RE: Royal-FW190A8
Wow thats a great price they usually go for quite a bit more than that I am hoping the weight comes in around 8-9 lbs I would prefer it to be on the lighter range of that spectrum, any more than that and its going to be quite a brick,I really want this to be a flyable plane, I will post some more progress pics soon I have been priming it now and its a bit of tedious work and not all that thrilling. if you have read through the thread you know I have tried to keep it light when ever possible, mainly in the tail area so I don't need a bunch of ballast in the nose to balance it out I will post some pics soon
Posted on: 9/17/2012 2:28 PM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11231469

RE: Which is lighter CA or Titebond?
I use em all CA, epoxy, and Tight bond wood glues, it does seem like the CA is a bit lighter if you don't use some glue control when building. a couple of ways I do this is I take a old CA bottle crack out any residue from the dried glue and fill it with Tite Bond with just a tiny bit of water,a few drops, to loosen up the glue, I use a new top and I have a glue bottle that I can really control the amount of adhesive I use, and where it goes I can also make nice tight fillets when necessary, although I rarely add the excess glue, if the joints are tight its not needed only when I am in a hurry to get a section done or for jobs where CA is specifically indicated the fumes can be nasty they give me a headache if I use it too much
Posted on: 8/31/2012 5:39 PM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11213043

RE: Best Kits
a good advanced model kit with great step by step instructions, I would consider a Top Flight kit the P-47 is a great starter War bird it can be built with fixed gear, or if you want to challenge your self, install retractable landing gear the instructions go over the installation process on all the Top Flight planes in great detail, and have a check the box system that is nearly fool proof as long as you have some basic building skill and read ahead in the booklet so your not surprised by the upcoming steps you will end up with a nice looking and flying model in the 60 size range that has a authentic look to it. another option in the same size range and era is a Skyshark kit they have several warbird kits that are nice looking there laser cut wood parts fit well, and make for a nice looking scale model when finished, there a little more expensive than the TF because there a smaller company, but they have a greater variety of different models to chose from having some basic wood working skills really helps with any kit endeavor just make sure you chose a company that provides clear step by step instructions and you should be OK there are lots of build threads on RCU as well covering many brands and styles of kits
Posted on: 8/31/2012 4:58 PM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11212993

RE: HOw much paint do I need?
I posted this last night but it didn't load, if you want to use a water based fuel proof paint Nelsons has colors in catalyzed paints that are water clean up and fuel proof. www.warbirdcolors.com also sell a water based material that's fuel proof I read that Chuck is having some Mfg issues on some products, but shoot him a email he might be able to accommodate you on a color you need. as for quantity for the blue your going to need at least a pint since Dk.Blue is a primary color it takes a few more coats to get good coverage, I recommend using a grey primer under the blue it helps with that., so you don't load the plane up with paint. if your going to go with regular house paint and clear coat it then your stuck with a quart I prefer to use the best I can get a Sherwin Williams, or Benjamin Moore brand but some swear by Home depot, but my clear choice is WBColors
Posted on: 8/30/2012 1:27 PM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11211822

RE: Heritage RC Hellcat
ED there actually less vintage than you would think the Skyshark Hellcat kit is a virtual copy of the Heritage kit http://www.skysharkrc.com/category/F6F-Hellcat-Kit-71 matter of fact Skyshark has a fiberglass cowl for the kit if you want to buy one from them Vs the plastic one that comes in the box I happen to have 2 of these kits new in the box one has never even been opened and the other was slightly damaged by UPS the one I am likely to build I need to get through some other projects first
Posted on: 8/30/2012 1:21 AM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11211244

RE: P-40E Warhawk - Advice
a alternative to using epoxy is water based polyurethane and light weight glass cloth its outlined in this SBD Dauntless, and his FW190 thread by Tom Pierce at http://tompierce.net/rcplanes/index.htm allot of great detailing tips as well for the future its the only way I glass planes my latest glass job with WB Varathane diamond and .56oz cloth my Royal FW190 project here I detail the build http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_5620546/anchors_5620546/mpage_1/key_/anchor/tm.htm#5620546
Posted on: 8/23/2012 7:19 PM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11204005

