RE: Large volume hotbox
[quote]ORIGINAL: XE521 Hi Tom, wish you all the best, just hope it turns up. Here in Germany it appears to be the 'in thing' not to deliver if the price is too low. I've no idea what it's like in the States, but here it's too much hassle to sue the seller and evilBay are of no help.[:o] Regards. Karl. P.S. I'm glad that this theme cropped up as I'm in need of a large hotbox. [/quote] Hello Karl, The shipper was an honest one... I got the USPS shipping notification and Priority Mail tracking number yesterday. He was the one listing ".99 Cent Opening Bid & Free Shipping" so I guess that he just took a chance it would go for more than minimum and lost. He has a bunch of sales and very good feedback too. Tom
Posted on: 9/14/2012 8:41 AM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Composites Fabrication And Repair"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11228347

RE: Large volume hotbox
Hello Karl, Just for giggles I put in a 99 Cent bid on a used convection oven fan with free shipping on eBay... and won. :) My Ranco temperature controller came yesterday, I got it here as recommended by Adam: http://www.etcsupply.com/index.php All I have to do now is build the box. Tom
Posted on: 9/13/2012 12:35 PM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Composites Fabrication And Repair"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11227464

RE: Large volume hotbox
Thanks Adam, I ordered one tonight. I used to have an old Johnson Controls unit but it is apparently lost forever... have no idea where it went. Will be looking for a fan or fans that can take that heat now too. Tom
Posted on: 9/8/2012 7:19 PM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Composites Fabrication And Repair"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11222293

RE: Large volume hotbox
Thanks Adam, do you have a source on the controller? Tom
Posted on: 9/8/2012 2:35 PM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Composites Fabrication And Repair"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11222022

RE: Large volume hotbox
OK, but as I said, I need 180 deg. F, did yours do that? I don't see a floodlight in a big box holding 180 degrees. Tom
Posted on: 9/8/2012 2:32 PM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Composites Fabrication And Repair"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11221932

RE: Large volume hotbox
Thanks, There are a LOT of posts about hot boxes, but the one sized as I want it has a large interior volume that has to be a bit hotter than the usual glass curing box. If anyone has any experience with larger boxes, I would appreciate any info. Tom
Posted on: 9/8/2012 11:48 AM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Composites Fabrication And Repair"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11221897

Large volume hotbox
If any of you guys have any experience with relatively large volume hot boxes, I would appreciate some advice. The interior dimensions of the box need to be: 48" wide 36" high 18" Deep (front to back) Exterior dimensions are unimportant, but the inside must be the above or a bit bigger. The box needs to hold an even 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Any suggestions as to materials, heating elements and controls? Thanks. Tom
Posted on: 9/8/2012 10:06 AM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Composites Fabrication And Repair"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11221804

RE: Modeling Software
Then you obviously did not click on the link in the message above yours. That takes you to the Solid Edge 2D free download page. Tom
Posted on: 10/29/2009 1:37 AM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9211422

RE: Modeling Software
There are scores, maybe hundreds by now, of "basic" CAD programs. Here is a good one: http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/products/velocity/solidedge/free2d/index.shtml The 2D version is free, simple and powerful. Tom
Posted on: 10/28/2009 10:45 AM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9208994

RE: Assan 2.4G modules
Thanks. Tom
Posted on: 10/23/2009 1:07 PM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Hitec/MultiPlex Radios- Ask Hitec Customer Service"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9196168

RE: Assan 2.4G modules
I am bumping this because I would like to know the answer to this too... and this single post showed up in a search. Actually, I would like to know if ANY Assan or Corona module would work. Tom
Posted on: 10/22/2009 7:12 PM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Hitec/MultiPlex Radios- Ask Hitec Customer Service"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9194350

RE: DIY cowel - one off
If you are going to all the trouble, you may as well do it right. A male mold is a PITA. You will spend forever sanding it to get it right. And you are faced with having to reduce the plug diameter by the thickness of the glass layup... which I will be willing to bet you do not know. It will look funky as it will be VERY difficult to carry a smooth curve through that joint. A female mold, however does away with all these problems. Get your shape right on the plane, as you have done, lay up a female mold, then the resluting part pulled from the female mold will fit exactly... with the additional benefit of you still having the mold in case of accidents to the cowl later... just pull another part. There are TONS of instructions on this site and elsewhere on making a female mold. Tom
Posted on: 10/15/2009 11:09 PM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Composites Fabrication And Repair"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9176926

