Keil Kraft Phantom Scratch build from start to flying.

rdw777 wrote:Hi Woody, Most important is to have family that cares for you so enjoy that time while it’s there….Balsa time will come back around after the little storm

I spied your wood working vise and chisels that you obviously know how to sharpen, on your canopy plug photo ….Plus your hand plane work…. Do some other wood working?

Robert

I cannot make a single thing here as I have no tools at all.
I bought and got on with a 1000 piece jig saw puzzle.
I got through half of it to discover at least four pieces missing.
Never did a jig saw in my life but at least I can now confirm that it was a four day waste of life.
It is just so aimless.
Nothing to fly at the end of it.
If I ever get put in a home I would go mad. But hey its a blip and there are people that have real problems to worry about.
All good.
Sohhhh.......I played the ukulele and that temporarily stopped the Balsa fever.

Glad your OK old man Wish I had what you have with your daughter Its a rare thing these days ......... Yea a bummer beeing away from a project and the puzzle thing , don't care for them to much myself did do one back in the 70s glued it to a board shellacked it nice and pretty now it sets up in my upstairs hobby /storage room LOL Too hot in the summer too cold in the winter

Hi Woody,

I was referring to your shop at home… Looks like you are set up for general wood working..

Good on you for playing the uke…. I do a little guitar…. My favorite Uke video…

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=puSkP3uym5k

Ahh yes thats Jake.
The worlds best in my opinion. He sure plays that with gusto. I am not quite to that standard and life consists of always having something to wish for or else we get bored. I am so grateful that we have masters to follow and people to inspire us.
Yeah I am set up in a hobby kinda way for woodwork.
I used to make ukuleles for a hobby.
I have given them to friends and family and actually my daughter with me now has one of my ukes with her. It is a Martin copy with cedar top and figured camphor wood back and sides .
I love working with camphor wood.
Its classed as a weed outa here so dirt cheap.
I can not sell ( do not want to compete ) my ukes commercially as China have that well sewn up.
I do not poo poo the Chinese made instruments at all.
A lot of their stuff is excellent craftsmanship way beyond my efforts.
My daughter a few weeks ago bought me a uke.
She is uke mad like me.
Its a chinese Baritone with solid spruce top.
It was $300 Australian with case and spare set if strings .
Its one if the best ukes I have ever had!!!
I am learning a bit of jazz . Used to hate the chords which always sounded wrong. But after decades if trying to " get it" I finally now have a taste and appreciation for playing and listening to wrong chords and am happy to play it all wrong now.
Sorry to vere off topic but I am filling in the gaps whilst away from home.
I think my daughter plans to return us tomorrow.

Woody, I thought that might be the case with the hints of your tools and how you used them… Just didn’t know it was for ukes ….I bet the Camphor does smell nice… I have some Blood Wood…. Smells like Cinnamon when you cut it…. I built the guitar that I use… A replica of a ‘37 Hauser, Which was the guitar Andre Segovia performed with during his time… Only I used a Cedar top as opposed to the original Spruce…. Back and sides are Indian Rosewood….

Thanks for the quick on your wood working, My apologies for pulling the thread off topic but thought you might like the short diversion, Maybe we can trade some instrument/tool photos in Off Topic when you get back home, In the meantime, Enjoy your family and your ukulele

Robert

rdw777 wrote:Woody, I thought that might be the case with the hints of your tools and how you used them… Just didn’t know it was for ukes ….I bet the Camphor does smell nice… I have some Blood Wood…. Smells like Cinnamon when you cut it…. I built the guitar that I use… A replica of a ‘37 Hauser, Which was the guitar Andre Segovia performed with during his time… Only I used a Cedar top as opposed to the original Spruce…. Back and sides are Indian Rosewood….

Thanks for the quick on your wood working, My apologies for pulling the thread off topic but thought you might like the short diversion, Maybe we can trade some instrument/tool photos in Off Topic when you get back home, In the meantime, Enjoy your family and your ukulele

Robert

Off-topic educates and stimulates memories.  I used to listen to this guy.






Presently on ebay...........

