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Thanks Kevin :-)

Thanks Keith :-)

Thanks Phil :-)

Cheers Bruce. A closer look shows some cleanup is needed, but that comes with figuring this stuff out as you go. Pretty happy with the results so far and the improvement.

Cheers :-) I squeeze in time where I can. Lots to think about is right. While editing I was thinking "I should have got some footage on my melted T-88 bottles...". Long story short, a dumb move that didn't quite end in disaster but did need a late night purchase of two $2 sauce bottles. Ah well, maybe its best forgotten!

And yes as a wood worker I know you can never have enough too many clamps. I was thinking of what 1/48 scale kit plane from WWI to build that was operated by Australia. I now know.

@@MattProjectthe melted bottle sound expensive. 1.5 degrees is not pretty fresh. At least ply won’t move APR d too much moving from the shed to the house.

Hi Russell, yep I have seen that in flat sawn timber but typically the timber is still drying, warping as it loses moisture creating uneven stresses. I have seen it most in wet flat sawn fence palings and weatherboards that have not been nailed up promptly.. Tight grain and dry tends to eliminate most issues. So far my experience with this timber is that it is remarkably stable given some pretty extreme environmental conditions. I'm laying this one down to me abusing perfectly good timber!!!

That's a good idea, it'll definately help spread the pressure on the timber. Like it, thanks.

Cheers Bry

Thanks Bry :-)

Glad I'm not doing wagon wheels!

@@MattProject lol

Thanks Phil, longer in the mould has definitely helped. I haven't done overnight but will with future pieces. Grain direction for cap strips is an interesting discussion. When I started someone raised it but I couldn't find anything to support it. I since have (can't remember where, but I did find it) but I stuck with horizontal because of the screws that penetrate the cap strips (into the ply webs and the spars), thin vertical grain may split under pressure from screws while horizontal grain is somewhat better. The shorter cooking time has resolved the cupping, longer in the mould should help retain the form and perhaps help with reducing spring-back. Thanks for your comments Phil, I'm a novice working it out as I go, feedback or queries are welcome :-)

⁠@@MattProjectIf ever you are unsure about any aspect of Camel building, just ask. No guarantee I’ll know, but I might.

Thanks Phil, you are already on my list :-)

Thanks Bruce, I ended up leaving the cap strips on the mould around 40 minutes which seemed to work well. I kinda suspect longer would be even better, but will try that next time. On the plus size, they came off the mould and were screwed straight onto the ply webs which will help as well.

Thanks for that, will order one this week :-)

Staining can be caused by bacteria or fungus in the timber which may eventually cause it to rot, losing strength in the process. Not all staining leads to rot, but I don't know enough to identify the different types. Houses are built very robust and will not collapse with a bit of rotten framing. Planes are built very light and will fail with even small amounts of rot.

Thanks for the encouragement :-) If you are curious, 500 parts for a set of Camel wings - 4 wings plus the centre section. I don't dwell on that though as staring at the mountain can dissuade you from climbing it! One step at a time.

@@MattProject how many were duplicates I suppose if your making dozens it would be almost as quick as making a few

There are quite a few duplicates. The ribs spring to mind, but also in the metal brackets and other fittings. Each wing is a mirror image of the other side and there are parts common to all four wings. Looking at part numbers and allowing for those parts without numbers ~100 unique parts to make in various quantities for the wing set.

Thank you for sharing what was obviously a tragic event. Both aircraft deserved to find a museum, especially with the family history. Hopefully you can follow along a little with my efforts to recreate one of the flyers from that period.

Thanks Richard, I'm looking forward to the day eventually when I can binge watch myself doing this to completion. One day, just gotta keep plugging away at it :-)

Hi Phil, would love to hear a little about your project. Your short clip is great and has me very curious :-)

@@MattProject which clip ? Happy to help if I can.

I followed your youtube handle and found a clip circling a Camel under construction, it appears to have been placed for a function in a RAF hanger about 5 years ago.

@@MattProject ah yes, it was an event 100 years after WW1. RAF Scampton.

Where are you at now with your Camel? Any chance of posting an update video over the weekend :-)

I hope so, absolutely essential.

