New Products That Are Worth a Closer Look ULTIMATION SANDER
THAYER SYME shared the following review of the Ultimation Sander.
I recently came across the Ultimation Sander that was developed and produced by Al Collins of Ontario, Canada. Al is known in model railroading circles as the founder of Mt. Albert Scale Lumber, the go-to source for craftsmen who need scale 2 x 4s, 4 x 12s, or other dimensional stock for their latest museum-quality builds. Fortunately, the Ultimation Sander is equally at home on the workbench of anyone who prefers to fly his or her carefully crafted creations.
Al’s motivation for the Ultimation came when he realized that the speed and vibration of his 4-inch benchtop disk sander were preventing him from reliably repeating true precision angles and accurate lengths with his strip wood parts. His immediate solution was to unplug its motor and manually power the sander with his thumb on the face of the sanding disk. While that worked better, he soon tired of the blisters that were induced by extended building sessions.
The result is the Ultimation Sander. This unique product is hand-powered using a crank handle mounted to the main spindle. For a finer touch still, Al also encircles the disk perimeter with a thin rubber tire to prevent blisters!
The table is precisely adjusted to a perfect 90° at the factory and is hinged to allow easy access for cleaning and replacing the sanding media. It uses 5-inch, self-adhesive disks that are readily available wherever auto refinishing supplies are sold.
The precision protractor-style fence adjusts quickly and easily from 90° down to nearly 0. Its scale is clearly etched in 1° increments, allowing easy repeatability to less than 1/2° of accuracy. Although I don’t expect to ever use it, a nice feature is that the protractor scale can be fine-tuned if needed. The right edge of the table has a slight recess, which acts as a permanent 90° fence for sanding true square ends without changing the protractor setting.
An optional accessory that you might want is the Repeater. This fence stop is micro-adjustable, with an engraved dial indicating length changes of just 0.001 inches. It is spring loaded, allowing you to easily position a “slightly long” piece of stock against the fence, and then sand it to the same length and angles as the previous part.
The Repeater really shines when building stick fuselages. As you fit each upright or diagonal between the longerons of the first side, it takes only a few seconds to make an identical piece. This will allow framing the second side in a fraction of the time with the same accuracy as the first.
After the sides are framed, the same is true when joining them. Many fuselages will have multiple crosspieces near the wing that are the same length. The Repeater allows you to make them as fast as you can load the stock and spin the handle, without worrying about sanding any pieces too far or missing the desired angle.
Upper and lower crosspieces are often the same as the fuselage tapers behind the wing, again, perfectly matching duplicates is just a few seconds away.
I have mounted my Ultimation Sander to a small piece of Baltic birch plywood.
Although unnecessary, this does offer a more stable stance and allows me to clamp it to a workbench if desired.
Any discussion of the Ultimation Sander must consider its price. I’ll admit, I was initially put off by sticker shock. At $225, it is the same price that I paid 25 years ago for a 10-inch variable-speed disk sander (although inflation has brought that price to $350 today).
Although I still have and regularly use my original sander, my experience parallels Al’s. It is often more tool than I need for delicate work, and controlling the angles and length can be touchy. Because of this, I have been adjusting my stick framing with a sanding block before using the Ultimation Sander and doing my best to set the angles accurately.
The Ultimation Sander is precisely made from powder-coated steel, anodized CNC-turned aluminum. The spindle is supported by a pair of sealed ball bearings. For the curious, I measured the total indicated runout of my disk at less than 0.002 of an inch.
Framing my first project with the Ultimation Sander was a revelation. It provided more accurate and efficient results than my favorite sanding block. It prevents airborne dust, and it’s quiet when compared with my powered sander. That is much appreciated.
Two other significant benefits were immediately apparent. First, the ability to instantly reverse direction of the disk prevents those lingering fibers that are familiar to all who have used a powered disk sander. An additional benefit comes for younger hands or moments of inattention. Because the Ultimation is powered by its operator, the relative danger of injury is essentially zero.
Quite simply, using the Ultimation Sander is a pleasure. Its precision and quality will be appreciated by all who enjoy using well-designed tools. I have no doubt that it will continue to provide precise, repeatable results for others, long after I am finished with it.
