SCAT Electronic News 27 July 2001 issue 605

SCAT Electronic News 27 July 2001 issue 605


Table of Contents
=================
RE: Diamond cutting saws - Goldstein
Cutting Carbon Fiber - Bradley
Re: Diamond Cutting Saws - Thornbery
2001 NFFS Symposium + Contest Report - Terzian
Words from my Teacher - Malkin
Luddite Free Flight Team T-Shirts available - Mekina and Ned Ludd

RE: Diamond cutting saws
========================
Author : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Here is a source of both a 1" (25.4 mm) or 1-1/4" (31.75 mm) diameter
diamond saw blade. They are a jewelry making supply house in the USA. You
can likely find the same from a jeweler supply house locally.

http://www.alpha-supply.com/207.htm


Tim
[Denver, CO]




Cutting Carbon Fiber
====================
Author : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


Roger,

When I read Julian Pennington request for a source for diamond circular saw
cutoff I thought I would pass along what I have been using for years to cut
carbon fiber. Since I cut more carbon in a month that most people probably
cut in a lifetime I speak from years of experience.

There is a misconception that you must use a diamond saw when cutting carbon
fiber. While a diamond saw will work it is not the only way to cut carbon
fiber. I have always used abrasive cutoff wheels to cut carbon fiber. I use
a 7 inch wheel and a table saw along with a special fixture for holding the
carbon fiber when the carbon fiber spars and trailing edges I sell. Abrasive
cutoff wheels are available in diameters starting at around 3 inches and
thickness down to .031 inches. Mounting hole sizes range from .25 up to 1.25
inches. Any machine tooling supply company will have these in stock. They
can be had for less that $5.00 and I get several months of cutting before I
replace the cutoff wheel. You do want to buy the "reinforced" style.

I also have written and application note on cutting carbon fiber using the
Dremel tool with the Dremel routing table. Please send self addressed
stamped envelope if you would like a copy.

Jim Bradley
Bradley Model Products
1337 Pine Sap Ct.
Orlando, FL 32825



Re: Diamond Cutting Saws
========================
Author : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If you want larger (about 4 to 5" or about 100 mm) diamond saws try a hardware
store such as Home Depot in the US. They sell diamond saw blades for cutting
tile. Blade thickness is about 1/20" or 1 mm.

They also sell an entire saw that is similar to a miniature table circular saw
except it has a diamond blade which can be run wet so the saw blade is always
cooled and lubricated with water.
The entire saw at Home Depot was about $100.

I've thought it might be just the thing for cutting carbon fiber.
If anyone has
tried such a tile cutting saw for carbon fiber, I would be interested in your
experience.

If you want a smaller Dremel-sized blade I would try dental supply houses.
I have
a catalog around somewhere here but can not locate it at present.
I believe they had such items.



2001 NFFS Symposium + Contest Report
====================================
Author : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Hello Roger,

Just received yesterday (Wednesday, July 25th) my patrons copy of the 34th
Annual National Free Flight Society Symposium. I feel that it is probably
the best ever in terms of composition and certainly one of the best for
content.
My congratulations to Ross Jahnke, the editor for a job well done and his
assistant, Karin Watts for creating the pleasant and appealing format of the
overall work.
Although I have only glossed over the content, there is sufficient
information for a variety of categories of free flight that will interest a
wide audience. I would recommend that SEN readers get in touch with Bob
McLinden, NFFS Publications to determine availability and cost for members
as well as non-members of NFFS. The following address is the direct link to
his publications list http://www.freeflight.org/services/publications.htm
He can be reached at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. The NFFS web site is located
at: http://freeflight.org/

Oh, by the way. Most of you that have received advanced copies of this
report will probably notice that the photograph on page 42 is not that of
our well-known gumbander Fred Pearce. It is Vasily Beschasny of F1A and Don
Zink fame!