@@flyerphil7708 just a little adds a lot of strength. Old saying “ screw & glue”

Hi guys, I thought I mentioned in the video, maybe I edited it out! Glueing in current temperatures (under 5 degree C) would lead to failed joints. This is a ten year project, so I have time to glue them at a more favourable time of year, likely Spring. The screws don't add much if any strength and arguably the screw holes weaken the cap strip. They hold the assembly together until it is glued around (not to) the two spars. Historically they were shipped to the front in this state for combat repairs.

@@MattProjectyou did say that you will glue them later. 👍

Yep and the whole lot assembled - delicate wood, wire and canvas... with a heavy motor spinning just in front of your feet!

Start here and pick up a set of plans. They are really inspiring to look at and explore. replicraftplans.com/ No idea what the cost will be. Somewhere between "where did my hobby money go?" and "very glad I didn't have to pay someone for this". A slow build though means the costs are spread and far less painful. The biggest expense may be the motor. Or I may build that as well. Build time maybe 10-15 years. I'm not in a hurry. There are several kit manufacturers for vintage aircraft. Advantages include faster build times, fixed costs(ish), instructions (none the way I'm doing it) and enthusiastic build support by phone/email. The kit builders I follow complain a little about the imperfections, in comparison I can't complain - the designers, suppliers and veteran support are all gone. A kit is a good option. Explore Aircraft Spruce in the US for material. Wood is expensive, shipping anything to NZ is also expensive. There are alternatives to Spruce. A good forum, one or two are a little grumpy but there is a wealth of knowledge here and multiple past and current builds documented: www.theaerodrome.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=17 My approach to this project is to solve the problems one at a time and as they come up. Meaning there is a lot of uncertainty ahead. I don't mind that as answers to problems often pop up while searching for other things. But, it's not an approach that suits everyone. Many (most?) builders prefer all the answers before they start, for example sourcing a hard to find motor or set of instruments before they invest time building. Figure out based on past experience where you sit on uncertainty and factor that in - it'll help ensure you enjoy the process. Hope this helps :-)

Awesome response Matt thank you. I'm in Australia so i hear your pain re: importing wood.

I'm very careful around any of the mechanical spinning blades of death and very aware that everyone says that just before they lose a finger... These cap strips are likely the smallest thing I need to process on that tool and I'm not far off finishing those. Thanks for sharing Bruce, I don't mind being reminded!!

Hi Bruce, wing assembly is a year or two away, I'm waiting till closer the time to solve that. It is likely the stack of unprocessed timber will be gone by then and if we are still here I can build a wing assembly table in that space. Any house move over the next few years will include looking at options. It will also motivate processing the last of that timber, I did not enjoying moving it last time.

Thanks, just keep in mind my You Tube skills are not high. Hopefully slowly improving but I'm never going to be a UA-camr. I've given up on music for example because I don't have a musical ear (or taste) and there are one or two poor choices in there :-) But hopefully you will enjoy despite the flaws.

@@MattProject I know what you mean I am slowly getting to grip with recording and editing , my problem is I start doing something then think Dohhhh I forgot to record it lol

:-) I feel you, done that a few times. Also had the other problem where I don't look at my footage for two weeks - thinking I haven't done much, then find I have stupid amounts to review and edit into something useful. I'll watch your vids when I get a moment. I nearly started with a lathe and plans to make a 1/3 scale Gnome motor. I figured that project would be a good intro to lathe work and if I enjoyed and finished it, maybe a full sized version could be doable.

It will be a while but yes :-) I'm currently trying to source suitable sheet metal, so that once I finish the ribs I can move onto brackets for the wings. Kinda doing the smaller and more stable parts first. In my mind (rightly or wrongly) I want ribs and fittings to go onto the spars almost as soon as they are made. The timber I have for spars seems fairly settled but I don't want to test it by leaving finished 4m lengths sitting on a shelf for a year or two.