RE: Scanning 21" Ribs to DXF format
[quote]ORIGINAL: Chad Veich Do you know what the airfoil is or have ordinates for it? [/quote] This is by far the best method. Find out what the airfoil is, then call it up in a program like Profili and make it any size you want. You can also scale it in any of the CAD packages, but I prefer Profili for testing and template making. Tom
Posted on: 1/10/2007 10:14 AM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5241976

RE: Sears CNC machine, ie Compucarve
You can always tell the pioneers... they are the ones with all the arrows in their backs. Tom
Posted on: 1/10/2007 12:01 AM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5240704

RE: 1/2 oz or 3/4 oz glass
[quote]ORIGINAL: jimfc3 I know thats why i'm asking what you guys think. is the 1/2 oz really worth it to only save about 1 pound?? WHAT ARE YOU GLASSING WITH 1/2 or 3/4 ?????? BTW I found 50 yds of 1/2 oz for $160...is this the best price it can be found??? [/quote] A pound? What are you glassing that will make this kind of difference? To get a covering to come in at 16 oz. over what you would get with .5 oz. cloth, you must be talking a HUGE airframe. With that size in mind, why are you looking at .5 oz. anyway? It will not be NEAR strong or stiff enough to make a project that size work. Tom
Posted on: 1/9/2007 7:59 PM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Composites Fabrication And Repair"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5238881

RE: Sears CNC machine, ie Compucarve
You should read all the problems initial buyers are experiencing with these things before tossing good money away. I would not touch one with a 10 foot pole, and it ain't about money. Go to their forum and read. Tom
Posted on: 1/9/2007 7:11 PM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5237939

RE: Spray Glue?
I use Duro spray adhesive from Lowe's. 1/3rd the cost of 3M-77 and works perfectly. Just as others have posted, you have to develop a feel for how much you need in certain situations. Usually just a VERY light 'dusting' is good enough to hold paper to pattern material and it peels right off afterward. Tom
Posted on: 1/9/2007 5:18 PM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5237951

RE: 1/2 oz or 3/4 oz glass
50 Yards of the 3/4 oz. for $75 bucks is going to be hard to beat. http://www.thayercraft.com/Style%20106.htm Tom
Posted on: 1/9/2007 5:13 PM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Composites Fabrication And Repair"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5237923

RE: Bending landing gear wire
Wow. So much heat, so little light. (Pun intended). First, to say that heat treating steel wire is beyond the capabilities of a home RC shop is silly. Of course it is not. And you do not have to be a metalurgist either. Next, to say that all cold bending is necessarily bad is equally silly. Of course it is not. As an amateur knife maker, I can assure you that anyone with even a minimum of tools (propane torch and color guide for common steels) and practically zero intelligence can sucessfully heat, anneal, and re-temper steel landing gear wire with no problems whatsoever. I prefer to bend steel using heat because it is so falling-down easy. But heat bending is not the only way to make landing gear for our toys. Be very wary when you see absolutes trotted out in these forums as the *only* way to accomplish something. And be VERY wary of armchair experts everywhere, not just here. Tom
Posted on: 12/23/2006 7:40 PM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Tips & Techniques"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5153625

RE: Preserving Gorilla Glue?
For years and years I have preserved open cans of paint by taking my propane torch and directing a stream of propane gas into the open can. Propane is heavier than air and will settle on the top of the cans contents, shielding it from oxidation. I do not know if this would work with PU glue or not, but that is what I would try. Tom
Posted on: 12/22/2006 5:21 PM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Tips & Techniques"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5149326

RE: pink foam??????????????
"Pink Foam" is made by Owens-Corning, "Blue Foam" is made by Dow. Both are extruded Styrofoam (polystyrene) panels. Both come in varying densities. The Pink Foam you have available will have a number printed on it "Foamular XXX" where XXX is the compression density of the foam. For example. if it says Foamular 250, then the foam can stand 25.0 PSI compressive pressure. The weight of the foam is determined by the strength (compressive density). Some Blue Foam is heavier than Pink Foam and vice versa. Tom
Posted on: 12/15/2006 12:07 PM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5119566

