When I show many people the delicate balsa and tissue model
airplanes I build, the response I often get is that they could never build
something so delicate that requires so much patience. With experience you learn
how much pressure you can use when handling delicate structures and then you
still break the balsa wood at times. In one of my current projects a Guillow’s
PC-6 Porter rubber powered model airplane I thought I had done everything in
advance correctly before gluing a certain piece but still managed to break
several balsa pieces.
 |
| Broken Structure Caused by Mistake While Building |
 |
| Side Keel Before Placing in Slots |
The significance of this situation goes way beyond model
airplane building as I see it. These are some of the general ideas that I see
that are important:
* Learn the properties of what you were working with and get a
good understanding of the risks when performing a delicate operation.
* Perform small subtasks and test as much as possible before
attempting the major operation.
* If there is a failure in what you are trying to do, know how
to remedy the situation.
 |
| Grain of the Wood Appears in Direction of Dark Lines |
 |
| Balsa Breaks Easily Along the Grain |
Back to the model building, I needed to glue a side keel
into many bulkhead slots, the grain on the bulkheads was running in a direction
that would make it very easy to break the balsa along the grain. For my first
subtask I took a balsa strip the same thickness as the side keel and made sure
it would fit into each slot in the bulkheads. Next I did a test fit of the
entire side keel in the slots just like it would be placed for gluing, the fit
was good.
 |
| Broken Parts Repaired |
After pulling the side keel out, I applied glue into all the
slots and again put the side keel in place.
This time the keel did not slide into place as easily and I applied too
much pressure. In an instant I heard that awful sound of balsa snapping and
pieces were displacing in several directions. One of the bulkheads had broken
along the grain and then the side keel broke in that same region of the
airplane. With plenty of experience fixing broken airplanes, the repair was
easy.
 |
| Kit Box for PC-6 Porter |
What will I do next time in a situation like this? Maybe I could grip each bulkhead closer to
the slot as I press the side keel in. A CYA (super glue) could be used and the
glue would wick into the joints after the pieces were fitted. Ideas to think about and this is what keeps
me interested.
No comments:
Post a Comment