Tips and tricks for spruce capstrip?
I'm just about done with my rib jig board, and I'll be starting work on building ribs this week. I've never worked with spruce before (lots of previous wood working experience, both art and furniture-type stuff, just no spruce), and wondered if there are any tips or tricks to it?
Here is a link to my posting on building the ribs for my 1926 WACO NINE
Chad,<BR><BR>We made a simple steamer for bending the rib cap strips on the WACO. The strips are 1/4" x 3/8" spruce. You don't need to steam the whole stick. You are only bending the leading edge area. The aft portion of the stick will bend just fine cold. <BR><BR>How much spring back ( overbend ) in the form block is needed depends on the dimensions of the sticks as well as which way the grain runs. On my cap sticks for the light (stick built) ribs thye growth rings are visible on the side of the bent stick. On the 1/4" x 3/4" sticks used for the solid ribs the growth rings are visible on the curved (wide) face of the sticks. The wide sticks needed less overbent because of this.<BR><BR>There is and easy way to do some experiments to figure out the shape of the form block to get it spot on. It's alway better to over bend then not bend the sticks enough.<BR><BR>Here are some of my blog posts which you might find useful.<BR><BR>Building first rib.<BR><BR><A href="http://nc3397.blogspot.com/2009/11/building-our-first-rib.html">http://nc3397.blogspot.com/2009/11/building-our-first-rib.html</A><BR><BR>Bending wide cap strips<BR><BR><A href="http://nc3397.blogspot.com/2011/01/bending-34-x-14-cap-strips.html">http://nc3397.blogspot.com/2011/01/bending-34-x-14-cap-strips.html</A><BR><BR>Nailing Gussets<BR><BR><A href="http://nc3397.blogspot.com/2009/11/great-neck-magnetic-brad-nail-driver.html">http://nc3397.blogspot.com/2009/11/great-neck-magnetic-brad-nail-driver.html</A><BR><BR>and<BR><BR><A href="http://nc3397.blogspot.com/2009/12/wing-rib-gusset-glueing-nailing.html">http://nc3397.blogspot.com/2009/12/wing-rib-gusset-glueing-nailing.html</A><BR><BR>Making Gussets<BR><BR><A href="http://nc3397.blogspot.com/2010/12/wing-rib-triangle-gussets.html">http://nc3397.blogspot.com/2010/12/wing-rib-triangle-gussets.html</A><BR><BR>and<BR><BR><A href="http://nc3397.blogspot.com/2010/02/wing-rib-nose-gussets.html">http://nc3397.blogspot.com/2010/02/wing-rib-nose-gussets.html</A><BR><BR>Trimming Gussets after glueing<BR><BR><A href="http://nc3397.blogspot.com/2009/12/trimming-wing-rib-gussets.html">http://nc3397.blogspot.com/2009/12/trimming-wing-rib-gussets.html</A><BR><BR>Trimming The Leading Edge of the Ribs<BR><BR><A href="http://nc3397.blogspot.com/2010/02/rib-leading-edge-fixture.html">http://nc3397.blogspot.com/2010/02/rib-leading-edge-fixture.html</A><BR><BR>I hope these help.<BR><BR>Good luck,<BR><BR>Dennis
Cleaning postings and photos
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Chad
Thanks Dennis...wonder if there is a way to clean up the blog links? They all run together on my computer...
Chad,
I'm sure there is a way to clean up that mess but I was so upset when I saw how it displayed I just gave up. I have problems like this with the BlogSpot software also and got pretty good at forcing it to look good until they upgraded the software. I'd rather just work on planes. I have a lot of WACO NINE photos and have found more factory photos from the shooting in 1926 done around the time my plane was built. I google the web from time to time and keep finding more. I recently took photos of some original NINE wings without fabric but have been to busy with making a living to post them. Summer is almost over and I'll be able to get back on this and the Cessna 140 project. I may even have time to weld the new fuel tank for the Fly Baby.
I've had a lot of fun putting the blogs together and it has helped me keep working on the planes. If you're not using staples check out the nailer. It is one of the coolest things I've found.
Later,