[simpits-tech] RE: Bending Wood
Marv De Beque
simpits-tech@simpits.org
Sun, 25 Aug 2002 17:19:00 -0400
Jay,
I went through the same struggle you are going through with my seat. I
wanted all of the curves to be right. Here is what I did.
Seat Bottom:
The seat bottom curves in both directions (side to side and front to back)
It is a compound curve.
The extreme sides are the worst. For those I used 3/4" pine and I layered
them side by side. I think I had three layers on each side for a thickness
of 2-1/4".
Each piece was cut with a jigsaw and then sanded to get the curve. Each
piece had to match the next, so it takes time, but ultimately I got both
sides equal and glued them together. Then I did a final sanding to remove
any areas where they did not butt together well. Lots of sanding by hand,
but they turned out good.
The final treatment was to put a groove on each inside edge the same depth
as the 1/4" plywood. I think I either used a router or I just cut a 1/4"
piece with the right curve and glued it to the inside edge.
The center section is 1/4" plywood. I think it was birch, but I can't
remember. It wasn't the cheap stuff because that stuff breaks too easy. I
rough cut the length, but the side to side dimension was much more carefully
done. Then I cut a groove into the backside of the plywood not quite 50% of
the way through with a table saw.
You need to experiment with the depth of the cut. Too much it will crack.
Not enough, it will not bend enough. I went through about 3 or 4 pieces of
scrap until I got what I needed.
Each groove was about 1/2" apart.
I made some ribs out of plywood and attached then to each side that I had
just made with some spars. I think they were screwed and glued. The ribs
were cut with the right contour for the center curves. That means they ran
from front to back and were spaced apart from each other the dimension of
the ejection handle cutout.
I applied liberal amounts of glue to the ribs and the grooved out inside
edges of the sides.
I used an air nailer with 5/8" long pin nails to nail the plywood down
starting from the back and slowly working forward. Air nailers have nails
with a special glue on the nail. The heat of being driven through the wood
melts that glue. Once they cool they are much better than regular finish
nails.
I was able to nail the whole bottom in then I turned it over and glued more
ribs in the horizontal or side to side direction. I was going to lay a
layer of fiberglass strips over all of the ribs and the bottom of the
plywood, but never did it. I would recommend it so it doesn't crack on you.
I can easily step on mine with out breaking it, but the first time I did
hear something crack, but I could not find anything broken and it doesn't
make any noise for me.
Seat Back.
Same basic technique, but I made the back from 3 pieces of 1/4" plywood.
There is a top, a bottom, and a center. the center is actually diamond
shaped. The top and bottom each have a triangle cut into them to mate with
the diamond.
I already had the sides of the seat back done. So I installed ribs between
the two sides to match the contour of the seat back. However, the center
section where the diamond fits was left open. I made 4 ribs that make the
shape of the diamond and installed them into the back. These were 1x2 pine
that I shaved down. I wanted by back to be able to vibrate since there was
a 15" subwoofer attached to the back end of the seat.
Again, I air nailed the three pieces of plywood in.
I did the bottom, then the top piece. Those were grooved just like the seat
bottom with grooves running side to side.
The diamond was grooved up and down.
The center piece was the hardest to do. I took two shots to get it right,
so have extra wood ready. The problem is getting the board cut correctly
because it is bent quite a bit. The angles of the diamond change as you
bend the wood. I took a guess at mine and the second time was almost
perfect.
After everything dried I applied wood putty and sanded and sanded and sanded
and sanded.
I finished the surface with that red automotive body putty that comes in a
tube and sanded that smooth.
I spray painted it and it looks just like metal it is so smooth.
Good luck!!!
Marv
--
> From: "Joseph Fagner" <crease-guard@attbi.com>
> Reply-To: simpits-tech@simpits.org
> Date: Sun, 25 Aug 2002 15:39:58 -0500
> To: <simpits-tech@simpits.org>
> Subject: [simpits-tech] RE: Bending Wood
>
>
>
> Tha
>
> --__--__--
> I got most of the ideas from Joe's site, problem is, I can't find 1/8"
> MDF. I went to Home Depot and Lowes (they didn't have any MDF) and HD
> only had 1/4 inch which I felt would just be too thick to bend. I tried
> some different paneling material that looked similar to MDF, but the
> problem there was, it wasn't a uniform thickness and the thinner areas
> would crack.
>
> As for the hardboard/MDF difference, I know they are not the same, but
> it does seem like some folks use them interchangeably which is
> frustrating. I tried wetting 1/8" plywood, but because the different
> sheets are at 90 degrees to one another, I got cracking there too.
>
> What I want to do is, to build the seat pan and bottom of the seat as
> close to the real thing as I can. I am assembling a survival kit from
> the AcesII and almost have it complete. I am also working on the flight
> gear as well and have gotten some hard to find stuff (at least for me it
> was HTF).
>
> Any ideas are welcome.