RE: Royal-FW190A8
health education and massage therapy its been a long year in the classroom
Posted on: 8/22/2012 2:06 AM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11201807

RE: Royal-FW190A8
wow 3 months a little hit and miss work allot of sanding and laying up glass and I am on the threshold of primer I have not been posting much, between my school work, and popping in and out of my shop, there wasn't much to show I didn't get to the fuse for a whole month and when I did I realized there was some filling and tweaking before it was truly ready for glass, this took at least a week at my pace. the glassing was surprisingly involved with several pieces for coverage of the entire surface area I had to blend the seams at some obvious areas and some not so obvious areas near the tail and at the bottom of the fuse at the corner with a couple of coats of Varathane applied to the glass I let it dry and then used 120 grit sandpaper to trim the loose glass away and delicately feather the edges so I didn't remove the glass too much, a technique I use is to paint the edge where I project the seam to be so there is a line to follow the 120 clogs quick so its a slow process to get the trimming just right. after the fuse is completely covered in the light weight glass, I just lightly rough the surface with the 120 grit for the next 2 coats, there is a bit of texture so excessive sanding isn't needed just a light knock down is good enough to get the poly to stick. the next coats go quick just apply the material head up for dinner come down to the shop hit it with another one and allow it to dry overnight, another sandpaper massage this one can be a little more agressive to get any rough spots smoothed out, the Diamond really powders up when its fully cured and I don't mind knocking a bit of it off to get the surface smooth, with the final coat applied 5 coats and its smooth as glass to the touch. now its time to prime and all the flaws I didn't catch will show up hopefully sooner than this I graduate in a month so I can get back to modeling after Sept 24 school has been a grinder
Posted on: 8/22/2012 12:29 AM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11201772

RE: Top Flite Focke Wulf Fw-190 D9 Build
got any pics of the IMP parts I have some fiberglass specialties parts for about half the cost of the IMP stuff http://www.fiberglassspecialtiesinc.com/catalog.htm
Posted on: 7/23/2012 1:11 AM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11165393

RE: Needed Midwest Messerschmitt instructions
PM sent thanks so much
Posted on: 7/8/2012 9:10 PM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11148235

RE: NexStar Rebuilt - Is it worth it ?
what I did was to first glue the broken side back together using 5min epoxy while carefully holding it in place, without gluing the sides to the formers, I tried to use just enough glue so the wood sides were held in place but not so much to add unnecessary weightwhen the 5 min epoxy is set its tough . then when that was fully dry I assembled the fuse formers in there proper position using 30 min epoxy and rubber bands to hold the fuse sides together making sure the fuse was strait. as a final strengthening measure I glued in some thin ply at the cracked area, inside the fuse, where the former and the triangle stock was not covering it, I was also conservative with the glue and cleaned up any excess with paper towels and methanol to keep the weight down less glue and more clamping will make a strong light joint it is now hanging from electrical conduit in my shop,plastic clothes hangars with foam pipe insulation works great
Posted on: 7/8/2012 1:30 AM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "Crash & Rebuild"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11147191

RE: need in cowl header for os 120III
this one should work for that engine http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&W=000573269&I=LXCA97&P=K it doesn't screw into the head directly,I believe you need to screw this piece http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXCL84&P=Z into the head so the 90o header works with the Surpass III you might want to call Tower just to be sure. I have both engines and I checked to see if the joint piece fits and it does, I also checked to see if the SP III header fits in the older engine when the joint is removed and it does as well so the parts are compatible with the right combo of parts. I thought I had the 90o header for that engine but its late here on the west coast and I didn't want to go foraging in my shop and wake the kids up trying to find it
Posted on: 7/8/2012 1:09 AM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11147185

