Estes Mini A Heli #007272, Build, Part 7, Tube Slotting

The great thing about multiple instructions in different languages - You can cut out templates from the sheet you can't read!

The gray areas are the ejection relief slots in the upper body tube.

I did a lot of practice cutting on some scrap BT-5 tubes.
It's easy to punch and cut the corners, but also easy to punch and cut too far and beyond the opposite corner.

On the left, notice the flat back of the blade is in the corner, the sharp tip and side is facing to the left. Punch and slit to the center of the top.

On the right, the blade is flipped over with the sharp side to the right. Set the tip down in line with the half slit you just made. Lightly punch and cut to the right joining the two cuts.

BT-5 tubing is thin. You want the corners clean and strong. It's very easy to punch and cut beyond the opposite end corner. TIP: Practice on scrap tubing! 



I used an aluminum angle to cut the lines down the sides.


Here I'm stopping before I get all the way down to the left corner. The low end (going up) is cut by flipping over the knife with the flat, dull side of the blade facing up.




After cutting the slots, the piece is still held on the tube. I went back and freed up the corners.










The sides were cleaned up using a small diamond file.
In the end, the corners are pretty clean, stronger without any over cuts.