Tools of the Rc car hobby trade

• Tweet
• 

The Tools For A Radio-Control Hobby

To build a radio-controlled vehicle, you will need a very large amount of time, as well as quite a few tools, components and supplies. Some of these can later by used for other projects, while some of them are specifically meant for your radio-controlled hobby. I’ll try to give you some of the main items you’ll need, but as you work you will probably find some more specific items that will come in very handy.

The first think you want to get is the wood you’ll use to build your model. If your plans don’t call for any particular kind of wood, you’ll have to decide what kind to use. Because it is lightweight, balsa wood is a popular choice for helicopters and planes, and the complete frame can be built with it. However, if you’re building a fairly large plane, balsa may not be strong enough and you’ll have to choose a different kind of wood.

The second most important part of your plane is the motor and radio equipment. Although you can purchase all of these components separately, if you do, you will have to figure out how it all needs to be connected together. On the other hand, if they are purchased as a set, the set will come with detailed instructions on how everything is to be connected. This sounds like a wiser choice to me.

One of the most useful tools a model builder can have is the X-Acto Knife. As simple as it is, it is worth its weight in gold for cutting out shapes and trimming off small defects. They can be purchases just about anywhere from the local grocery store to your friendly neighborhood craft or hobby store. It doesn’t matter where you get yours. Just be sure you do.

Whatever material you are using to build your plane, you are going to need some kind of glue to hold all the pieces together. Epoxy, superglue, and wood glue are all good choices and will how fairly securely. Look for information about the material your building with to see what kind of glue is recommended for it. If you are building a boat, you will also want to consider waterproofing, so you don’t end up with ruined water logged electrical components. Spray-on sealants and sealing putty are good for this purpose.

While a table saw is useful for cutting out larger pieces, some of the finer work will be much easier to cut with a Dremel tool, which is a small electric hand held tool. All of the tools mentioned her are very easily found and relatively inexpensive.

• Tweet
•