What is your favoite tool in your tool box?

Keno

Well-known member
We might learn something from this. A sharp 18mm and 9 MM Olfa break off cutting tool? Great Planes "Easy-Touch bar sander (straight edge). Heavy duty utility blades? 3M 220 - 300 grit sandpaper? How about adhesives what do you use (when and where)? The type of tapes that find to work great for you, etc,. I could go on but lets see what you have you to offer on your favorite tool.
 

rockyboy

Skill Collector
Mentor
Lots of tools to choose from here, but one I'm using on a lot of my builds recently is the sharpened copper or brass pipe for cutting perfect holes in foam or balsa.

If you don't have a junk drawer with pipe ends, pickup a short section of pipe in the plumbing department just big enough for a servo lead to go through. Then go at the end with a file for a few minutes to create a nice sharp edge. Optionally, pull out the dremel cutting wheel and put a couple notches across the end of the pipe to create serrations in the edge.

Then when you need to pull aileron servo wires through fuselage sides or bulkheads or things like that, a quick push and spin of the pipe against the foam creates a nice clean hole right where you want it. :D
 

ElectriSean

Eternal Student
Mentor
I build and fix more quads than anything, which involves a lot of soldering small wires to small pads. My favorite tool has to be my helping hands with magnifying glass, I don't think I could get by without it.
 

Keno

Well-known member
I build and fix more quads than anything, which involves a lot of soldering small wires to small pads. My favorite tool has to be my helping hands with magnifying glass, I don't think I could get by without it.

I been soldering for over 50 years and today a magnifying glass is absolutely necessary. A good soldering station (as they may call it) is a wise purchase. Rockyboy, thanks but I'll leave that to others. I am a old flyer with little avionics engineering skill but I kind of know what will fly and that won't. When I was teenager I built a large wing to see how much lift it could provide I affixed it my bicycle handle bars and down the hill I went. All was OK until I hit a patch of pea gravel and I still have those road rash scares today. My favorite hangout was the Rohnerville municipal airport.
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
I have many favorites but the one I must have to hand when doing FB or Balsa plane builds is my trusty old Balsa Stripper. It works equally well for cutting balsa stringers, FB spars, and those hard to get right otherwise bevels in the FB.

Have fun!
 

CarolineTyler

Legendary member
For close up work.... These
IMG_20180927_091358687_HDR.jpg
You look weird wearing them but they are brilliant.
 

foamtest

Toothpick glider kid
I absolutely love my Z bend pliers, a good metal strait edge, and a good glue gun (The adtech pro 200 is awesome). I know, very basic, but those are the ones I use the most and they are definitely my favorites.
 

BS projects inc.

Elite member
I have an enormous arsenal of tools and my favorite one for my foam build is a nail file lol! It trims down nasty foam tears and makes a really nice fishing touch on DTFB planes. I always hate seeing a bunch of stray pieces of paper on my plane and this really helps.
 

Keno

Well-known member
This is handy when you want to make things fit or clean up a rough cut.
 

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Keno

Well-known member
Excellent I love that one. But does it put out a LiPo fire? Consider yourself lucky..
 

PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
Old school training from my Grandfather who taught me very young how to take my time doing things and how to follow instructions, plan what I do, and not be lazy and try to shortcut things.

How not to go cheap on important things as it usually always costs you more in the long run. Specially when it comes to tools you use daily to make your living or in my case at the time building engines and restoring cars. That all came from my step father.

Between those two things there is nothing I can't do or figure out with minimal time or effort.
 

Seahunter

Active member
I am trying to decide between three favorites here, really depends on what stage of the build I'm in. I love my balsa stripper for making custom fitting stringers out of the proper grade balsa sheets and then there are the magnetic hold down fixtures for the build and the smart stripe for making stripes. Hard to select just one.
 

Keno

Well-known member
A real favorite is my "Cricut" graphics cutout machine. Print graphics on vinyl or plain typing paper then put it into the machine to cut. Stick these on and you will have better looking project. I use paper for most and seal with "Krylon Glitter Blast" clear sealer. Glitter Blast does not attack foam nor will it delaminate paper on you project and brings out the colors. (my grammar needs improvent)
 
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