RE: NexStar Rebuilt - Is it worth it ?
I crashed my Nextar a few times the worst one looked about as bad as yours StZ I rebuilt it and it flew great for a number of years before I retired it, because the covering had gone bad in some areas and there was some fuel dammage. I eventually stripped the fuse, repaired some loose areas, and properly replaced some of the balsa sheeting I had pieced together after the crash to complete the rebuild one thing to check is all the glue joints I found quite a few loose areas after stripping the covering, then after removing the stock gear, I moved them forward to build a tail dragger by land and a float plane conversion,since I had it apart I replaced the stock motor mount and installed a OS61 for more power the floats needed, I am considering putting a 91 Surpass 4st in it so its quieter the repair didn't cost that much to do just a little time, some wood and a little glue, use as much of the crash debris as you can to make templates like you have been doing and you will have it together in no time my first repair took just a couple of days, the rebuild including the floats about 3 weeks I also sealed up the hole with wood, where the flight stabilizer was because it was right where my rear float attachment was and it was the first thing I removed and sealed up when I got the plane here is some progress pics I took during the rebuild
Posted on: 7/8/2012 12:23 AM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "Crash & Rebuild"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11147180

RE: Needed Midwest Messerschmitt instructions
hey frets24 well guess what I dig my kit out and my instruction book is missing as well, I have no idea where it is, if you are up for making a copy I would like to get one as well for mine its a pretty easy build but having the book around doesn't hurt, I was un packing the kit and the old its got to be here somewhere come out, until the box is empty
Posted on: 6/27/2012 12:27 PM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11134063

RE: Needed Midwest Messerschmitt instructions
I can get it, I have been a little busy the last few days,so I have been dragging my feet a bit sorry, but I will get down to my shop and dig it up,I hate when my ADD kicks in I get distracted easily, like a moth to light
Posted on: 6/20/2012 12:00 AM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11124756

RE: Air Retract Lube.
air tool oil works great and it won't harm the rubber O rings or lines, rather it plumps up the rubber, I use the Senco brand 6$ for more than you can use in a lifetime http://www.cposenco.com/senco-pc0101-8-oz-1-2-pintpneumatic-tool-oil/sennpc0101,default,pd.html?start=1&cgid=senco-lubricants-cleaners-and-coatings
Posted on: 6/17/2012 7:45 PM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11121850

RE: Top Flite Focke Wulf Fw-190 D9 Build
they didn't make the Hollywood zero parts either but had a canopy lying around can't hurt to ask
Posted on: 6/15/2012 7:57 PM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11119759

RE: Help! Polycrylic Disaster
if you want to try a little less harsh solvent denatured alcohol works on water based paints to strip its also a little less toxic than acetone where gloves whatever stripping material you chose,the only 2 water clean up clear coats that I know are fuel proof to 15% is the www.warbirdcolors.com material and the Nelsons, I have found the Varathane Diamond finish WB poly resists alcohol pretty well its a tougher material than the regular Minwax poly. one thing you posted that you used the spray cans Vs the brush on at least in Ca all the spray can paints have become weaker and softer it seems I have a wing glassed up with the Varathane Diamond brush on I will pop down to my shop and test some glow fuel on it to see if it hold up to it,on all my glow powered projects I like the warbirdcolors paints there a little expensive but work well, and there water clean up
Posted on: 6/15/2012 2:48 PM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11119525

RE: Topflite P51D cowl question
so far every thing I have purchased from them has been good, can't speak directly to the P-51 cowl but rest assured there quality is top notch
Posted on: 6/15/2012 2:32 PM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11119513

RE: Needed Midwest Messerschmitt instructions
I have the kit in my collection I need to look for it see what I can do, just the inst book?
Posted on: 6/15/2012 2:29 PM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11119505

RE: Top Flite Focke Wulf Fw-190 D9 Build
I had one of my TF kits for sale with all the fiberglass specialties parts, but it didn't sell, the box wasn't perfect but the kit is so this one is going to get built. for a canopy you might get in touch with top flight they sometimes have spare parts collecting dust in a corner some where I picked up a TF Zero canopy from them for my AT-6 conversion a while back,I have the pica kit as well I can see if there comparable, u.s.wing sells a pica knock off canopy on ebay, I will check it in a few hours and post what I find
Posted on: 6/15/2012 2:26 PM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11119500