Robert, how old is your Duke Kahanamoku ukelele? I still have tenor uke that I bought in high school in the early 1970's. Only thing is the seams have separated with the glue joints drying out and failing. Need to make a jig and reglue back together.

Woody wrote:I used to make ukuleles for a hobby. I have given them to friends and family and actually my daughter with me now has one of my ukes with her. It is a Martin copy with cedar top and figured camphor wood back and sides. I love working with camphor wood. Its classed as a weed outa here so dirt cheap.

Haven't constructed any instruments, but have repaired some. One is an early 1950's Beaugnier Vito baritone saxophone. Bought it for $315.00 Internet auction 11 years ago. It was a high school instrument that had been repaired numerous times, I guess finally it was laid to rest in a dank school basement until auctioned off by the school district, then to me. Case was extremely musty smelling, I made sure my wife saw me haul the case off to the dumpster. Saving grace was, the pads were in decent shape. I straightened the key racks, adjusted pad heights, removed dents, soldered separated posts, installed missing corks and bumpers, use Brasso to remove the excess tarnish.

Now it plays very well in tune. I found out that these were made by LeBlanc's Beaugnier factory in a suburb of Paris. They were hand made, discontinued in 1970 because they could not compete with machined instruments. The only difference between the Vito (beginner's model and their professional, was the professional was further worked on to improve tuning, had fancier engravements and semiprecious jewels on the key guards instead of the cheaper plastic.


Earlier Beaugnier Vito Bari as received.


Beaugnier Vito Bari after my cleanup.


Me playing the bari for a Salvation Army Christmas Party in 2015.

Woody wrote:I can not sell ( do not want to compete ) my ukes commercially as China have that well sewn up. I do not poo poo the Chinese made instruments at all. A lot of  their stuff is excellent craftsmanship way beyond my efforts. My daughter a few weeks ago bought me a uke. She is uke mad like me. Its a chinese Baritone with solid spruce top. It was $300 Australian with case and spare set if strings. Its one if the best ukes I have ever had!!!

I've bought Chinese uke's, for past couple years taught ukulele classes to children at the local Salvation Army, donated all the uke's including the ones to be given away to those kids who stayed faithfully with the program for a semester. Also have a couple myself with built in preamp in concert, baritone and bass, plus a solid body that looks like a paddle with preamp.

Although I don't agree with the trade policies that have favored the extremely wealthy without regard for the local populous, decimating small businesses and local industries worldwide, that is an issue I can't change, and so take advantage of the costs to serve others.

Woody wrote:I am learning a bit of jazz. Used to hate the chords which always sounded wrong. But after decades if trying to " get it" I finally now have a taste and appreciation for playing and listening to wrong chords and am happy to play it all wrong now.
Sorry to vere off topic but I am filling in the gaps whilst away from home.
I think my daughter plans to return us tomorrow.

Although I come from a military band background, I never learned to improve jazz. 12 years ago, nearing retirement, I bought a few Hal Leonard and Jamie Abersol Jazz Play Along books with backing track CD's. At first, sucked at it, but over time developed my own style. Would show a video of me playing, but deleted all my toob videos because of the copyright fiascos.

I've learned that one can learn, no matter the age, and just to keep working at it. Over time, one gets better at improvising to the point others will appreciate listening to it.

To answer all....
Really pleased to hear from you whatever your input.
I only mentioned the " off topic" bit coz in other forums I was always irritated by the " Off topic" policemen who I found intensely rude and boring.
You are all very welcome to write what you like on this little thread and who knows?.... It may turn out to be huge. It is good to hear what we all do coz thats how we learn about each other and its not all just words.
Seems like we have a few uke orientated already.
They say, to play the uke makes us smile...it does me.
Hats off for building a classical guitar.
That is serious instrument making .
I find having the guts to turn the router on to dothe binding very challenging as one slip and all the work is ruined.
The most difficult woodwork I have done is to carve violin scrolls ( the volute).
I made five violins altogether just for the challenge.
A lot if snobbery with violins.
I took my finished violin to a violin dealers in Germany just to see what they would say as I was so excited with my work.
He asked me.." Which violin making school did you attend?".
" I have not been to violin making school...I learnt it from a violin making book".
" Then you have learnt badly"....
So I walked out heart broken and never made another one.
It gets a bit elitest which I cannot tolerate .
Jazz...
Yes...I am sticking at it learning the chord sequences and I find that they only sound good when one leads to another ( progression).
GG you did a good job on the sax.
He is a biggey.
It is very rewarding to get an old instrument playing again.
Woody

