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Workshop Tools And Supplies
As the old saying goes, "Having the right tool makes the job easy". That certainly holds true with building model airplanes as
well as anything else. Below is a list of the tools we feel are the minimum required to speedily and accurately assembly this kit,
and to build other model airplanes in the future. Some of them are common household tools that you probably already have,
while some are special "modeling" tools that you will have to purchase at the hobby shop. While there are many more special
modeling tools available, and they all do a wonderful job in certain areas, these are the basics with which to get started in the
hobby. Like the rest of us, eventually you will add others to your workshop as the need arises.
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Building Board - 12"x36" minimum size
This can be any flat surface that will accept and hold pins - such as insulation board, foam board (cardboard laminated to
both sides of a foam sheet), cork bulletin board, soft plywood, a reject "door core" from the lumber yard, etc. The most
important thing is that the board must be perfectly flat and untwisted! Your wings and tail surfaces will be built on this board,
and if the board is twisted or bowed, the parts you build on it will assume the same shape and your model will not fly
properly.
NOTE: The building board you’ll see us using in the photos in this book is an 18"x48" piece of 3/4" thick plywood (perfectly
flat!), with a same sized piece of cork bulletin board stuck down on top of the plywood with double-sided sticky tape. The
plywood provides the rigidity and flatness we need, and the semi-flexible foam board lays flat on the plywood and gives us a
surface to push pins into. All materials were obtained from the local lumber yard. Insulation board or cork sheet would make
a good substitute for the foam board, if that is not available.
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Wax Paper
Used to cover the plans so that parts are not accidentally glued to them.
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A Few Dozen T-Pins (such as SIG #SH-310)
For holding parts together during construction.
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Masking Tape or Scotch Tape
For holding parts together during construction.
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Scissors
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Ruler or Tape Measure
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Pencil
Do not use a ball-point or felt-tip pen for making marks on the model during construction. If not sanded off, ink marks
may show through the model’s final finish. Use a pencil instead of a pen.
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Modeling Knife (such as X-Acto #1 knife with extra #11 blades)
For general cutting.
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Razor Saw (such as X-Acto #75300 or Zona #500)
For cutting thicker wood pieces.
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1/2-Dozen Single-Edge Razor Blades (such as SIG #SH-283)
For cutting and trimming covering material.
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Long Metal Straight Edge (such as SIG #SE-236)
To aid in making long straight cuts in wood and covering material.
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Triangle (such as metal SIG #TR-036 or plastic draftsman’s triangle)
For squaring up parts during assembly and to aid in
making short straight cuts in wood and covering material.
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Assorted Screwdrivers
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Assorted Hex "Allen" Wrenches
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Regular Pliers
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Assorted Drills
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Needle-Nose Pliers with cutting jaws
For cutting, bending, and shaping pushrod wires.
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Soldering Iron, Rosin Core Solder, and Soldering Paste Flux
There is one part in this kit that needs to be soldered. (If
you don’t have a soldering iron, perhaps you can borrow one for this part of the construction.)
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Covering Iron
For applying iron-on covering material. Although a household iron can be used to apply covering, smaller
easier-to-use irons specifically designed for model covering are available at the hobby shop. (Like the soldering iron, perhaps
you can borrow one from another modeler if you are covering your first airplane.)