Welcome To Sodaplanes.com
Your home for hand crafted can art items made from your favorite brand of beverage cans.

 

A while back I got an E-Mail from Wayne at BC Air and thought I would pass along this building tip to my fellow builders.
 

Here are the steps I use when making the engines for building the
Bi-Planes, Tri-Planes, F4U Corsair, Beaver, AT-6 Texan, Twin Beech C-45, And Ford 5-AT
 
Landing Gear Alternative

A cheap and good looking alternative for under carriage wire is bicycle spoke. I went to my local cycle repair store and was sold a bundle of asstd spokes for a few bucks. The finish is chrome like and the wire bends ( and re bends) easier than any of the other wire used. I like brass welding rod but don't try to straighten or reuse it.. Looks great with chrome acorn nuts.

Mal (From Down Under) Australia
 
              Here Is A Tip I Use To Prevent Score Line Breaking.

1. After drawing out the pattern on the can PUT a mark where the SCORE line is going to be (I use a Sharpie black marker).
2. Flip over the pattern before making the SCORE LINES and put 2-3 pieces of scotch tape in the area the SCORE line.
3. Flip the pattern back over and make the SCORE lines and bends, The Scotch tape holds the can together after scouring the lines.
4. Remove any of the lines left by the Sharpie with finger nail polish remover.
 

Here is a tip on making the rubber edging around the open cockpit

1. take a 2x4 or any thick piece of lumber, and set your table saw approx 1/4 inch in height. Then run the board across table saw. this is where the 10g wire will fit.
 
2. then take the 10g wire and set it on top of the cut out, and tap the wire into the groove with a rubber mallat. (this will hold the wire firmly inplace)

 
  3. set your straight edge in the middle of the wire. take your utility knife and lightly score the wire 3 to 4 times. you should have straight line down the middle.
 
                         Cutting the Top out of a Can.....(Can B-3)
 
Here is quick and easy way to cut the top's off the can for the cowling used on Classic Biplane, Fokker DR-1 Tri-Wing, Twin-Beech C-45, Vought F4U Corsair, AT-6 Texan, Havilland Beaver DH-2 and the new Beechcraft V-35 Bonanza.