Date posted: December 5, 2009

– Download RC Plan Stencils as PDF –

If I’m building or even *thinking* of building a plan more than once, which I often do because my number of crashes rival how often I blink, I like to cut out stencils the first time to save time.

If I’m building or even thinking of building a plan more than once, which I often do because my number of crashes rivals how often I blink, I like to cut out stencils the first time to save future measuring time and frustration.

Of course, if you have a Phlatprinter, you don’t have to worry about this, but as I’m still saving pennies and not quite ready for prime time CNC foam cutting, stencils will work for now.

You can use any material for stenciling, just keep in mind it should have the following qualities:

1. Strength – A piece of paper won’t cut it…Metaphorically. Cutting out paper plans is nice and all, but not only do I crash a lot, but I’m also a klutz. I still have the scar on my bottom lip from running into a door frame while wearing diapers and holding two cookies in my hands… And just think, that was only last year.

2. Legibility – You must be able to write on it, either with Sharpie or Pencil. I prefer pencil first, then ink with a sharpie later for long lasting ink-tastic action.

3. Ease of Cutting – You’re making stencils, so if you’re cutting out the pieces themselves or outlines, the bottom line is that you need to be able to cut the material with relative ease. We’re not trying to waste more time stenciling than the time it takes to measure one build.

So far, I’ve been pretty happy with Elmer’s Foam Poster Board. Useful for your child’s science fair project backdrop (I’m still a little bitter that my solar powered cooler was beat out by a stamp drying machine), it’s also useful for stenciling. Easy to cut, easy to pencil or ink on.  I also from time to time use regular posterboard without foam backing, this works just as well.

The cool thing is, if your material is sturdy enough, and you have a foam wire cutter, you can tape or lightly tack the stencil onto your foam, and let the hot wire cut your foam by running around your stencil.  That way, you don’t even need to trace out your stencils anymore.

Just remember to mark the parts so if you start building a collection you can tell what is what. Another thing to mark on the stencil is CG points, center lines, etc., so you don’t have to remeasure any lines on your plans if you can help it.

Something to consider as I was tired of re measuring the same combat plans over and over as I’m building replacements or extra planes to get my friends hooked.