Woody, Yes I would think carving a violin volute would be very challenging… but rewarding if you could pull it off…. I also built my guitar “by the book”…. I studied for a good long time then built a couple of practice projects…. Also got a book on sharpening tools which was helpful…Finally built the fixtures and clamps before cutting any tone wood…. I didn’t use a router for the binding and purfling channel …. Yes, that is scary even with hand tools…one wrong move and your done…. I cut it with a marking knife, chisels, and finished up with a card scraper…The chisels I use are a couple of old Pexto’s I rehabbed and made new handles for….Also a couple of small ones I made from hardened square shank nails….



I bet the old sax plays nice George…. Hand made instruments usually have the entire body tuned to produce nice over tones (harmonics)…, I tuned the body of my guitar to “A” and the neck to “D”

rdw777 wrote:

Woody wrote:GG you did a good job on the sax. He is a biggey. It is very rewarding to get an old instrument playing again.

I bet the old sax plays nice George…. Hand made instruments usually have the entire body tuned to produce nice over tones (harmonics)…, I tuned the body of my guitar to “A” and the neck to “D”

Woody and Robert, thanks for the compliments, this is one of the first saxes I have played, that it is easier to hit the falsetto notes. (I have nearly all the saxes, a Chinese soprano, two altos, two tenors, and two baris.)

These are the highest notes beyond the standard fingering staff. For example, a huge selling point with the newer saxes back in the late 1960's, early 1970's was having the high F# key. They place that key in sort of an awkward place to finger. I find it easier to use a falsetto fingering to hit high F#, which is easier to do.

This sax does those falsetto notes so easy, it is like child's play. Plus, although it does not have the Low A, only low Bb, I have had no need to go so low. Although a selling point, which also makes the instrument more expensive to build, one really doesn't need to go only a half step lower. It also has a darker richer sound typical of the saxes of the swing era some 70, 80 years ago.

A conductor who wants lower notes played, will usually spec a bass sax (one octave lower than a tenor sax, but of course more expensive to buy. I don't know who wants to spend over $10k for a sax, unless they are a high paid studio musician.)

Woody wrote:I took my finished violin to a violin dealers in Germany just to see what they would say as I was so excited with my work. He asked me.." Which violin making school did you attend?". "I have not been to violin making school...I learnt it from a violin making book". "Then you have learnt badly".... So I walked out heart broken and never made another one. It gets a bit elitest which I cannot tolerate.

Woody, I think you hit the nail on the head. The elitists put a very high value into school names attended, who knows, they may have already formed an opinion of you before they even met you. (For example, Julliard School of Music versus Texas Tech in Lubbock.) You'd probably be better off with a local university music professor in violin, someone humbler, may be even a local orchestral band member, (i.e., Amarillo, Texas Orchestra, I dunno, I honestly feel that even the members of the Tasmanian String Quartet would have a more sympathetic heart since you are local), someone of humbler stock who isn't so high minded. (And, forgive me if I am wrong about the TSQ! )

Woody wrote:Jazz... Yes...I am sticking at it learning the chord sequences and I find that they only sound good when one leads to another ( progression).

Regarding the sometimes odd chords used in jazz, these are for color, they add a bit of something different, that when played correctly, add a new dimension to the performance. Just like you have been doing, I'd stick with it, keep working at it, like wine we all get better with age. That is what I learned.

