A 1/32″ plywood template is provided to help you build the cabane struts straight. The struts and saddle are each made of two layers of 1/8″ plywood to make 1/4″ total.
Lay out the pieces first.
The struts go on one side of the 1/32″ plywood template, and the saddles go on the other side. If you don’t have enough clamps you can build these assemblies one at a time.
Flip the saddles upside down so they are oriented opposite the saddle on the template. Place glue on one side of each 1/8″ ply part and spread the glue to a thin layer. You can use Titebond or 30 minute epoxy. CA is OK structurally, but it’s tricky to get everything lined up before the glue cures, so you ought to use one of the slower glues.
Stack the parts to make two struts and one saddle, each 1/4″ thick. Place the struts under the template and the saddles on top of the template.
3/16″ dowels are supplied in the kit. Use sand paper to round one end of each dowel.
Insert a dowel through each hole in the strut assembly, and push it through an inch or so. If you don’t push it through, the rounded tip may allow one piece to move out of line.
Make sure the dowels are straight. (They may not look totally straight in these photos but that may be camera parallax.) Line up the stacked parts and clamp the ends of the struts and the ends of the saddle with clothespins or small clamps.
When you are confident that all layers are lined up correctly, clamp the entire length of each part of the strut assembly.
Take out the dowels before the glue cures. Twisting the dowel while pulling may help. Firmly clamp the spots where the dowels used to be.
Note that the strut assembly in the illustration is for the left side of the plane. The saddle is on the outside edge of the struts.
Follow the same procedure to make the other strut assembly, and make sure that it will fit the opposite side of the airplane.
When the glue dries, use a hobby knife to cut off all the glue boogers that squeezed out when it was clamped. Sand the edges of the assembly and round the corners slightly. Don’t go too crazy sanding. Just get rid of any lumpy or sharp edges that might destroy the finish of the top wing.
Note that there is a little bump on the underside of the saddle. Don’t sand it off because it’s an intentional feature that marks the recommended center of gravity.