On a related note, I have been asked by a former modeler to sell off a
collection of very rare issues of the Sympo dating back to the earlier years
(1968 through 1975 plus others) and a couple of copies of Ron Williams
excellent Indoor book, first and second editions.
This will probably be by way of a silent auction with an opening bid to be
determined at a later date (maybe within the next week).

Fred T. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

SCAT Summer Madness Contest June 23rd and 24th, 2001---A Brief Report

Because the wind strength increased throughout the afternoon, all rounds
were cancelled for Saturday evening. Some early arrivals during the morning
had planned to test fly but most sat around in general flying conversations.

Hector and Susanna Diez decided to forego the early morning champagne
fly-off and began with the first FAI rounds starting with 3 minute maxes on
Sunday.
Only five rounds were to be flown in abbreviated 40 minute windows. I did
not observe any entries in the Mini-events.

Although there was a slight south easterly breeze at the beginning,
conditions calmed throughout the remainder of the rounds. After the second
round, Norm Smith made several passes in his Piper PA-12 to indicate that he
was there and I proceeded to head to the Lost Hills Airport to board with
Steve Geraghty's ashes.
Flights were suspended briefly while we returned to the flight line and
after several circling flights, Norm and I headed along the flight line from
east to west and scattered Steve's ashes from less than one thousand feet.
Upon our return, individuals said they saw the "puff" and waved to us as a
final salute to Steve.

The other six or so F1A fliers agreed with Hector to let me catch up on the
rounds I had missed (rounds three and four), so I immediately latched up and
proceeded to finish the rounds in less than 15 minutes. At this point I was
still clean and Lee Hines mentioned that only Dimitry Kozlyuk and I were
maxed out.
I made the max for round five and Hector determined that if we wanted to go
in to the fly-off flights, we would be given a five-minute window to put up
a five minute flight. We both made it easily and then were forced to go to
the next five minute max but with only a one minute window (to prevent
picking air). I was told that we both launched simultaneously with less than
thirty seconds to go, he to the south and me to the northwest. If there had
been a thermal it must have been between us! I looked at Dimitry's glider
and it did not look good. Mine drifted over the line of cars and campers and
seemed to bump as it searched for lift. As it drifted further west, it
seemed to be picking altitude and then found a thermal, which it gracefully
rode for the five minute flight.
I just sat on the motorbike, engine turned off, and watched the flight with
a smile on my face. I thanked my old buddy Steve for the help he gave me and
went to retrieve the now dethermalized glider.

Wakefield and Power flyoffs were postponed as we were now dealing with
thermal conditions. I believe that most fliers agreed to finish up at the
Max Men Summer Madness contest planned for mid July.
Entries in F1A: Ben Coussens, Hector Diez, Kate Joyce(?),Dimitry Kozlyuk,
Lee Hines, Renee Limberger, Dallas Parker, Jim Parker, Fred Terzian


Words from my Teacher
=====================
Author : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Roger,
There was a query about the SW FAI Challenge in respect to the
date, and I was told by Jon Zeisloft it was the 27-28th October. The
original date was late September but because of the World Champs and
other events he changed it to late October.

Your other query about Diamond Saw blades is a red hot secret that I had
kept mainly to myself but seeing as it is now too late for any person
aspiring to the World Champs to gain benefit I would suggest they write,
ring to:-
Diamond Pacific Tool Corporation,
Box 1180,
Barstow, Calif. 92312.
As Bogart [the Luddite] said, That Barstow!

For the US a 1-800-253-2954 number.
Fax 760- -255-1077

They are called "Lapcraft" Diamond Slitter Slicing Discs (say that quickly)
and have diameters of 5/8'', 3/4'' , 1" and 2".

The 1999 catalog I have lists the 2" (50.8mm) blade at US$25.00


John

[Way back when I was a member of the Upper Hutt Aeromodellers
thry had classes for juniors - John was one of the teachers
and he is still working on it !]

