The Little World

If you are expecting Torquemada I must disappoint you – I reserve those sentiments for my ” Here All Week ” column. See below.

The rack I refer to is my new Little Workshop plane jig. It is made by Scrap Bin Pty Ltd and has three adjustable plane rests as supplied. You can get more in custom sizes or shapes if the need arises, but so far it has coped with single and twin-engine planes very well. I may need to order extra rests when I build the next four-engine bomber.

It is also adaptable as a jig for multiple builds – if you need to decal five or six planes at once you just set up two areas. You can balance a bomber on the wings and rotate it for top or bottom with ease. Planes can rest on their sides, dorsal, or ventral surfaces and there is room for clamps if needed.

It is not intended to use this jig in the spray painting hangar – there are a number of other devices for that.

Note that it is made as heavy as possible so that the structure does not move around on the workbench. Also because all I had were heavy bits of wood. When in doubt, convert a necessity or a desire to a virtue…like Tomas did all those centuries ago…

The new painting gallows seen in the heading image is dedicated to aircraft that do not have a central hole in the nose of tail for either a propeller shaft or a jet exhaust – an aperture into which a stick can be shoved to place them on the painting turntable. Twin engine propellor planes or seaplanes or odd helicopters. Many of them have tail wheel holes or apertures under their chins or along the dorsal surface, hwever. Or waist gunner’s positions.

Wherever the hole appears I can use it to suspend the plane on a thin brass wire with a hook on the end of it. I’ve not worked out a more sophisticated clamp on the top of the crossbar but it’ll happen eventually. The whole apparatus revolves on the booth turntable so that I can continue and all-over spray without having to rest the wings on anything. When the coat of paint is down either the booth can be closed against dust or the whole gallows transferred intact to the wire shelf above the warming box.

Again all parts are found wood and the capital cost is $ 0.00.