While you’re here check out the Balsa Stick Store.

Here’s an explanation of what a short kit is, with pictures.  You’ll have to complete the kit by buying your own sheet and stick wood from a balsa dealer.  Here’s my best shot at explaining how to do this.

For whatever reason, a lot of people ask me “Are you still cutting kits?”   Yes, I am cutting kits.  That’s why I have this page on the website with a big list of kits.  All kits are available and are cut to order.

The next most common question is about plans.  My work is done on the computer, and it does not involve paper, so you do not need to send me a copy of the plan.  I won’t be sending you a plan, either.  I live out in the boondocks and do not have a printer.  So neither of us will be mailing the other a plan.  If you want a plan, you’ll need to get it from a plan website such as www.outerzone.co.uk or other online plan archive and have it printed at an office store, or you can have it printed by a guy named Dennis who goes by the name Hemikiller on RC Groups.

You will not send me any wood.  I’ll cut the parts from my wood and mail them to you.

A laser cutter does a good job on lighter woods, but not so good on dense and thick woods.  All 1/4″ ply parts will be cut twice from 1/8″ ply, to be laminated by the builder.  Sometimes I have 3/8″ balsa that will cut nicely, but sometimes not, in which case the parts will be cut twice from 3/16″ balsa, to be laminated by the builder.  In some kits, the 3/8″ balsa parts are simply omitted from the kit, to be supplied by the builder.

Due to your tax dollars being handed out like Halloween candy to the alternative energy industry, Chinese windmill companies are currently buying almost the entire balsa crop from Ecuador, leading to short supplies and increasing prices.  In an effort to minimize costs I buy balsa collections whenever I can.  Some of these collections include pieces that are yellowed by sunlight or have brown stains.  Don’t worry.  It all flies.

If you have a set of cutting files you want me to cut out, make sure they’re in a usable format such as DXF or vector PDF.  I can cut your parts, but I’m not responsible for mistakes you may have made.

If you want me to cut parts for an existing plan, scaled to 150% or 40% or whatever, please look at the FAQ page when I’ll tell you why this is not the greatest idea in the world unless you know what you’re doing.

SHIPPING COSTS, AND HOW TO PAY

Find the “Send Rob an email” link on the main menu.  Tell me what you want and your ZIP code, and I’ll give you a total with shipping.  Buy multiple items at the same time to save shipping costs.  Paypal, checks, cash, money orders are all acceptable.  Look at my FAQ page for detailed info.

OTHER INFO

If you find a mysterious piece of wood in your kit that looks like this, it’s probably a dihedral gauge.

Some of my kits include parts for bolting the wing in place, where the original plan shows rubber bands.  This is not true in all cases, but there are several with bolt-on kits included.  Here’s a link for more info.

If you find an error in your kit, please let me know so I can fix it.

On some of my kits I have incorporated my own modifications, which I think the average builder would like.  If you prefer your kit cut to original standard specs, let me know.

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