Pedal Plane

24SEP11,
Well I finally got back to the wood shop after 3 long weeks of work and tiring weekends. Fortunately, I was able to cross a major hurdle today.
The only thing I had time for was the bending of fuselage sections. This task is much easier said than done, but it was a great learning process.  I was able to use a standard clothes iron to steam the wood and help facilitate the bending of the sides.

Hopefully my next few postings will involve the assembly of the pedal plane. I am about a weeks behind schedule from where I'd like to be, but I think I can still have the plane completed shortly after Thanksgiving...

I made an order for the hardware kit, metals kit and decals about two weeks ago. I should be receiving those parts within the next 3-4 weeks (hopefully)...

Bending the fuselage. 10 pounds for constant weight on the board while steaming with iron - add any additional pressure with hand.

Two methods to steaming the wood: 1) hold iron about 1 inch above board to heat the section. 2) place a soaked rag on the section and iron directly on the rag.

Patience and extreme care will result in a beautiful bend without cracking or fraying. If you rush this process, the board will break and you will be back to Lowe's for a new sheet of plywood. 

As a reminder, this is the example for a finished product.  (I didn't want anyone loosing sight of the final deal.)