Thanks Kevin for the encouragement, there is certainly a bit of labor and at the end of the week I'm always surprised about the progress made. It never feels like much until I review the footage. In any case I'm very much enjoying the process - mistakes, cold weather and all :-)

Pick up a set from here - replicraftplans.com/ Over time you will also start finding original plans for parts, but the replicraft plans are the best place to start and the only plans I have seen to date that show how the parts work together. There are _no_ instructions. Proceed only if you are comfortable with that and with making the inevitable many mistakes. With that said, personally I'm really enjoying the process.

i looked at the link. Are you scaling up the plans to make a full size plane?

Plans are printed 1/5th scale which is handy for 1/5th scale modellers, but all the dimensions on the plans are full scale and copied from original plans. The orignal Sopwith plans from 1917 aren't drawn 1:1 scale either.

neat !

Hi Rick, that sounds like it would actually work. I'm ok for this part of the project but you have my curiosity, I'll give it a go :-) Cheers

Thanks for the encouragement. When I look back it's been quite the journey to get to this point, with luck I'm shortening the learning curve for yourself and others :-) I quite like that drill press, probably for that reason!

Cheers, need a handful more then onto building ribs :-)

Hi Bruce, skills all learned on the fly. But yeah, I wonder myself how close I am to the original production methods :-)

@@MattProjectI so love WW1 aircraft. And I’ll be following you on your project ❤

Carbide IIRC

Thanks Stephen, I appreciate the encouragement :-)

Brimm & Boggess, Aircraft Maintenance. My copy is dated 1940. I picked it up from ebay or amazon. Another one you may find useful is the english translation of Hans Jacobs, Workshop Practice from The Vintage Sailplane Association. I found them both very good reads.

Thanks !@@MattProject

Hi Kevin, fast forward hides a lot of time spent on the job :-) Thanks for the encouragement.

The first guy I ever worked for said the same thing. Very true too.

Hey Bruce, yep this is one very big elephant!

@@MattProject Perhaps a long reach drill bit would help? As for maintaining alignment in the x and y axes - this would be possible if the longer reach drill allowed you to use the jig base as the alignment datum for the y axis (vertical) while the x axis would rely on the drill jig running on the jig base and the cap. if an extended length drill bit is not going to work then perhaps another base plate could be located under the existing or even just using the bench supporting the jig if it is flat - to provide the alignment for the drill jig.

Thanks John, you have got the grey matter thinking :-)

I'm enjoying it :-)

lol, I used body filler in my first rib jig, we are old friends and yep, I'm not in a hurry! Big thanks for the encouragement :-)

Hi John, you're not wrong. I have more time than dollars though. When I got a price for water/laser cutting, it was pretty high putting me off. In hindsight and after some destructive testing (in a few videos) I was a bit tough on myself with regards tolerances on those ply webs, especially since my rejects appeared to more than pass destructive testing. Modern ply and glue of course helps. Yes on the switch, they sent out a new one, no questions asked.

Useful idea, I had to Google that :-) I found both moulding wax and mould release wax. I'm picking it's mould release wax you're referring to? I would have to test it with the varnish I intend to use, my experience with wax (but obviously not this wax) suggests it may transfer to the timber.

@@MattProject Yes that's right - mould release wax is the thing to use. Rub the wax in and buff it when dry. repeat at least once.

I'll give it a go :-)

Hi Kevin, good question. Also not sure but my preference is to see more clamping points to get the pressure more evenly distributed. The screws alone are a bit far apart for my liking. No solution yet, but I've got time to think on it and create one.

Hi Andrew, when it comes time, if you start posting progress videos, let me know the link :-) Definitely a long way off needing a motor and I suspect he will be retired before I'm ready! My original plan was to purchase a lathe and start with the engine. I have plans for a 1/3rd scale engine that will eventually be a useful project to gain skills. Those initial plans changed when I found unexpectedly found Spruce in NZ. Happy to chat about Sopwith drawings. Find me on theareodrome.com - Kiwi Camel Project.

Hi bruce, I've thought about that and might yet come back to it. Difficulties include having to wax paper around the two spars and nose piece. Plus I have glued lugs on this jig (which could come off now). These aren't insurmountable difficulties, but over the next few weeks I'll explore screwing the cap strips into place and glueing them later in bulk.

@@MattProject lay the wax paper FLAT out on build surface. You may have to cut WP in strips.

Thanks Bruce :-)