Well I just do not know what to do now.
The build is going badly.
Could not mould the canopy however I tried so I altered the turtle deck to fit an easier two piece canopy.
I did however turn up a nice set of 2" Delrin wheels today now that all the lathe stuff arrived.
All the insides are fuel proofed so I thought I would just test the engine first.
Its a cox medallion 09 from ebay.
Two hours later and with an aching right hand I gave up.
The motor was then stripped down only to discover significant play on the conrod big end and also marginal play in the top end to the piston.
The crank shaft will move considerably with the piston still.
So...the pigging engine is knackered.
So peeved to have paid good money and pricey postage to get it out here.
It will have a few bits that someone might need like the glow head and needle assy.
I could not be so heartless as to sell it on as that would put me in the same bracket as the seller.
Its a dud.
I do not see any others for sale at the moment so the whole project may get binned.
I have also spent out this month already on some diesel motors from UK.
On a happier note, I am building a Fred Hempsal Black Magic. 60" span and will be powered like the original with an ED Racer 2.5cc and two channel radio disruption!
I have bought two ED Racers and THREE Mk ED Bees!!!!
I hope to goodness that they work.
We have to take our chances these days.
So this thread may transfer to a Black Magic build and then. Bugaboo for the 1cc ED bee.
Woody is not amused and needs cheering up.

Woody wrote:Well I just do not know what to do now.
The build is going badly.
Could not mould the canopy however I tried so I altered the turtle deck to fit an easier two piece canopy.
I did however turn up a nice set of 2" Delrin wheels today now that all the lathe stuff arrived.
All the insides are fuel proofed so I thought I would just test the engine first.
Its a cox medallion 09 from ebay.
Two hours later and with an aching right hand I gave up.
The motor was then stripped down only to discover significant play on the conrod big end and also marginal play in the top end to the piston.
The crank shaft will move considerably with the piston still.
So...the pigging engine is knackered.
So peeved to have paid good money and pricey postage to get it out here.
It will have a few bits that someone might need like the glow head and needle assy.
I could not be so heartless as to sell it on as that would put me in the same bracket as the seller.
Its a dud.
I do not see any others for sale at the moment so the whole project may get binned.
I have also spent out this month already on some diesel motors from UK.
On a happier note, I am building a Fred Hempsal Black Magic. 60" span and will be powered like the original with an ED Racer 2.5cc and two channel radio disruption!
I have bought two ED Racers and THREE Mk ED Bees!!!!
I hope to goodness that they work.
We have to take our chances these days.
So this thread may transfer to a Black Magic build and then. Bugaboo for the 1cc ED bee.
Woody is not amused and needs cheering up.

The ED Racer might suit the Phantom, don't you think? Too heavy?
Don't give up. Sounds like you have a lathe and the ability to use it, so get stuck into that Medallion and get her going. Even if you don't use it, it will be satisfying to tinker away and get it to run.

Oldenginerod wrote:

Woody wrote:Well I just do not know what to do now.
The build is going badly.
Could not mould the canopy however I tried so I altered the turtle deck to fit an easier two piece canopy.
I did however turn up a nice set of 2" Delrin wheels today now that all the lathe stuff arrived.
All the insides are fuel proofed so I thought I would just test the engine first.
Its a cox medallion 09 from ebay.
Two hours later and with an aching right hand I gave up.
The motor was then stripped down only to discover significant play on the conrod big end and also marginal play in the top end to the piston.
The crank shaft will move considerably with the piston still.
So...the pigging engine is knackered.
So peeved to have paid good money and pricey postage to get it out here.
It will have a few bits that someone might need like the glow head and needle assy.
I could not be so heartless as to sell it on as that would put me in the same bracket as the seller.
Its a dud.
I do not see any others for sale at the moment so the whole project may get binned.
I have also spent out this month already on some diesel motors from UK.
On a happier note, I am building a Fred Hempsal Black Magic. 60" span and will be powered like the original with an ED Racer 2.5cc and two channel radio disruption!
I have bought two ED Racers and THREE Mk ED Bees!!!!
I hope to goodness that they work.
We have to take our chances these days.
So this thread may transfer to a Black Magic build and then. Bugaboo for the 1cc ED bee.
Woody is not amused and needs cheering up.

The ED Racer might suit the Phantom, don't you think?  Too heavy?
Don't give up.  Sounds like you have a lathe and the ability to use it, so get stuck into that Medallion and get her going. Even if you don't use it, it will be satisfying to tinker away and get it to run.

