Estes Sandpiper, Kit #1389, Part 4, Cutting Out The Fins

These kids have it too easy! 

In 1970, we had to hand cut 36 pieces of balsa to assemble an Orbital Transport!

If you ever have to cut balsa from a cardstock template, be sure your (sharp) blade is at a 90 degree angle to the balsa sheet. The illustration is from the yellow pages in the 1971 Estes catalog.

 

Here's the four smaller fins being gang sanded using 220 grit on a block.

After gang sanding - 

Check the corners being sure everything is even and square.

The root edges of the wings were glued together on a sheet of glass.

Weights were set on the top while the glue dried.