Archive/Old Mag/Spud Restoration Part 1&2

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=156 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="00e9cc00egerdp.jpg"> <div> <B> <STYLE>  </STYLE>  </B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="97" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 313 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Home Page"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive"><U><B>Archive</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id5.php" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact"><U><B>Contact</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Downloads"><U><B>Downloads</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id7.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><B>Events</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id8.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="For Sale"><U><B>For Sale</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id9.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Galleries"><U><B>Galleries</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id14.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Games"><U><B>Games</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id16.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Magazine"><U><B>Magazine</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Newsletter"><U><B>Newsletter</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Reference"><U><B>Reference</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id88.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Video"><U><B>Video</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Weather"><U><B>Weather</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=100 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="00f00640egerdp.jpg"> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>Archive </B></I></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=380 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > <STYLE>  </STYLE>  </FONT><A HREF="id55.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive/Old Mag/Lawn Chair Man"><U><B><<</B></U></A><B>   </B><A HREF="id62.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive/Old Mag/Spud Restoration Part 2"><U><B> >></B></U></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="25" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="602" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 1351 WIDTH="550"><div> <I><B>Spud Part 1</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Oil and Film Backing Removal</B></I></div> <div> Just been trying to resurrect an old favourite that's been languishing in a cupboard for two years. It was an own design model for a O.S. 26 Four Stroke. I flew nothing else for over two years and went through two sets of crank bearings in that time; and those bearings wore out, no sign of corrosion on 'em at all. That was mostly because I gave it a good squirt of Model Technics After Run Oil after every session. As it turns out, that was probably a mistake! You see, that After Run Oil has a weird effect on Solarfilm. It kinda shrivels it up and the adhesive lets go of the mylar. That allowed the edges to lift and then, of course, oil got into the woodwork all over the place. She was in a really bad state with film held on with pins and tape, I couldn't get anything to stick to it for more than one session. About this time the motor really went off song, as all poppet valve four strokes do eventually, and without the power to fling her around I got a bit fed up and decided to refurbish it. </div> <div> <IMG SRC="32986090.jpg" border=0 width="390" height="265" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5">Well, after some time, I finally got around to having a go at removing the film from the fuselage. It came away with no trouble but left it's backing adhesive on the woodwork. I've had this happen before and was never able to find anything that would get it off. If you try to cover over it makes a big mess of your new film. So, disheartened, in the cupboard she went. </div> <div> Fast forward two years or so. I'd just finished a big model and was scanning around for something else to build or modify or whatever, when I spy my old friend in the cupboard. On an impulse I drag the poor oil soaked wretch out into the light of day. I look at her and think it's hopeless, but I really did love that little model, so I cart her off to the garage to see if methylated spirit might attack that Solarfilm backing. Well, it didn't, but while I was there I tried cellulose thinners and, wonder of wonders, it dissolved it away! I could hardly believe it, how could I have missed this for all these years. I wished I'd photographed it before I started to have a record of the transformation!</div> <div> Pretty soon she was looking good, all the balsa had turned a wishy washy yellow ( it was covered in yellow you see) and hope sprang anew! The next problem was the oil. This was mostly around the front fuselage and side area, and the exhaust side tail plane and was very bad also. I washed it down with meths a couple of times and this did seem to help a bit, but it soon became obvious that it wouldn't get rid of it. So, back to the workshop. </div> <div> I was looking at it on the bench and wondering what the hell I could do to get the oil out. My thoughts drifted along the lines of heating it to make the oil thin so maybe it'd run off or something. Anyway, I got the iron out (it's an old non-steam type that you can hardly lift) and got it warmed up ready for action. I begin to wonder what I could use to protect the heel of the iron from all that oil and decide to use toilet paper - and then the penny dropped! </div> <div> It worked a bloody treat! I'd lay a length of toilet paper over the fuselage side and then iron slowly over it using lots of heat. In fact, the iron was set to LINEN which is as high as it goes. The oil soaked into the paper and I got down a couple of rolls of it before I was finished. In the end I couldn't get a trace off it anywhere. The firewall was the best, you could hear it sizzling as you ironed! But it got the damn stuff out and I was chuffed to say the least. I was gonna get my old pal back after all!</div> <div> <IMG SRC="32a85ed0.jpg" border=0 width="389" height="237" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5">After that I washed it down in meths again and a day or two later gave her a sand and then a couple of coats of thin Solarfilm Clearcoat, I guess 60% thinners and 40% Clearcoat. </div> <div> She's finished now and looking better than ever. I've even made an extended exhaust pipe to get rid of that blasted oil! I've fitted new bearings once again to my trusty old O.S. 26 and hope that she performs as before once more. I doubt that she will though. The mechanical condition of the engine was near perfect except for the old crank bearings of course, and crucially,  the camshaft. I think the cam is responsible for the power loss as the lobes are badly worn. When you think how sensitive these small engines are to valve lift I reckon that explains it. So, I'll fly her first and see, but if she's still down on power I'll try a new cam. I'll let you know how it goes... <I>G :-)</I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="id62.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive/Old Mag/Spud Restoration Part 2"><U><B>Click here for Part 2</B></U></A></div> <div> <I>FF 28.09.01</I></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <A HREF="id55.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive/Old Mag/Lawn Chair Man"><U><B><<</B></U></A><B>   </B><A HREF="id62.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive/Old Mag/Spud Restoration Part 2"><U><B> >></B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>