Welcome to our "Modeling Tips" page. Hopefully you'll find some of these tips helpful. If you have any tips or suggestions that others could benefit from please feel free to send them in and they will be posted here. You can email or USPS. If you have photos or sketches and don't have a way to scan them just send them to us and we'll get them scanned and return the photos or sketches to you.

This tip comes from Phil Spillman. To make low cost sanding sticks Phil uses rectangular wooden paint stirring sticks. Just affix whatever grit sandpaper you need to the sticks using double sided Scotch tape. They're cheap and the sandpaper can be replaced easily!

This tip also comes from Phil. Next time you need new bushings for those plastic wheel hubs try using large size ball point pen tubes(emptied). Just cut them to the length you need.

Here are my ideas on stenciling & final finishing. I was thinking (That's not always good) that some people might want to know what I did to stencil my Oriental. I used Sig Lite coat dope & Polyspan covering (Sig dope throughout finish). I waited 8 days after base color was sprayed on for dope to gas off the thinner. I had a local sign shop make me a stencil. It cost $9.00. I positioned stencils with masking tape & measured from trailing edge, etc. When I had them where I wanted them I ran a strip of masking tape all along the bottom edge of the stencil. I used the tape as a hinge & flipped the stencil over, removed the backing paper from the sticky side then flipped the stencil back on to the plane slowly (You cannot mess up this way). I smoothed it down. I removed the tape & top paper from stencil. Smoothed down the edges. I first folded a corner to grab for removal. Cover everything else with aluminum foil & news paper. I used my air brush to spray thin coats on first, 1 coat of clear, wait 30 minutes, then color. When I thought there was enough paint on I let it dry for 4 hours. To remove I peeled the stencil off slowly back on itself. I had 2 small spots where paint came off the stencil on the edge of the lettering. I moved it back & forth till they came off. I used a credit card to remove the high edges on the lettering & numbers. Lightly scraping to remove. I'll waited about 7 days, then its time to start spraying on the clear. Well it's been about a week and I sprayed 6 coats of Sig Lite coat so far over 2 days. About 10 more coats and it will be time to rub out the finish. I'll use 1200 sand paper & Dupont Prepsol. Then rub out with Gorhams silver polish.

I'm including 2 photos of my "Wing Tip Alignment Jig". I make it out of 1/4" square balsa scrap. I clamp it to the spars, then glue the upright end on. Then mark my midpoint. Makes it easy. I stole most of this idea . It works.

A few years ago I was in need of an engine test stand and I'd finally got around to building one. I wanted one that was small enough that I could toss in the car and take to the field with me when I go out to fly. I didn't want to shlep around a lot of weight to hold the thing down while the engine is running. So I came up with the design in the drawing. It's made from 1/2" AC plywood and held together with Titebond Carpenters glue and a few small finish nails. I re-enforced the inside corners with some 1/4" x 3/8" basswood strips I had laying around. Once it was all together, three coats of clear polyurethane were brushed on to fuel proof it.

To keep the stand from taking of across the field while the engine is running. It's held in place by three, 8" long stakes made from 3/16" dia. music wire that are driven through the three holes in the bottom of the stand and into the ground.

I can hear some of you now, "Ralph, you fool, why the heck did you make this thing so low!" Hey, That's "Mr. Fool" if you don't mind! I've had several test stands in the past(where they've all disappeared to I have no idea) and all of them have been at knee height or higher, which puts a person in a very uncomfortable position for engine starting. Very hard on the back! So with this one I decided to make it so the engine is at approximately the same height as it would be in the model. This puts the person in the much more comfortable and internationally recognized "Model Engine Starting Position", down on one knee and right hand poised to flip! Click here to view the dimensioned drawing.

When sanding your gray coats cut the corners of your sand paper round so it will not snag anywhere. I use this shape wet & dry. Click on the photo below for a larger image.