Schluter Heli Baby Restoration (Build Thread)

[Corvette & Copter Guy]

You see a lot of build threads in the main forum so I thought I would do one on a restoration. This will be a work in progress so it might go slow. Here is my start (main bearing blocks) of the project. A little clean up, wet sanding, and polish and it looks pretty good. Hard to see by the pic but the difference is night and day.

[Ah Clem]

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Great that you are doing this, sir!

[Corvette & Copter Guy]

Here is another part. Of course this part will not be seen but I wanted to see how it would look shiny. There will be a few finishes I will be using:
1) sand blasted (gives the look of cast)
2) sanded (more of a satin look)
3) wet sanded (a milled look)
4) polished
Feel free to comment on what parts should get what finish.

[Corvette & Copter Guy]

Here is a before pic of the landing gear braces. I am leaning towards polishing these. I am also thinking about not installing the clutch fan to show off more of the motor.

[Corvette & Copter Guy]

One more piece done for the day. I have been noticing a far amount of pitting in the metal. Makes for a lot more sanding. Frames, nose channel, and motor mounts will be blasted tonight. All of these were in ok condition and not worthy of a pic. All of items listed will get only a blast (no sanding/polishing). Although I have polished aluminum frames before and they turned out VERY nice. Still deciding on what parts get what finish.

[sarpilot]

Subscribed as well!

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[Corvette & Copter Guy]

Fan is looking better. It wasn't to bad but there was room for improvement. I wanted to keep the cast fins looking the same. All I did was clean up the ends and the pulley. Or at least I think its a pulley. I might do a little more work to it since I want to keep the engine in full view.

[Ah Clem]

Yes, it's a pulley!

It is used for starting the engine.

You used to be able to purchase rubber belting, that was round in cross-section, and melt it together to form a loop. You put the belt around the pulley and the pulley on your starter, and pressed the button on your starter.

If things went well, the engine started and you removed the starter. Things could get rather interesting if the starter grabbed the belt and slammed your hand into the side of the helicopter.

It was also a good idea to make a hook to keep the belt from getting caught in the gears which, when it happened, caused things to come to a grinding halt fairly quickly. This got rather sporting if the machine was very high off the ground (being that it was fixed pitch and quite heavy for its size).

Later on, someone figured out that you could put very small cup hooks on each end of a length of belt material, hook it together for starting, then unhook it after the motor got running. This made things a lot easier in terms of not having the belt jam things...

I found a length of the belt material (complete with cup hooks) in my old flight box. When I picked it up, it fell apart. When I went to purchase more of it, it was only available in 100' lengths for over $100.00. For some reason, I didn't purchase any.

[Corvette & Copter Guy]

Well after about 2hrs of wet sanding and polishing I'm calling it good enough. So far this piece has had the least amount of pitting. Still trying to get the end of the motor off so I can clean it up. With the engine being cast a little sand blasting will make it look brand new again.

[Corvette & Copter Guy]

These were a little on the rough side (just like everything else seems to be on this model). I used a sanding mouse with 120 grit paper. In person they look as if they were painted silver. Not exactly the look I wanted but of all the different finishes I tried, this was the best

[LaDon]

You know you wouldn't have to do all this work if you would just sell that heli to me don't you?

[Corvette & Copter Guy]

Very true but here is the problem....I would kinda feel guilty selling you a helicopter after all the help you and Ryan have given me.

[LaDon]

It wouldn't bother me a bit. Hehee

[Corvette & Copter Guy]

I am replacing all of the original frame hardware with new stuff. Some of the old ones broke. I will be saving all of original screws that lived through the tear down.

[Corvette & Copter Guy]

I thought I would take a break from aluminum and do the lower wood piece. I still need to get the servo mount done. For the upper piece I'm going to have to buy a scroll saw to cut for the fuel bottle. I'm thinking about using a dark stain on the plywood. This way you will be able to see the grain yet still be dark enough to look right....I think.

[Ah Clem]

" I'm thinking about using a dark stain on the plywood. This way you will be able to see the grain yet still be dark enough to look right....I think"

That should look really cool!

[Heliwhisperer]

AhClem, Do you think he should use some kind of sealer, or would the stain be fuelproof.
My Heliboy started to absorb the fuel slop along one edge that I missed covering, and the plywood started delaminating.
I am not sure how stained wood would react to nitro.
On another note I was on O S engines website and came across manuals. It was posted in the other thread that a O S 40 was used in a build.
If I figured correctly a 50 or 55 motor might work, but a prop washer and crankshaft key would be needed on the heli motors.
The mounting hole dimensions seemed to be the same. The only other problem would be the muffler if someone would want a modern powerplant.
Just thinking out loud to myself LOL!
HW.

[Ah Clem]

"AhClem, Do you think he should use some kind of sealer, or would the stain be fuelproof."

I agree that it needs to be fuel proofed. He should be able to coat it with clear, fuel proof paint after he stains it. That way he will be able to have the stained wood effect and preserve the wood.

Great comment, sir!

Regarding the engine, occasionally new O.S. .40/45 FSR's show up on Ebay. The .45H would be the best choice, both for the reason that you mentioned about the muffler (you can still find Mac's Heloball mufflers on Ebay sometimes) and for the fact that they put an oil groove either on the crankshaft or in the crank case to keep the front bearing lubed (the original .40 FSR's were prone to the front bearing freezing up after a lot of air time in the Helibaby and the Revolutions, as the front bearing was always oriented up and no lubrication from either gravity or crankcase pressure could get to it--this was cured in the .45FSR-H).

[Corvette & Copter Guy]

What fuel proof clear is a good choice? I tore the engine apart and it looks OK. Of course I know nothing about a nitro engine but have built a small block Chevy. Lol.

[SpinRay]

Been following this as well. Love stuff like this. Really want to see the outcome. I'd suggest this. Why? Because it was designed just for this. They make a clear coat.

http://www.monokote.com/lustrekote/p...r7200tip1.html