Rust-O-Leum paint is available at most any hardware store at
very reasonable prices in both bulk and spray cans. The
paint is fuel proof and makes an excellent finishing material.

TIP # 2

Trying to repair oil soaked wood can be very frustrating. Try using
the product K2R Spot Remover in spray can, available
in any super market in the laundry section, to get
the oil out of the balsa wood. It works great.
Heavily saturated sections may take several applications.

TIP # 3

If you are having trouble with your engine back firing and kicking
off the propeller or spinner, try cutting a washer out of emery cloth.
Put this emery cloth washer behind the propeller or spinner back plate, and
tighten the propeller nut normally. This solves the problem even for cantankerous four-cycle engines.

TIP # 4

The job of cutting Monocote type covering material with an X-acto
knife is made much easier when you lay the covering material
on a thick bed of newspaper. The newspaper allows the X-acto blade to completely
penetrate the covering material, and you will get straight, smooth, even cuts every time.

TIP # 5

Nylon control surface hinges were a boon to R/C models. Unfortunately, none of our adhesives stick to
them very well. For safety's sake, you should "pin" all your hinges after you assemble the control surfaces to
the airframe. Do this by drilling a small hole through the structure and through the hinge material. Insert a
round toothpick in the hole and glue with CA or aliphatic resin glue. Some planning is necessary for
covering or finishing to avoid the hinge "pins" looking like an after thought. I usually install the hinges in
the main structure first, pin them and sand everything smooth. Next, cover the model as you normally
would. Lay a strip of covering material on the leading edge of each of the control surfaces. After ironing on
this leading edge strip of material, install the control surface and pin the control surface side of the hinge.
Now cover the control surface with your covering material. The result is completely pinned hinges without
sacrificing a nice covering job.

TIP # 6

Given how expensive engines are now days, some preventative maintenance is a must. The easiest way to
avoid buying expensive ball bearings is prevent ruining the ones that came with the engine. At the end of
the flying day, run the engine up to operating temperature, then disconnect the fuel line in order to run the
engine completely out of fuel. Remove the glo plug and dump after run oil into the carb until turning the
engine over (with a starter) sprays the after run out the glo plug hole. This usually takes two or three good
streams of oil into the carb. I use Marvel Mystery Oil as an after run oil. It works as well as the Prather
After Run Oil and at $2.00 a pint, it's a lot less expensive. Isn't it strange how both oils are identical in appearance?

TIP # 7

After cutting threads in wood with a tap (for wing hold down bolts, for example) saturate the hole with
thin CA to "case harden" the threads. You will have to run the tap through one more time after the CA sets to
clean up the threads. The threads will now last longer than the airframe.

TIP # 8

The black plastic propellers made by Master Airscrew take a lot of punishment without breaking. That
makes 'em great for beginners. While we are on the subject of propellers, it's a good idea to paint the
tips of your propellers white. You can see the propeller arc easily this way, and better protect body parts (your
body, that is). While you are at it, you can use the white paint as an aid in balancing your propellers (the
white paint doesn't have to be on both sides of the propeller).

TIP # 9

It is far more convenient to use socket head cap screws for most all model applications for many reasons.
First, you can get as much torque as you need on the fastener without breaking the screw slot. You can
really torque down on the fastener without fear of the driver slipping and going through the entire structure,
or sliding across that perfect finish you just applied. The socket head fastener is also the easiest to get to at
remote, confined or long distance locations. For long distances, you can make a long distance tool by
soldering an allen wrench into a long piece of brass tubing. Try using 2-56 socket head screws for your
control horns on all flying surfaces and you will find that you can tighten them down without fear of
punching a hole through the structure.

TIP # 10

Many of the small parts we buy are attached to cardboard display backings and are covered by a protective
plastic covering. Save these protective plastic coverings that come as part of the packaging media. They are,
in effect, small "bowls" and make excellent vessels in which to mix epoxy. The poly covers that come with
coffee and cans of nuts also make excellent epoxy mixing dishes.

TIP # 11

Tired of trying to figure out conversion between a logical measuring system called metric, and portions of
King George's foot? Since the Ol' Model Doctor knew the good King personally, he provides us with the
following table for the common sizes we deal with in modelling.

Inch....................MM

1/32...................1.0
1/16...................1.5
3/32...................2.5
1/8.....................3.0
3/16...................5.0
1/4.....................6.0
5/16...................8.0
3/8.....................9.5
1/2.....................13.0
1........................25.4

TIP # 12

In the never ending battle to find a way to secure the receiver antenna to the tail feathers without breaking
either, try this. A dress maker's straight pin is one of those guys with the blob of plastic on the head. Take
one of these pins and poke it through a piece of fuel tubing which is about 1/4" long. Poke the pin through
from the inside of the tubing such that the plastic blob fills up the I.D. of the tubing (if you can't do this, you
shouldn't be building models). Now by pinching, twisting and pulling on the piece of fuel tubing you can get
the antenna wire started through the fuel tubing and there will be enough friction to keep the wire from
pulling out. Now, simply stick the pin into the top of the fin, or the side of the fuselage and pull the antenna
taunt. The antenna will stay where you put it, but will move without breaking in the event of a large bump to
the airframe. You'll never have to go on search for a newspaper rubber band again.

TIP # 13

The construction phase of a built up balsa model has been known to take several weeks, and sometimes
more time! During this period it happens occasionally that a finished sanded piece, all ready for covering or
painting gets bumped and dented. There is a way to get these dents out of balsa without additional filler material.

First, wet the dented area with plain ol' water. Make sure the dented section is well saturated and the water
has soaked into the wood. Then take a Monokote iron, set to its hottest position and gently iron over the
dented area. The steam being generated in the wood forces open the compressed section (i.e. the dent). I
have seen this method take out some pretty big dents. In fact, it is not uncommon that a little additional
sanding is required because the "dent" ends up higher then the surrounding area.

TIP # 14

A broken metal engine mount or similar member can often be repaired and returned to original strength with
a product called J.B. WELD. This is a type of epoxy that is very strong and will withstand high temperatures.
Use in accordance with the directions and you won't be disappointed. It is available at most hardware and auto parts stores.