using a removable light tack spray glue to attach the plans directly to the foam board after taping them together. Then you cut right through the plans and remove them when you are done. The parts end up exactly the size they were intended to be (quite important with master-series planes)
Another note on taping the plans together.... use a ruler or straight edge on the longer part lines when lining things up. Printers don;t always print things perfectly as well, and indexing marks can end up off just a touch. Its most important to have a straight line, well, straight, then it is to try and match up top and bottom indexing marks.
Another note on taping the plans together.... use a ruler or straight edge on the longer part lines when lining things up. Printers don;t always print things perfectly as well, and indexing marks can end up off just a touch. Its most important to have a straight line, well, straight, then it is to try and match up top and bottom indexing marks.
Gray Harlequin
New member
I tape the plans together that are printed on regular paper. From there I cut out each part from the plans individually. I take these templates, tape them to the foamboard and cut out the outlines. For interior cut outs and score lines, I mark them with a push pin (making a little hole) while the part plan template is taped down. After cutting out the part, I remove the plan template and use a straight edge edge to connect the marks and cut them out or score. I keep the plan parts in case of repair or rebuild.
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