Introduction:
One of the more tedious aspects to building from plans is the dreary
task of transferring the part templates to balsa or ply sheet so that
you
can cut them to shape. I really believe this is one of the main
reasons
you don't see more planes built from plans; once you have the parts cut
out, building from plans is just like building from a commercial kit.
The acetone method is the best and fastest method I've found for transferring templates to sheet stock. I say "best" because in my experience, it gives the most consistent results in terms of making it easy to cut an accurate part with the least hassle.
How To Do It:
1. To begin, you need to make photocopies of all the parts
templates.
Ideally, these copies will be fairly dark, with nice heavy black
lines.
Do measure the copies to make sure they're 1:1 copies of the plans in
both
height and width. Cut the templates apart, but don't make any
effort
to cut close to the lines.
2. Wet the sheet stock with acetone using a paintbrush. Keep brushing back and forth until the wood goes from "wet" to "damp". Experience will show just how damp it needs to be for a perfect image.
3. Lay the photocopied template face-down on the sheet stock (pay attention to grain direction) and then press/rub it in place for a few seconds.