An ED Racer might be too big, too heavy and too fast for me. It will be a team racer then.
Maybee an ED Bee.
The Medallion piston assy is knacked.
The conrod is swaiged at the top end to the piston.
Nothing can be fixed with that. It comes as a unit when you can get them.
I do not have the skills to turn a tiny brass bush to bush the bottom end and doubt if there is enough meat to do it.
Maybe there is someone here that has precision machinery that can restore it?
I know my limits but thanks for the push.
Woody.

The top ball and socket is easily tightened with the correct tool.
https://coxengines.ca/tooling/cox--090-piston-reset-tool.html

I wonder whether laying the big end on its side on a flat steel surface and giving it a quick (gentle) clout with a hammer would compress the big end, slightly reducing the diameter of the hole?? It will narrow the width slightly, but not to any great detriment. Just a thought. Maybe a really bad one.

Oldenginerod wrote:The top ball and socket is easily tightened with the correct tool.  
https://coxengines.ca/tooling/cox--090-piston-reset-tool.html

I wonder whether laying the big end on its side on a flat steel surface and giving it a quick (gentle) clout with a hammer would compress the big end, slightly reducing the diameter of the hole?? It will narrow the width slightly, but not to any great detriment. Just a thought.  Maybe a really bad one.  

Wow mate.
I am gob smacked and smiling again.
I never dreamed such a tool existed.
I assumed they ( cox ) wanted us to buy new pistons.
Ref whacking it with a hammer!
When in the army we used to repair tanks that way.
I had forgotten that trick all but the seized car starter motor .
Dammned GOOD GOOD idea!!
I have nothing to loose.
Are you the one who sells fuel?
I need some Ether to make diesel fuel.
Please message me if you can help.
Cheers and thanks for the tips.
Yes a hammer WILL compress the hole it is just how hard I hit it.
Woody

Woody wrote:
Are you the one who sells fuel?
I need some Ether to make diesel fuel.

I wish.  Got some Ether off a guy from the VMAA a couple of years ago.  He probably can still get it but the price was astronomical.  I'm currently experimenting with using starter fluid.  The John Deere stuff they use in the States is nearly straight Ether.  The best I can find our here is Master brand starting fluid at 50% ether.  I count the other 50% as equivalent to kero.  Just need to add oil, and ignition improver if you can find/afford it.  Yet to put my theory to the test.

You can get it here.
https://rcfuelsupplies.com.au/ether.html
$50 a litre

Rod.

P.S. Where are you Woody? I'm in Gippsland Vic.

Oldenginerod wrote:

Woody wrote:
Are you the one who sells fuel?
I need some Ether to make diesel fuel.

I wish.  Got some Ether off a guy from the VMAA a couple of years ago.  He probably can still get it but the price was astronomical.  I'm currently experimenting with using starter fluid.  The John Deere stuff they use in the States is nearly straight Ether.  The best I can find our here is Master brand starting fluid at 50% ether.  I count the other 50% as equivalent to kero.  Just need to add oil, and ignition improver if you can find/afford it.  Yet to put my theory to the test.

You can get it here.
https://rcfuelsupplies.com.au/ether.html
$50 a litre

Rod.

P.S.  Where are you Woody?  I'm in Gippsland Vic.

I am in Narangba near Brisbane.
Yeah thats the Ether I saw.
So the link you sent me was pure Ether right?
Well its $30 for 500ml so that makes I.5L of diesel fuel. The largest diesel I will run will be 2.5cc with a very small tank of about two minutes run which is enough to get a free flighter ( but with radio) to a high altitude and then take as long as I can to glide it down. Just how they used to do it but with a
radio.
We have superb dirt cheap miniaturised and light weight radios now so there is no point in risking the loss of a model or it landing on a car causing a serious accident in uncontrolled flight.
Anyway....expensive...
Well if the diesel fuel is used like that it can be quite economical and don't forget that diesels are not so thirsty as glows and they can be tuned right down to just enough speed to get it nicely in the sky.
I don't mind paying the price as I love the stuff.
Brought up with diesels.
Woody

Castor oil can be bought by the litre at RCMA in Brendale.
They stock it so we need to keep up the demand so they stay stocked.

