Tutorial Novice - Convair Charger -A guide to solid models - Convair Charger

[lastvautour]

Rafa and I will be doing a model using the basic techniques I have always used. The subject has yet to be chosen, but as soon as we do we will let you know and make a cook-up of it.

Lou

[lastvautour]

Rafa selected the Convair Charger for his first solid wood model. We will be doing a step by step build using the same drawing. Rafa will select his scale preference shortly.

[Rafael]

Lou, guys, yes, I've selected the little Charger to make mor justice to the plane than I did in my previous build. I will go for 1/72 scale, which is my favorite, and also will go better with all my other models, also in the same scale.

Here's the 3-view I have of the model. I have the measures stored somewhere. As soon as I find them, I will post them


http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?album=180&pos=0

I'm eager to go!!!
Rafa

[lastvautour]

Excellent Rafa. I will use the same drawings.We need to start with the same size drawing
Are the drawings 1/72 or do you have to resize them? 
Do you have the capability to resize them on your PC?
What kind of wood do you have at home?

Lou

[Rafael]

I can resize them. By the simple expedient of transferring the drawings to Powerpoint and translating with my ScaleCalc, it is easy.

I have to go to a store to buy wood. I believe pine or basswood can be obtained here without much trouble.

Hah! I found the measures:

Convair Model 48 Charger (1/72)
span: 27'6"        = 7.01mt   = 9.7 cm
length: 34'10"   = 10.3 mt  = 13.89 cm
(I live in metric. That's why I translated them like that)

Rafa

[Rafael]

Oh!!
According to the sizes listed, How much wood do I have to buy?

In what shapes?

Rafa

[lastvautour]

Canada is also metric these days. My measurement come out slightly different from your. As to wood size, I don't know what your standard sizes are. here we still use the impreial system of inches and feet for wood. Funny that never converted over. Translated to metric, my piece of wood is 1.8cm X 6.0cm X 24.0cm. That should be sufficient for the build. So any board that has straight grain with no knots will do.
Let me know when you have the wood. I use 2.54cm to the inch for conversion. I will recalculate my numbers before we start.

Lou

[lastvautour]

I have redone my numbers and keep coming up with 14.75cm and 11.64cm.

Lou

[Rafael]

I have redone my numbers and keep coming up with 14.75cm and 11.64cm.

Lou

Agreed - When I use ScaleMaster in metric for the source measure, it comes up with my previous results. But when the source measures are in feet, I come up with your result. Let's stick to them, then.

I just came from the wood distributor, and got *for nothing* three scraps of pinewood - two 1.8cm X 6.0cm X 24.0cm and one slightly smaller. Maybe a Mustang and a Spit are inside the extra ones.....

Now I have a subject, Pine wood, and eagerness. What tools do I have to use to perform the next surgery? I have a folding knife, an x-acto, a set of files, sanding paper, a little handsaw, and a dremel. I believe this is primitive and maybe insufficient. Or am I wrong?

My first piece of wood - pardon me, that sounded strange.....

http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?album=180&pos=2

The tools I currently have

http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?album=180&pos=1

Rafa

[lastvautour]

You have enough wood and tools carve out your Charger. The first thing is cutting the model pieces. I measure them to be:
Main wing thickness .5cm, cord is 2.9cm and span is 11.6cm
Tail plane thickness .3cm, cord is 1.8cm and span 8.3cm
Booms thickness 1.2, width .9cm and lenght 9.1cm
Fuselage pod thickness is 2.4cm, width 1.2 and lenght is 9.0cm   
Vertical tail fins are cut from a piece .3cm thick, 2.0cm high and 3.7 wide.
Use your coping saw to cut the blocks lenght-wise to the grain of the wood. Take your time, we don't have a hard fast schedule.

http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-2022

I cut the fuselage and both booms from one piece of wood and both main and tail plane wings from another. Just draw the lines on the wood for the piece you want and cut it out.

[Rafael]

Vertical tail fins are cut from a piece .3cm thick, 2.0cm high and 3.7 wide.

Each fin? or both come out from that piece?
I resized my 3-view to the new dimensions and doesn't coincide. Maybe I'm tired and falling asleep. I'll check tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I'm done cutting the main fuselage pod, both booms, the main wing and the tailplane:


http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?album=180&pos=3

I'm one with the wood....

Rafa

[lastvautour]

Good work Rafa. I will do some more work this afternoon and post some more picture this evening. I printed a two spare copies of the plans and am now cutting out the side view of the fuselage pod and gluing that to the side of the wood block we cut out for the fuselage. To help thing align, the bottom of the fuselage is flat so I aligned the bottom to the edge of the cut out plan to the edge of the block. I will do the same for the engine/tail booms

More to come.

PS I am in the Altantic Time Zone or GMT - 3 hours

[lastvautour]

Next step it to cut away around the paper drawing glued to the blocks. This can be done for the fuselage and booms

http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-2030
The larger sections can be removed using a saw or what ever you wish. Save these small pieces as we will be using them for balance weight on the stab and engine exhaust etc.

http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-2029
Using a pocket knife or exacto or a chisel, remove so that you now have the top and bottom 90 degrees to the sides.

http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-2026
Next using a ruler draw lines where the canopy frame but continue the lines to the bottom of the block

http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-2031

More to follow

[Rafael]

Hey!!! This is fun!!!

I confess I had a hard time with the saws at first, but then, the wood yielded and some results started to show. Being a complete wood illiterate -and I mean a complete ignorant- of woodworking, these two afternoons have given me a great time on my bench. I have learned that presses are your best friend for holding things to cut, and wood is not plastic, and not butter, either.

I've cut the center fuselage pod, and will cut the booms tomorrow, you know, She Who Must Be Obeyed demands my presence in the living room to watch two and a half men and The Big Bang Theory. So I must drag my tired, diabetic rear there.

A blurry photo of today's accomplishment:

http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?album=180&pos=6

Thanks to Lou, for this. Hey, Lou, how does it feel having someone learn from your experience in the opposite hemisphere?

Saludos,

Rafa

[lastvautour]

After having cut out the boom, carefully notch the engine intake area.


Now we carry on to continuing the canopy frame lines to the bottom of the fuselage pod.
Then extend the lines under and on top of the pod.


Once done connect the lines on the other side of the pod. This will help align things later.


Next post will be working in the wing and booms.