>
> Jay
>
>
>
> Message: 2
> From: "Jean Yves Surfin'" <surfer.man@wanadoo.fr>
> To: <simpits-tech@simpits.org>
> Subject: Re: [simpits-tech] RE: Simpits-tech digest, Vol 1 #391 - 7 msgs
> Date: Sun, 25 Aug 2002 08:33:16 +0200
> Reply-To: simpits-tech@simpits.org
>
> Hi !
>
> The wet bending method from Joe "WOMBAT" seems to work well.
> I've not try actually but It will use it as reference.
> many many pictures of his site...
> http://www.bosnjak.com/
>
> Hope it will help you.
>
> Sincerly
> Jean-Yves
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Joseph Fagner" <crease-guard@attbi.com>
> To: <simpits-tech@simpits.org>
> Sent: Saturday, August 24, 2002 11:38 PM
> Subject: [simpits-tech] RE: Simpits-tech digest, Vol 1 #391 - 7 msgs
>
>
>>
>> Roy, what exactly did you use for the skin and how did you bend it? I
>> was trying to construct my aces II seat and ended up destroying the
> MDF
>> trying to get different things to bend in the shape of the seat. I am
>> now having to start over and am going to make darn sure that I have it
>> right this time before starting construction.
>>
>> Jay
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Roy Coates" <roy@flightlab.liv.ac.uk>
>> To: <simpits-tech@simpits.org>
>> Sent: Friday, August 23, 2002 7:17 PM
>> Subject: Re: [simpits-tech] Fingers Crossed
>>
>>
>>> On Fri, 23 Aug 2002, Chris Woodul wrote:
>>>
>>>> Where do you work?
>>>
>>> The following are my current toys:
>>>
>>> http://www.flightlab.liv.ac.uk/heliflight/
>>>
>>> and
>>>
>>> http://www.x-plane.info/cockpit/
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>> Roy.
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Simpits-tech mailing list
>>> Simpits-tech@simpits.org
>>> http://www.simpits.org/mailman/listinfo/simpits-tech
>>> To unsubscribe, please see the instructions at the bottom of the
> above
>> page. Thanks!
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Simpits-tech mailing list
>> Simpits-tech@simpits.org
>> http://www.simpits.org/mailman/listinfo/simpits-tech
>> To unsubscribe, please see the instructions at the bottom of the above
> page. Thanks!
>
>
> --__--__--
>
> Message: 3
> From: "Rob Hommel" <rhommel@tacoma.net>
> To: <simpits-tech@simpits.org>
> Subject: Re: [simpits-tech] RE: Simpits-tech digest, Vol 1 #391 - 7 msgs
> Date: Sun, 25 Aug 2002 00:47:20 -0700
> Reply-To: simpits-tech@simpits.org
>
> Jay
>
> For bending MDF use the thinnest board that is available in your area.
> Wetting the board does work you may notice that if it is too wet the
> board
> begins to delaminate. MDF is a composite board made much like cardboard
> but
> much denser. Using a spray bottle to wet the board down may be the
> solution
> or just dipping it into a pan of water for a brief period may be your
> solution. The solution which I used was that of slowly bending the board
> and
> tacking it frequently as I slowly bent the board into place. Another
> solution I have found that works to varying degrees is cutting into the
> back
> side of the MDF prior to bending. Cut just enough material away to give
> the
> board greater flex. The thing about MDF or hardboard is that it is
> fairly
> inexpensive to purchase and the possibilities for it's use are quite
> diverse. Heavy MDF when wet develops blisters which are hard to remove
> so be
> very careful when working with thicker MDF.
>
> BTW there are differences between MDF and hardboard, we tend to use the
> terms interchangeably around here.
>
> Keep 'em Flying
> Rob Hommel
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Joseph Fagner" <crease-guard@attbi.com>
> To: <simpits-tech@simpits.org>
> Sent: Saturday, August 24, 2002 2:38 PM
> Subject: [simpits-tech] RE: Simpits-tech digest, Vol 1 #391 - 7 msgs
>
>
>>
>> Roy, what exactly did you use for the skin and how did you bend it? I
>> was trying to construct my aces II seat and ended up destroying the
> MDF
>> trying to get different things to bend in the shape of the seat. I am
>> now having to start over and am going to make darn sure that I have it
>> right this time before starting construction.
>>
>> Jay
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Roy Coates" <roy@flightlab.liv.ac.uk>
>> To: <simpits-tech@simpits.org>
>> Sent: Friday, August 23, 2002 7:17 PM
>> Subject: Re: [simpits-tech] Fingers Crossed
>>
>>
>>> On Fri, 23 Aug 2002, Chris Woodul wrote:
>>>
>>>> Where do you work?
>>>
>>> The following are my current toys:
>>>
>>> http://www.flightlab.liv.ac.uk/heliflight/
>>>
>>> and
>>>
>>> http://www.x-plane.info/cockpit/
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>> Roy.
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Simpits-tech mailing list
>>> Simpits-tech@simpits.org
>>> http://www.simpits.org/mailman/listinfo/simpits-tech
>>> To unsubscribe, please see the instructions at the bottom of the
> above
>> page. Thanks!
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Simpits-tech mailing list
>> Simpits-tech@simpits.org
>> http://www.simpits.org/mailman/listinfo/simpits-tech
>> To unsubscribe, please see the instructions at the bottom of the above
> page. Thanks!