Luddite Free Flight Team T-Shirts available
===========================================
Author : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


Roger,

In light of the many recent conversations involving Luddites, and much local
heckling between local Technocrats and Luddites, I've created a T-Shirt
design and will make them available for the modest price of $10 each, $12 for
XXL.

They will initially be available at the NATS next week and online at:

www.teamluddite.com

So, you may ask?

What is a Luddite?

Historically Luddites were those who opposed modernization, namely the
Industrial Revolution of the early 19th Century. They flourished in Britain
from about 1811 to 1816. They swore allegiance not to any British king but
to their own King Ludd. Their existence was brief, but noted, and now their
name lives on!

So, this lead to: What is a modern day Free Flight Luddite?

A Free Flight Luddite is a hard-core free flighter, one who still believes in
building with balsa wood sticks and tissue.

(Hence our motto: Stick and Tissue Forever!)

Is it OK to be a Luddite? You bet it is! Who needs modern materials such
as carbon, graphite, kevlar or mylar?

Why not build them the way we have for years!

Free Flight Luddites have been at times been the unfortunate victims of
technology, and have often been looked down upon by those who have inserted
this technology into free flight models. But all to often, a Free Flight
Luddite wins a major meet with a simple model, void of modern materials! All
in fun, there has been a lot of heckling going on in relation to the "old
school free flighters". They have often been appropriately called Luddites.
Some people take offense to this label, but in truth, we are alive in
numbers! Yes, we are resistant to change, especially to high tech materials!
Be a proud member, join our Team and remember our cry: "Stick and Tissue
Forever!"

You may be a true Luddite if you:

- think of a cake when you hear the word "bunt"?
- only have carbon on your model where it came off the end of your number 2
pencil?
- think of 2 part glues as pre-gluing, then gluing your joints?
- still start your glow engine with a 1 1/2 volt dry cell battery?
- wonder if CA glue originated in California?
- still have an old can of Nitrate dope that is over 30 years old?
- define "auto surfaces" as roads upon which cars run on?
- still lube your motors with a special blend of glycerin and green soap?
- think of a radio as something you listen to a "fireside chat" on, rather
than a Walston retrieval radio?
- still tow your glider with nylon line on an orange and white plastic reel?
- still prefer your converted hand drill over a specialized winder for
winding your rubber model?

If you can relate, why join the ranks and get a Luddite Free Flight Team
T-Shirt?

High quality, 100% cotton Luddite Free Flight Team T-shirts are available in
Hot Green and Hot Yellow colors. The Luddite Free Flight Team emblem is
silk-screened on these vivid shirts in Luddite black. "Luddite" is on top
with the words "FREE FLIGHT TEAM" artistically wrapped below. Directly below
this is our motto: "Stick and Tissue Forever!" They also feature nice line
art renditions of a towline glider (Jesse James F1H), a rubber model (Souper
30 F1G) and a gas powered model (1/2 A Maverick F1J).

Sizes S,M,L,XL $10, XXL $12 prices are in addition to shipping and
handling fees, see below

Shipping and handling fees (in the USA) $4 for 1-2 t-shirts, $6 for 3 or
more.

Foreign orders, please inquire for estimates of shipping fees, prior to
ordering.

Send the appropriate amount in check or money order, with color, quantity,
and sizes (along with your shipping address) to:

Joe Mekina (aka King Ludd)
PO Box 33
Donnelsville, OH 45319

Orders will be shipped promptly via United States Priority Mail

Also, checkout our website: www.teamluddite.com

[Joe

I would like to point out that the term Luddite with reference to the
FF community first appeared in 'recent' years in SEN in 1998.
And that while you may indeed embody the Luddite spirit your hair
is not gray enough .. with reference to the Luddite masterr-at-arms White
and his cronies Hotard and Bogart. In reality this term was first
employed in Great Britain in the early 1930's to distinguish the
gentlemen aeronaut from the philistine who cheated by using that new fangled
American balsa wood. Gentlemen built their flying machines
from bamboo, or course and covered them with oiled silk, naturally
old boy.]


......................
Roger Morrell