RE: How possible would this be?
[quote]ORIGINAL: Tibarus Heh if theres one thing I can make it's a hull mock up... Hm... I could move the engine pods higher, so they sit a top the wings instead of in them... .that might take care of the spray problem... as for the hull steps, I'd more than likely be using an existing plane design and simply be modifying it to look like the SeaDuck. [/quote] Which directed my attention to your hull... The round bottom you have shown is not the best hullform. Indeed, it is terrible for a planning hull, as all aircraft hulls must be. You need flat (or at the very least 'much flatter') sections with sharp chines. I see what you are trying to do here, but save yourself some time and grief... look closely at what has gone before. Re-inventing the wheel is an exercise in futility. This is not to say that new designs are a waste of time, but what you are proposing is very close to existing planforms... and there is a reason those existing planforms are the way they are. As I said earlier... look at all the Grumman series of boats with hulls resembling yours. See where the differences lay and then ask yourself 'why' the Grumman designers went the way they did. You can get away with a lot in models that would be impossible or fatal in full sized aircraft, but do not ignore why things were done a certain way. There is ALWAYS a reason. Tom
Posted on: 12/11/2006 1:45 PM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Seaplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5102557

RE: How possible would this be?
I doubt it, as again... there are reasons you do not see commercial aircraft with that configuration. One way to test the concept would be to do a mock-up of the hull and tow test it at liftoff and landing speeds. Observe the spray pattern and go from there. These relatively flat bottomed boat hulls throw water upward and outward from the edge of the chine. MANY commercial aircraft ended up having to have spray rails added to the hulls along with other water deflecting devices. It is NOT a minor design problem. Tom PS: I do not see a step in the hull. That is going to cause more problems. A hull step allows both rotation and a way to eliminate hull suction so the aircraft can lift off at reasonable angles of attack.
Posted on: 12/10/2006 11:06 PM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Seaplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5100569

RE: How possible would this be?
Then the first modification you might try is to move the engines and nacelles to the top of the wing and inboard as far as you can without hitting the fuselage. There are a whole series of Grumman boat hull aircraft that come close to this configuration, take a look at them for planform specification and component locations. Tom
Posted on: 12/10/2006 10:58 PM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Seaplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5100484

RE: Jet powered Seaplanes/Float Planes?
Like these? http://www.strange-mecha.com/aircraft/J-Sea/J-Sea.htm http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/performance/q0190.shtml Tom
Posted on: 12/10/2006 10:50 PM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Seaplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5100513

RE: How possible would this be?
There is a reason you do not see a full size seaplanes with that engine configuration. The spray pattern from the hull will direct a constant stream of water directly into the propeller arc and engine nacelles. It looks cool, but will have MANY problems actually making it work. Tom
Posted on: 12/10/2006 2:11 PM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Seaplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5098240

RE: Easiest way to install a water rudder
I prefer to mount the servo in the float. Enclose in a latex glove or large balloon. The servo wire enters through the wrist hole in the glove, the pushrod exits one of the fingers. Bunch the excess 'finger' material up a bit and secure to the pushrod and it will move back and forth like a bellows. The wire entry and pushrod exit are tied off securely and easily with fishing line. Mount the servo just as you would any other servo, using a washer and screw right through the latex 'bag' containing the servo and into the servo mounting rails. It will seal just fine around the washer. I have used this in salt water, no problem. The harder of the two holes in the glove or balloon to seal is the one with the servo wires passing through. I use just a bit of silicone seal just before finally tying the latex 'bag' closed and have never had a leak. The other system I have used is a pull-pull setup using Kevlar based (non-stretch) fishing line such as FireWire and Power Pro. These lines are 'slippery' and can be run even around 90° corners without loading the servo too badly. I use small fishing rod line guides. I use these: http://shop.mudhole.com/AOCSF-Spinning-Guides?sc=2&category=150 get the smallest you can. You can attach the guides to the strut supports and the system is so smooth it will allow two 90° turns in the fishing line with almost no friction to speak of. Both lines, go through the same line guide, you do not need separate guides for each line. Tom
Posted on: 12/10/2006 2:05 PM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Seaplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5098219

RE: Waterproof float servo setup?
[quote]ORIGINAL: Warbird Man How do you securely mount a fully balloon-covered servo? [/quote] You just screw it down to a pair of rails fore and aft, just as you would mount any servo. Screwing right through the latex glove or balloon material. Use small washers over the head of the screws so as not to tear the material and you are done. The screw and washer pressing down on the latex seals it tight. Tom
Posted on: 12/8/2006 1:27 PM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Seaplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5090867

RE: thinning epoxy
http://www.westsystem.com/ewmag/14/ThinningEpoxy.html Tom
Posted on: 12/8/2006 1:14 PM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Composites Fabrication And Repair"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5090834

RE: sandwiched balsa/lost foam plug fuselage
://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=571313
Posted on: 12/2/2006 11:23 PM by Author "T_om" in the forum "Composites Fabrication And Repair"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5062917