>
>
> --__--__--
>
> Message: 4
> From: "Jean Yves Surfin'" <surfer.man@wanadoo.fr>
> To: <simpits-tech@simpits.org>
> Date: Sun, 25 Aug 2002 19:57:54 +0200
> Subject: [simpits-tech] To Marv ....My order ACES II Sear Arm Switch and
> list of wishes
> Reply-To: simpits-tech@simpits.org
>
> This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
>
> ------=_NextPart_000_011F_01C24C71.B3A0CAF0
> Content-Type: text/plain;
> charset="iso-8859-1"
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
>
> Hello Marv,
>
> Could you remember too me price of MARVelous ACES II seat arm switch ?
> I would like to order one to you. It's so realistic...
>
> By the way, are you able to realize some others F-16 parts :
>
> 1=B0 Handles
> .. on the middle console,=20
> .. for alt. gear at front left
> .. and canopy jettison
> I've no idea if it's more easier to build them (certalinly not for the =
> third)
>
>
> 2=B0 The two indicator assemblies besides HUD (for Angle Of Attack at
> =
> left and the other ar right NWS )
> To be clear, the metal empty box with the light diming handle system on
> =
> side.
> The customer/user will furnish indicator, bulbs and so on...
>
> 3 =B0 the HUD assembly (except glass/plexi.) ?
>
>
> 4=B0 Arm Rest ?
>
>
> What do you think about my ideas / wishes ?
>
> As I'm from France, have you some infos about shipping amount for the =
> Arm switch ?
> I've Paypal.
>
> Thanks for all,
> Jean-Yves Jouanny
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----=20
> From: "Marv De Beque" <mdebeque@woh.rr.com>
> To: <simpits-tech@simpits.org>
> Sent: Saturday, July 27, 2002 10:46 PM
> Subject: [simpits-tech] ACES II Sear Arm Switch
>
>
>> Finished.
>> =20
>> Got these done for those who ordered them.
>> =20
>> What can I build you guys next?
>> =20
>> Marv
>> =20
>> =20
>
> ------=_NextPart_000_011F_01C24C71.B3A0CAF0
> Content-Type: text/html;
> charset="iso-8859-1"
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
>
> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
> <HTML><HEAD>
> <META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
> charset=3Diso-8859-1">
> <META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2600.0" name=3DGENERATOR>
> <STYLE></STYLE>
> </HEAD>
> <BODY>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hello Marv,</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Could you remember too me price of =
> MARVelous ACES=20
> II seat arm switch ?</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I would like to order one to you. It's
> =
> so=20
> realistic...</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>By the way, are you able to realize =
> some=20
> others F-16 parts :</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><STRONG>1=B0 =
> Handles</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>. on the middle =
> console, </FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>. for alt. gear at front =
> left</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>. and canopy jettison</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I've no idea if it's more easier to =
> build them=20
> (certalinly not for the third)</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><STRONG>2=B0 The two=20
> indicator</STRONG> <STRONG>assemblies</STRONG> besides HUD =
> (for Angle=20
> Of Attack at left and the other ar right NWS )</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>To be clear, the metal=20
> empty box with the light diming handle system on=20
> side.</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The customer/user will =
> furnish indicator,=20
> bulbs and so on...</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><STRONG>3 =B0 the</STRONG> =
> <STRONG>HUD</STRONG>=20
> assembly (except glass/plexi.) ?</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><STRONG>4=B0 Arm Rest</STRONG> =
> ?</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>What do you think about my ideas / =
> wishes=20
> ?</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>As I'm from France, have you some infos
> =
> about=20
> shipping amount for the Arm switch ?</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I've Paypal.</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> Thanks for all,</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Jean-Yves Jouanny</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>----- Original Message ----- </FONT>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>From: "Marv De Beque" <</FONT><A=20
> href=3D"mailto:mdebeque@woh.rr.com"><FONT face=3DArial=20
> size=3D2>mdebeque@woh.rr.com</FONT></A><FONT face=3DArial =
> size=3D2>></FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>To: <</FONT><A=20
> href=3D"mailto:simpits-tech@simpits.org"><FONT face=3DArial=20
> size=3D2>simpits-tech@simpits.org</FONT></A><FONT face=3DArial=20
> size=3D2>></FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Sent: Saturday, July 27, 2002 10:46 =
> PM</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Subject: [simpits-tech] ACES II Sear =
> Arm=20
> Switch</FONT></DIV></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial><BR><FONT size=3D2></FONT></FONT></DIV><FONT =
> face=3DArial=20
> size=3D2>> Finished.<BR>> <BR>> Got these done for those who =
> ordered=20
> them.<BR>> <BR>> What can I build you guys next?<BR>>
> <BR>>=20
> Marv<BR>> <BR>> </FONT></BODY></HTML>
>
> ------=_NextPart_000_011F_01C24C71.B3A0CAF0--
>
>
>
> --__--__--
>
> _______________________________________________
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> Simpits-tech@simpits.org
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>
> End of Simpits-tech Digest
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