Hanky Planky – ‘elf & safety’

Sanding Depron – Ron’s instructions do advise you to wear a safety mask if you get into sanding Depron.

Whilst harvesting old magazines, I also came across the following letter in RCM&E from April 2021:

 

‘MOULDED DEPRON?

I just browsed through the latest issue and as might be expected, I went straight to the Depron feature. Excellent stuff, with only one quibble really and a caveat, the last one being more serious.

Quibble – no mention is made of using heat to mould Depron. Especially for smaller models (the area I know best) this is a good way to make curved sheets as in that way no stresses are introduced into the structure. I use near boiling water to mould Depron as it is an easily controllable source of heat (and the missus would take a dim view of using the oven to mould plastics!) I have a 1S electric powered model called My Sparky, based on the Comet kit.

That model has 6mm Depron moulded wings and, to this day, they are still keeping their shape.

(Arnaldo’s model was the subject of an article in RC Model World, Feb 2016, as an example of how to refurbish/ update an old rubber powered model. KC)

Caveat – whenever working with Depron, I make a point of stressing that it should always be sanded with wet-and-dry, used wet. Depron dust is dangerous so the last thing one wants is to inhale those particles. Besides, Depron dust is electrostatically charged so it clings to everything, including ourselves! When using water that dust becomes an easily controllable, safe slurry. The water also prevents clogging, so there is much less risk of ruining the model’s surface.

Arnaldo Correia’

Sound advice from Arnaldo, who regularly contributes articles and pictures featuring the Spanish Dawn Patrol members and their models, to the hallowed magazine.