What's the best way to transfer your plans from paper to your foamboard

eagle4

Member
Just wondering what your methods are for getting the plans from paper to your foamboard? Have you tried different methods? what worked, what was horrible?
 

PaulT

New member
Mentor
If your plans are properly scaled, I spray the the backside of the plans with 3M 77 glue. Let it dry for a couple minutes and then just lay it on foam.
It will peel right off with no residue anytime after.
 

colorex

Rotor Riot!
Mentor
I have a method for transferring plans to balsa - but it involves thinner or heat, both of which are incompatible with foam...
 

colorex

Rotor Riot!
Mentor
There's actually a comment there by Airwolf, he used some different kind of thinner...

Actually it WILL work on foam if you use a proper thinner - like turpentine or acrylic enamel thinner (from humbrol for example). I transferred many plans to depron this way and never had a single problem.
 

leadpipe58

Junior Member
templtes

I have taken the time to cut templets from heaver card board.I simply trace parts.Now that I have them I can make parts easily.
Tried traceing paper Or copy paper you can get 4x8 sheet from
HTML:
www.woodcraft.com
.you still need to trace it.:black_eyed:
 

Dagger_117

RC Flyer
I cut out the plans and tape them to the foam, then trace around the plans on to the foam with a sharpie marker...i'm going to try something new though and make templates from poster-board so I can cut parts out with a hot wire cutter...we'll see how it goes on my next build
 

Billchuck

Senior Member
If your plans are properly scaled, I spray the the backside of the plans with 3M 77 glue. Let it dry for a couple minutes and then just lay it on foam.
It will peel right off with no residue anytime after.

Aha, that's what I did wrong. For anyone else who comes looking for advice on this: spray the _plans_, not the board. If you spray the board it will remain tacky after you pull the plans off.
 

RichardEllis

New member
I taped all the 8x11 pages together like flitetest shows in tiled blueprint design. I use masking tape to secure plans on top of foam board. I then take a thumb tack and poke a tiny hole through the plans and into the foam board at every corner, intersection, and everywhere that I can use a straight edge and connect all the dots I made while looking at the plans hanging in front of me on the wall. Makes the plans reusable, also on rounded edges just poke more holes along the rounded edges closer together and free hand the curve for it.
 

quorneng

Master member
This is only really applicable to Depron and white 2 or 3mm at that!
It is sufficiently translucent that you can see the plans through it when you hold them up resting on a window. I then mark out the relevant bits (each end of straight lines and trace the curves) with a fine tip marker pen. With 'tile' printed plans it make this operation a bit easier to handle if you only create just the view you want to cut out.

Of course on my 'own design' planes I simply draw everything directly on the Depron sheet! :)
 

Tritium

Amateur Extra Class K5TWM
I tape all the pages together then cut out each individual part, place it on foamboard then lightly trace around it while holding it down. For cutting I use a 1/4" X 1" X 48" piece of aluminum for a guide (got this idea from Experimental Airlines) and only align the beginning and end of any straight segments. Works like a charm and I can use the pattern over and over again. I also have an X-acto foamboard and mat cutter ($4 at Walmart) that has a settable depth of cut for the score and fold lines. It also comes with a guide for 45 degree angle cuts (my hand is not as young and steady as Josh B's). And although somewhat off topic here is a link to beginner RC Tutorials that also include foamboard techniques.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?ann...i5vCTL5lUm0zoCBBY4LNPTGeO&src_vid=lb-LSZntNCk

Thurmond
 

Todd L

Member
If I take the time to print plans out, I use the 77 spay glue on the backside of the plans and stick them to dollar store poster board. after the glue is set I cut it out and use them as templates. I always find someone who wants a plane or I want to build another, I simply trace around the template on a sheet of foam and cut it out, or I just pass the foam with the parts traced out to who ever wants one in the club.. Seems to be working really well and getting people flying and having fun!
 

rperry2000x

Junior Member
This may be a little old school, but....just get a few sheets of Carbon Paper. Lay them between plans and foam, then trace it out. Saves the time of having to cut out the plans first (and saves xacto blades, since only have to cut once.) Plus your plans stay in one piece and you can reuse the carbon paper over and over again.
 

rperry2000x

Junior Member
Oh..little tip. Get you a stylus, pen-like tool for using with touch screens. Use the stylus for tracing on the plans and you won't mark them up, like you would using a pen or pencil.
 

brettp2004

New member
For all of you guys printing them out and taping them together, try finding a local print shop. I get the plans printed for about $3 a sheet. Saves alot of time! Then I just cut out the pieces with an exacto and trace them onto the foam. Or just make reference marks and use a ruler if it's straight lines. Hope this helps someone.
 

xuzme720

Dedicated foam bender
Mentor
For all of you guys printing them out and taping them together, try finding a local print shop. I get the plans printed for about $3 a sheet. Saves alot of time! Then I just cut out the pieces with an exacto and trace them onto the foam. Or just make reference marks and use a ruler if it's straight lines. Hope this helps someone.
Take that a step further by glueing the plans to posterboard before you cut them out, then all you need to do is trace them. Posterboard is thick enough to stand up to tracing and you'll still have a set of plans ready if you need to rebuild anything!
 

Craftydan

Hostage Taker of Quads
Staff member
Moderator
Mentor
Take that a step further by glueing the plans to posterboard before you cut them out, then all you need to do is trace them. Posterboard is thick enough to stand up to tracing and you'll still have a set of plans ready if you need to rebuild anything!

Ha! if you're a *REAL* glutton for cutting punishment, use mat board. Cutting the pattern is a pain, but they're dead simple to use.

The pattern pieces can be laid on the foam and cut around directly. drill holes in the pattern and mark edges for critical points (like stiffening rod placements, spar channel corners, surface hinge/edge cut intersections). After cutting the piece, mark the points by pushing a pen through the holes, then transfer interior lines using these points and a straight edge. you can RAPIDLY cut new pieces with these patterns.