Sparky 2X Speed 400

[Konrad]

That's coming on well Konrad.

I agree with your comments on the use of masking tape and sanding bars.

Masking tape must be the unsung hero of the modeller's tools. masking for paint or sanding as you are doing here, temporary support and jigs, surface for adding alignment marks etc.

I also use as sanding bar or trammel sander a lot. Sanding bars are particularly useful when working on straight tapered wings or geodetic - angled ribs. I use finished ribs at the root and tip and blanks in between. Tape over the root and tip ribs provides protection while trammel sanding the blanks to shape using the sanding bar riding on the root and tip ribs.

John

That is becoming a lost art, being able to loft the intermediate ribs between the tip and root ribs.

[Jmk89]

That's coming on well Konrad.


Masking tape must be the unsung hero of the modeller's tools. masking for paint or sanding as you are doing here, temporary support and jigs, surface for adding alignment marks etc.

Another good use is instead of double-sided tape - stick masking tape to both surfaces you want to attach temporarily; then put a few dots of CA on one of the masking tape backs and put the two pieces together with the masking tape strips back to back.  The CA glues the masking tape strips together but you can peel the tape off the pieces when you've finished.  Often much easier than using double-sided tape.  Also you can make law-tack  tape just by using low-tack masking tape!

[Konrad]

Now we come to one of the reasons I put this aside for 3 years. I found that the fin mounting was inadequate with only 1/16 pins going across the joint. I hate butt joints and try to avoid them. Also there is no purchase for the stab covering on ether side of the fin. This will make repairs on the stab difficult to recover. I have yet to redesign the 1/4 center rib and rudder structure to allow for proper mounting of the fin.