Hi Woody!! Good to see you going again!….

I have never moulded a canopy so no help there…. But with your carving skills I’m sure you could produce a nice one from balsa and hollow it out ….You may may be determined for the clear one though due to originality…

Bummer on the .09 but glad you were informed about the reset tool…. They are nearly considered a maintenance item for Cox engines…. Good idea on preening the lower end for better fit… Nothing to loose right?….. If you happen to get it too tight consider using a long tapered awl to ream it a bit…. Just thinking out loud with you…

Yeah I'd understand the great disappointment in receiving a nackered engine. Problem with bushing the crank end is the new pressed in bearing would probably be only a couple thousandths of an inch thick. Drilling out the end to a larger oversize for bearing would weaken the rod end.

Wasn't the model a team racer? Given its small size, I'd think a smaller less powerful engine would still give decent sport performance.

As they say in motorcycles, the worst flight (ride) is better than the best day of work.

Woody,

Before you toss that Medallion .09, check the spraybar carefully. I picked up a few larger Medallions that failed to operate as expected. On tear-down I discovered they had RC spraybars. These sparybars spin in the red front case body to open/close the orifice in the venturi. Without related RC brackets/muffler, the spraybar is left to spin freely, and in my case(s), closed the venturi enough to prevent running on more than a prime. Mine also have sloppy conrod big-ends and slightly loose balljoints. I mention the last piece only to say these engines will run in worse shape than we prefer. Don't give up on it yet!

944_Jim wrote:Woody,

Before you toss that Medallion .09, check the spraybar carefully. I picked up a few larger Medallions that failed to operate as expected. On tear-down I discovered they had RC spraybars. These sparybars spin in the red front case body to open/close the orifice in the venturi. Without related RC brackets/muffler, the spraybar is left to spin freely, and in my case(s), closed the venturi enough to prevent running on more than a prime. Mine also have sloppy conrod big-ends and slightly loose balljoints. I mention the last piece only to say these engines will run in worse shape than we prefer. Don't give up on it yet!

Jim you have a point.
I got the engine to fire when primed bur would only do a fart.
Then I checked the spray bar and the hole was facing up and not down into the engine like it should do.
I connected a piece if fuel tubing to it and blew down it whilst screwing in the needle valve to check it worked okay open and closed.
It worked okay so I removed it and inserted it the correct way around.
I read that their should be a circlip to hold it in place?
Mine had no circlip but popped into place.
Once in itt could not rotate due to the hex nut.
I tried again with it and I got a three second run.
It would seem there is is fuel starvation for it to stop.
Is it the cirrect needle valve/ spray bar? Don,t know.
The prop is a 7x6 so not too large.
I notice when the engine gets too warm with the glow plug consistantly on, the engine is ecen harder to fire.
I have the glow plug glowing bright red but bang on 1.5 V measured across the plug with a DVM.
So it will run when cold for three seconds.
So it can run!
I take the point about cox engines still able to run even when in bad shape.
Its fuel...I am certain.
Just had a thunk!!!!
When I stripped it I noticed on the inside of the crankcase there us a semi circular dished out cavity for fuel entry when lined up with the piston cylinder which akso has a ground away dished out port.
I think they call this Schneurle porting?
Is that right! Is the medallion 09 schnearle ported?
Well any way ...to my point...
The cylinder seems to be affixed some how to the ouside finned housing.
This finned housing screws into the crankcase and it seems that to line up the crankcase port and piston cylinder port , one has to rely on the screw thread?
Thats a bit iffy?
I reckon the piston liner should be removable and held in place with the ports aligned then the finned housing screwed on.
That would explain NO FUEL.
Any thoughts in that?
I do not know but thinking aloud
Woody

Ignore my last comments about the piston liner being set correctly as I have taken another look and it is all one unit.
So it does not matter which way the ports face when screwed into the crankcase.
So I am still bewildered.
Here are some pics of my 10 minute engine test set up, the wheels and how the Phantom looks with its new turtle deck.