Heat Shrinking PET bottles for RC Plane Parts

by earthsciteach | July 29, 2013 | (21) Posted in How To

Forming your own RC aircraft parts can be pretty easy.  I'll show you how I make my own cowlings from water and soda (PET) bottles in this video.  Cost can be as low as $0.  Life is good when cost is $0!  

This technique is a take-off of Steve Roberts' method that can be found here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iohEBgpAnfo  

Thank you, Steve, for posting this!  Now, here is my goofy mug...

 

- Find this article & others like it at www.FliteTest.com -

COMMENTS

Antheman54 on July 30, 2013
Great idea I am defenetly going to use that in the future
Log In to reply
NoUsername on July 30, 2013
Great Video Patrick, The teacher part of you comes out strong. Again great job.
Log In to reply
stephen on July 30, 2013
That was great I'm gonna make me some them. The simplest ideas are the best and recycling too
Log In to reply
earthsciteach on July 30, 2013
Thanks, guys! I had a lot of fun making the video.
Log In to reply
orlandofurioso on July 30, 2013
PET-airplanes are really goot for dogfighting, they are virtually indestructible. Look at this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaGdsI5ZpbE&feature=player_embedded
Log In to reply
JasonEricAnderson on July 30, 2013
Great info. My wife has used PET take out boxes for various flat heat shrink crafts before. I never thought of this shrink around a form method, brilliant!
Log In to reply
Jimmy the Heater on July 30, 2013
Awesome project, thanks for sharing that!
Log In to reply
eagle4 on July 30, 2013
nice one mate, for the handle you attached to the end of the bottle, you may want to glue, tape, whatever a bottle cap to the end of your handle, this will make it easy to remove and use again and again and again. if you drill a hole in the bottlecap, you may find that blowing down your handle as a pipe might also help get your mould out from the cowling
Log In to reply
Jake Wells on July 31, 2013
Oh yeah! I'm gonna have to make something float with this! 5 stars bro.
Log In to reply
tramsgar on July 31, 2013
Oh please cut that poor monkey down already, I think he's learned his lesson now.
Log In to reply
earthsciteach on July 31, 2013
Did Fred put you up to that, tramsgar? Haaa haaa

eagle4 - brilliant ideas! Thanks!

Again, thank you for the kind words, everyone.
Log In to reply
tramsgar on August 1, 2013
Nah, he just reached out to me through the screen with his big, brown, sad eyes. The unspeakable horrors...
Log In to reply
Fishbonez on August 1, 2013
Sir Patrick well done mate,
How do ya like my accent kinda cool aye. Anyway Good job Teach way to teach, your ADHD really poped out in this vid. ha ha. But now I have to figure out how to make plaster paris (spelling)
Log In to reply
carbd89 on August 17, 2013
a fine instructional vid, a thought on reducing the possibility of air bubbles , perhaps connecting a vacum cleaner hose to the end of your "handle ", and running it while forming. I havent tried this , just a thought while watching the vid , thanks
Log In to reply
Yogenh on December 29, 2013
I love it and going to use it myself. I have some cowls I need so now I can make them
Log In to reply
LordVader on May 30, 2014
Wow, very cool. I tried this myself, but it didn't work. But now have a better understanding of how to do it the right way. So cool to be able to make different parts for free basically, also recycling. lol... Thanks for sharing, nice vid and all, keep it up.:)
Log In to reply

You need to log-in to comment on articles.

earthsciteach

(56)

Heat Shrinking PET bottles for RC Plane Parts

Flite Fest Website Flite Fest Website
FliteTest Stem Website FliteTest Stem Website
FliteTest Groups Website FliteTest Groups Website