Helicar Blog

Helicar Day 1 - Man in a kids world
Helicar Day 2 - 8 Blades top it
Helicar Day 3 - On 2 wheels
Helicar Day 4 - A dove to far
Helicar Day 5 - Sitting on 3 wheels
Helicar Day 6 - The cut of the car
Helicar Day 7 - The colouring in
Helicar Day 8 - The result
Helicar Day 9 - Into school

8 Blades tops it - 22nd November 2010

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The lad is coming into the workshop after school, so we don't have to much time. We plan to get the propellers done. How does it go, you fly before you drive.

I built some storage units for the old house out of MDF planks. They already have rounded edges and are milled to roughly the right size. I have loads of this doing nothing after I dismantled the units when we moved with no where for them to go. I ran a couple through the table saw with the blade at an angle to create a more life like shape.

I built a lot of this project in my mind already so I can give clear direction and good explanations to the boy. I ask him how he thought we could join the two blades together to make the plus sign shape of a helicopter blade, his reply was to simply use some screws or glue. After explaining that we need the two to sit flush, I teach him what a lap joint is and how, in this case we are going to cut the joint.

First I have him do some simple maths to do the marking out, then show him how to use a square to do the marking out. I show him how the trenching works on the chop saw and make the cuts while he stands back.

One of the tools I think he could handle is the palm sander. I set him up at the work bench, show him how its done and let him on his way. Im happy he is able to handle the baby sander, so I head off to cut some more for the rear blades.

Next I have him do something he will be more used to, brushing glue around for the lap joint. We use some quick clamps to hold the joint while the glue cures.

We then set about making the rear blades in the same way.

Continue to day 3.........