New Products from the Modeler’s Mall
AR Multi-Switch and Reg-Switch @ $59 - $64.95 + S&H from Advanced Radio
Email: sales@boomarc.com; website: www.boomarc.com
The Multi-Switch and Reg-Switch from Advanced Radio and BoomaRC are set to be the new standards in RC electronic switches. Both feature a dual-battery-sharing capability while handling the sustained high-current loads that today’s RC market requires.
Designed with the demand for higher voltage, power, and current in mind, the Multi-Switch gives the pilot a huge threshold of power for 3D, aerobatic, and Giant Scale models. Key features include high power throughout, a dual-battery design, guaranteed failsafe technology, and an incredible lightweight and miniature design.
The Multi-Switch is nonregulated, while the Reg-Switch is the 6-volt option. Giving pilots the ability to use 6-volt servos, both versions are designed to be used with two-cell LiPo, Li-Ion, or LiFe batteries and include the AR pin flag switch. The option of input and output cables for easy installation is also available. Visit the BoomaRC website or any Advanced Radio retailer of more information.
Power Model Jet Oil—5 Liter @ (prices vary with currency conversion) + S&H from Deluxe Materials
Email: sales@deluxematerials.co.uk; websites: www.deluxematerials.com and www.horizonhobby.com
If you regularly fly RC jets or other turbine aircraft, the new 5-liter (5.28-quart) Power Model Jet Oil is for you. This larger, more environmentally friendly, money-saving jug is marked with 1-liter and quart divisions to making it simple to mix fuel. It is suitable for blending with 100 liters of kerosene or diesel at a 20:1 mix.
Power Model Jet Oil is the first fully synthetic, purpose-made model turbine oil designed to combine sustained maximum turbine performance with safer emissions and is devised at a molecular level with pure, clean, synthetic components that are reinforced with a powerful antioxidant additive system. The result is a unique lubricant that burns cleanly without outstanding high-temperature stability and extremely low volatility for maximum bearing lubrication, turbine life, less harmful gasses, and improved air quality.
Dyed green for easy recognition in your fuel mix, Power Model Jet Oil has a pleasant odor, is nonflammable, and is nonharmful to skin, making it safer to handle, store, and transport. Fully compatible with model fuel tubing and systems, it will not discolor modeling paints and finishes and uses anti-electrostatic technology for minimal interference.
Approved by leading companies such as JetCat, Xicoy, Turbine Solutions, Jet Central, and others, Power Model Jet Oil is distributed through the Deluxe Materials network of international distributors, including Horizon Hobby in the US.
Hangar 9 Ultra Stick PNP @ $549.99 + S&H from Horizon Hobby
4105 Fieldstone Rd., Champaign IL 61822; Tel.: (800) 338-4639; website: www.horizonhobby.com/hangar-9
The new Hangar 9 Ultra Stick PNP is the first Ultra Stick in a Plug-N-Play completion level and offers first-time balsa pilots and enthusiasts performance and flight versatility with low assembly time.
Expertly constructed with lightweight, laser-cut balsa and plywood, the Ultra Stick features operational flaps for an expanded flight envelope, a large top hatch for fast and easy access to the battery compartment, fiberglass wheel pants to match the UltraCote colors, tail-dragger landing gear to add to the sporty look, and a two-piece plug-in wing for easier transport and field assembly. No glue is required for assembly, and it can be flown in less time than what it takes to charge a battery! Float-ready hard points for mounting an E-flite Carbon Z float set (sold separately) are also built into the fuselage.
The Ultra Stick includes a factory-installed, high-power 50BL brushless motor, a genuine APC 13 x 8E electric propeller, a 60-amp Spektrum Avian Smart ESC that provides real-time battery voltage, current, motor rpm, and other data via compatible receivers and transmitters, and six factory-installed 26-gram digital servos. A full-range, six-plus-channel transmitter and receiver, 6S 22-volt 3,200 to 5,000 mAh LiPo battery with EC5 or IC5 connector, and compatible LiPo charger are required.
