A Collection of R/C Modelling Tips - RC World

Always sand the edges smooth with fine sandpaper as soon as you buy them. Be extra careful when turning oversomeone else's motors by hand, because they might not have sanded the edges of their props.Q.Extra-Long ScrewsA.If you need an extra-long screw or bolt for something, such as a wing tank or mid-mounted wing, make one bycutting the correct size threaded rod you need, then solder a wheel collar on one end. Next, using a cut-off wheel,cut a slot in the wheel collar for a screwdriver.Q.Engine Mount/NosegearA.If you have a small plane with a very tight engine installation (usually resulting from a very streamlined cowl), oftenthere's no room for a nose gear assembly. Try drilling holes through the engine mount to accept the nose gearwire, and hold it in place with wheel collars. The steering arm can be placed below the engine, even on the outsideof the plane. This will work with most engine mounts, even the two-piece ones as long as the engine is rotated 90degrees.Q.Setscrew GrippingA.Ever have wheel collars not hold on axles? Or maybe that nose gear keeps twisting because the steering arm won'ttighten? Try grinding or filing a flat spot on the wire where the setscrew will go. This provides a better surface forthe screw to tighten against. Better yet, grind a flat spot with a small diameter (worn out) cut-off wheel. The smalldiameter causes the flat spot to actually be concave, which helps the setscrew grip even more.Q.Parts From Plastic Soda BottlesA.Several things for RC airplanes can be made from 1, 2, or 3-liter soda bottles.• Use the colored base that come with some bottles for cowls. They're sized about right for .15 to .25engines.• On bottles that have the base molded into the bottom, cut the bottom off, and this can become a "standway-off"5-cylinder radial dummy engine when painted properly.• The cylinder that's left after cutting off the top and bottom of bottles can be used to form canopies andother parts. This plastic shrinks easily with a heat gun and can be molded around wooden forms.Take the colored base off of a 1-liter bottle, which should leave a hemisphere at the end. Glue fins on theother end, paint it, and you have a bomb for a large airplane. And if you want to drop it, it probably won'tbreak.Q.Curving BalsaA.Get some ammonia, found in the household section of the supermarket. Put some in a spray bottle, and spray bothsides of balsa sheet liberally. Carefully bend the sheet to the right shape. You can even tape it to a form, such asaluminum soda cans, and let it dry. Once dry, it may be used as turtle-decks, etc.