RE: have to share room with WIFE..........
a real space saver is build your self a fold down table, for when your doing larger projects and need some extra space my folder is aprox 2.5x5 I used plywood that has a 1x2 wood border around the edge, so small screws don't roll off and it keeps it fairly flat,the edge against the wall is hinged so when not in use which for me is never it can be folded to the wall when the legs are pulled off to allow for more space
Posted on: 6/9/2012 3:55 PM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11112603

RE: Royal-FW190A8
a little addendum on what I did with the wing, I didn't want to wait for yesterdays coats to dry overnight before painting the whole wing, and I am glad I didn't, after the 3rd coat with 45-60min dry times between coats the poly was really soft ,certainly dry enough to touch but if I was going to flip the wing and do the other side I would need to make sure the wing was on one of its tips or in a position so there was no pressure on the surface. another thing I did was to cut out the areas where the servo/access hatches were, the poly had bled through the cloth and was going to make a blob on my openings, I have had this happen before and when this stuff dry's its a bear to get out and really tough to cut with a exacto knife, I use a chisel blade to clean the recess and there ready for hatches. kids are out of school today dad is stuck home so I am going to lay up a cowl I flipped the wing after inspecting yesterdays work which looks really smooth hardly a trace of the fabric texture, and I started doing the top, if I have the time between running around today I might get to the fuse, we shall see,
Posted on: 5/29/2012 12:28 PM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11098813

RE: Royal-FW190A8
let the games begin, happy memorial day well the work is never really done, but i have come to the point where I felt the glassing work could progress, some of this may seem a bit redundant, but I will cover the steps I am using since its been the theme so far in this project log. after my fill and sand effort, I decided the skin on the wings was too thin for strait WB Varathane over 1/2oz cloth, it was too risky for warping, so I went for a light coat of the DEFT satin in a spray can,the stuff is stinky as all get out, but my wife suffered through it, nice thing is its quick and dry's faster than the brush on,and you don't get excessive material on the wood,less is more for the weight factor. I posted a pic of the fuse, the most notable thing about the sealing process is the filler seems to really like the DEFT, and hardens up as it seals the pin holes the Minwax wood filler tends to have, even after sanding with fine paper,I thin the filler with a little water so it smooths out better but the texture is a little rough, the sealer takes care of it though, a light texture is fine for the glass to stick too. next I cut my pieces of glass to fit the wing, I bought 4 yards of .5oz cloth which is double the amount needed for a model this size,I am rather stingy when it comes to the cloth so when I lay it over the subject i usually leave about 1-2" of extra over the edges max I just try to be careful when I start brushing the material out on the surface. starting on the bottom of the wing I lay 2 pieces of the cloth overlapping just a little at the center section, not much maybe 2" is all, starting with the middle of the wing and brushing out towards the edges, I lightly brush just enough to wet the cloth I don't want it to be floating on the wood,I want the cloth to be nice and tight , I brush on enough so the cloth changes color from white to translucent, the texture of the cloth should be visible with this first coat of poly.
Posted on: 5/28/2012 5:04 PM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11097780

RE: Royal-FW190A8
[quote]ORIGINAL: Baldeagle Tim it looks realy good. One of these days Iwill build another one. Stilll the best flying WB I ever had. Rich [/quote] thanks Rich glad to be back at it it was so sad looking at it sit for so long when I was close to the home stretch
Posted on: 5/28/2012 5:01 PM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11097844

