T-Bolt stright form molding. (Photo's)

The first two shots show getting the measurements for the wood.

Third shot shows truing up edges for gluing, I use masking tape on my fingers to spread the CA.

Forth shot shows sanding the face of the wood as there will be only finish sanding after molding. (while on the buck)

Fifth shot shows cutting wood to shape from center line. Leave about a 1/4 " extra for trimming later.

The wood is then soaked in HOT water for about 15 minuets and then wrapped around the mold you see here. It is secured with an ACE bandage. I will show photos later of this step.

When the molding is done these pieces will be fitted over the frame work you see here

Am I wasting my time? Please let me know if any of these posts are helping.
Photo at bottom is wood on mold bucks. These we be set aside for 3 days to dry. While there drying I will pepair top and bottom molds. while all these dry I'm going to finish stab and ele.

I will show compound molding in the next thread. It does get involved.

The whole plane should be ready to go together monday or real close.

Wood work is the easy part for me the hard part is finishing.

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Robert,
The lost foam set up and molded leading edge builds the best built up wings I have ever had. The time of construction is cut way down, you have a template for every rib, and they have always built light, straight, and stiff.
But, I still love to build an I-Beam!
Another great looking project.
Bill <><

>Robert,
>The lost foam set up and molded leading edge builds the best
>built up wings I have ever had. The time of construction is
>cut way down, you have a template for every rib, and they
>have always built light, straight, and stiff.
>But, I still love to build an I-Beam!
>Another great looking project.
>Bill <><
>
>When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his
>friends.
>Japanese Proverb

I love Beamers as well! I will build another one after my Super JUNAR.

Robert,

Looks great and I can see it will come out quite straight. I confess that I've never built a wing this way. I've seen others do it, but I am more comfortable with the Millenium style construction. It's not any better, certainly, but I know it. Isn't that the way with a lot of stuff? Go with what you know. Sigh... I will try a lost foam setup at some point.

My next plane with be a true elliptical I-Beamer. That should be interesting.

Truly one of the BEST things about lost foam wing building is that the wing is NOT suspened.

This is never mentioned but I think it is one of the BEST reasons for going with this method.

Other forms of building that use suspension techniques can be a real pain to keep straight.

>Truly one of the BEST things about lost foam wing building
>is that the wing is NOT suspened.
>
>This is never mentioned but I think it is one of the BEST
>reasons for going with this method.
>
>Other forms of building that use suspension techniques can
>be a real pain to keep straight.
I like it because when you put LE and TE on you can weight it down with the cradel. Keeps everything super stright.

>>Other forms of building that use suspension techniques can be a real pain to keep straight.<<

I've never had a problem. I like the lost foam idea because it allows you to use a molded sheet around the LE without having to take it "out of the jig". As Robert notes, you can put the molded parts on and drop the cradle on and weigh it down. As long as the table underneath is flat, you're in business. Very easy to keep things straight using a molded leading edge. But with more conventional LE with with standard sheeting, using a suspension jig has worked well for me. No problem at all keeping things straight. And the table doesn't have to be perfectly flat. The jig just has to be straight. Pretty easy with laser alignment.

There are always advantages and disadvantages to any system you use.

Where can you get Bob's lost foam system

>Where can you get Bob's lost foam system

Keith,
You have to contact Bob Hunt directly. He individually cuts each system, and can do it for basically any plane you want: straight rib or geo. Custom wings if you suply a template for the root and tip. Coat them with a couple coats of clear polyurethane to protect from CA and they should last almost forever.
I have four different ones, and know I will need some more.
Bill <><

Robert
You asked "Am I wasting my time? Please let me know if any of these posts are helping."
Be in no doubt that modellers across the world are watching your work with enormous interest. I have only been a member of this forum for just over a month but the stuff I have learnt from you, Al Rabe, Larry Cunningham and other many other people is priceless. It has been a real inspiration to me and has further stoked the fires of my 45 year love of controline flying

>Am I wasting my time? Please let me know if any of these
>posts are helping.

Robert,

Of course they are helping! Many have never seen this done.

Even though I got one of the very first lost foam set ups from Bob (I reviewed it when I wrote the products Column), and the first Geo bolt set up not cut for Billy, it inspires me to build more when I see your photos!

BTW: I'm gonna build a razorback next year lighter than yours!
hahaha

Bill <><

How do you get the rib templates and still have that core to wrap the leading edge sheeting around? Do you cut out 2 cores?

Giffy....the leading edge pieces are seperate items....Bob will sell them stand-alone, too. Pretty much, one will work on 'most anything....
I have used these molded pieces with success on foam, too, and I believe that the precision of an accurate leading edge is achieved that way, too.

These "bucks" are versitile.......some imagination and you can mold a turtleback and an underbelly, too

See Ya

Because of health issues, I have not been involved in the forum for some time now. But I have been reading your posts and veiwing your pictures with extreme interests. Please do not stop. It is one of the few highlights I look forward to.