Karl - you do your directorial skills a disservice - I found myself getting strangely excited 2.0mins into the video (where the drop-bar makes a walk-on appearance) and positively emotional at 6.45mins when your new foam part is finally born!

I decided not to go with a hot-wire set-up mostly because I was impatient to crack on with the project after a long and disasterous flying holiday in France (2 flights in 4 weeks - and a *lot* of rain...and snow! - I was sleeping in a tent too!!) - building a good hot-wire bench would have taken me off at a tangent and wasted more time. Also, my workshop has very poor ventilation (it's long and narrow with only one door at the end and no opening windows) and I didn't want to poison myself with fumes!

I've learned a lot of lessons from building the first section of leading edge foam plug and I reckon I can knock out the remaining three sections much faster. I hope to cover the first section in fiberglass this weekend if I can rope in some help from a mate.

All the best,

Phil.

PS - I love the Checkmate - a real work of art! Well done!!

---

From: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. [This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.] On Behalf Of KarlS
Sent: 20 June 2013 02:42
To: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Subject: [Carbondragonbuildersandpilots] Re: Phil's Carbon Dragon - progress...



Looks like fun Phil.. lol...

Have you ever hot wired foam panels? It's pretty easy to make a system to do it out of stuff from your local home repair stores. I've had good success with a lot of projects. Here's a link to my auto cutter at work. Warning.. it's boring.



Also another link to my Pitts Model 12 model I just finished this spring if you guys have some time to kill. Now that this thing is done I am free for the next project. Hmmm..

www.modelairplanenews.com/blog/2013/05/2...icks%20%26%20more%21

--- In This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., "Phil" wrote:
>
> Hi Folks,
>
> Just thought you might like to see a short video of part of one of the leading edge mould plugs being fabricated.
>
>

>
> I did try another method of making the moulds first (lining 'negative' formers with a sheet of 0.5mm polycarbonate) but I couldn't get the polycarbonate sheet to conform perfectly to the formers no matter how hard I tried! So... I reverted to using the old, tried and tested method of gluing blocks of polyurethane foam between 'positive' rib formers and sanding... sanding... sanding..!
>
> I hope to cover the polyurethane plug I just made with fiberglass this weekend and perhaps even lay-up the carbon fiber in the new mould next week if all goes well.
>
> Enjoy,
>
> Phil.