RE: Royal-FW190A8
when I am glassing I also wrap my poly around a edge, what I mean is the cloth will form around most compound curves when it is wet, I wanted to have double thickness at the leading edge so I brush up about 3/4" up at the LE and so the cloth has some droop at the wing tips, I didn't want to glass the flap bays to save weight + there full of little pieces that didn't need this extra work. that said after the first coat the glass is super fragile and can be pulled from the wood so I am really careful about moving the subject. now Varathane drys really fast about a 1/2 hour or so and its dry to the touch but can be re-coated as per there instructions, so I slap coat #2 on there, I am really handy with a brush so it takes me about 5 min max for this second coat to lay out on the surface, I am also not so stingy since this is part of the build up process, I did this last night and let it sit to dry fully. this morning I was going to pick up some resin to cast another cowl and oops store is closed, so back to the bench to trim the cloth, still being careful I trim the excess with a exacto knife so there is just a ruffle of cloth on the edges, then with some 120grit I lightly sand the edge of the cloth the excess literally melts away. I don't get all crazy with the sanding since its delicate, just enough to clean up the edge, I then cut another 2 pieces of cloth and repeat the steps for the top of the wing. after the 2 coats of poly are dry on the top I will trim the excess and with some light paper 220 max just lightly go over the glass any little tiny spots that may need to be gone over thats all, at this point the glass is so fragile that any aggressive sanding and your sitting on wood in a second, and will need to do a patch,no thanks[;)]. now for the build up,you have 2 coats already , I usually will hit it with 3 in a row with a over night dry, nice thing is you can do the whole subject in this case the wing because the material dry's to the touch quickly, word of caution the poly is super soft after 3 coats, and read the can on re-coat times. you don't want to rush it too soon, but also don't let it dry too much,there's a bonding action that happens when the Varathane has not cured that your looking for when laying up the coats. then just set it aside overnight to really get hard, the Varathane Diamond I use is really hard stuff after 24 hours the interior product will be so hard that it powders when sanded with 120grit paper and will sand to a nice smooth surface, what I do is sand it down and check for imperfections, some you can't remove without filler so don't get all crazy with the sanding, I then wipe the surface down with a moist paper towel as a tack rag to get any dust off, and do one more final coat so the surface was nice and smooth, depending on how it looks this final coat might not be necessary if not then I start priming. next will be glassing the fuse
Posted on: 5/28/2012 4:54 PM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11097826

RE: Flyzone FW 190 pilot
post your experiences with durability and how well they fly the foam planes look pretty good from a few steps backI bought a parkzone FW for my kids and they never flew it so it sits in the box, might just sell it off and get one of these so I can have some fun with it
Posted on: 5/24/2012 5:51 PM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11093704

RE: Nexstar Wing Help
[quote]ORIGINAL: garycarp Best fix for the wing bolt on the nexstar wing is to shave off the tip of the bolt into a point. goes in every time now!! [/quote] I do that on most of the nylon wing bolts I use it makes it allot easier to screw into the threads,I used to fight to get the Nextar wing bolt on all the time,my mount broke during a crash and since the replacement part wasn't available at the time after gluing the broken pieces to gether(just the threaded section) I epoxied a 1/4-20 nut onto the underside of the mount it was really tricky to get the screw to thred in properly, its held up for many years now even thought I rarely fly the plane any more,it still hangs from my ceiling in the shop.
Posted on: 5/24/2012 4:42 PM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11093620

RE: Uploading pictures
the server from RCU has been rejecting photo down loads, its been fixed now, I just loaded several photos after getting the server messages as well for a while
Posted on: 5/22/2012 1:19 AM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "AMA Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11089986

RE: Plane Cleaning
for general cleaning I like to use a 50/50 mix of denatured alcohol and water in a spray bottle, and some paper towels work great for cutting the grease and grime, the mix evaporates quickly but willremove most of the oil you get from glow fuel. as for the plane it would be handy to have the remaining bits of the fuse to get the rite H stab incidence otherwise the repair looks pretty minor in its condition just patch the areas where the film is ripped and get the tail feathers on strait and fly it like ya stole it if it survives you could recover it later but have fun first
Posted on: 5/22/2012 12:34 AM by Author "bigtim" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11089960