jester125

I'm at the point on my LT-40 kit where I have to cut slots for the hinges in the leading edge of the ailerons and the trailing edge of the wing. Its not going so good, I just sliced up my thumb pretty good and I got the blood stains on the wing to prove it. Im not impressed with the thin little Sig Easy Hinges, they kind of look and feel flimsy. I was thinking about using the Robart plastic pin type hinges (whatever they're called) instead so later on I could cover the ailerons without them being attached to the wing.
Does this make sense and has anyone done this? I remember seeing instructions on how to install them here on RCU. It looks a hell of alot easier than these cheap (not so) "easy hinges"
Any other ideas if this isnt so good?

Thanks, Chris

DBCherry

My Feedback: (4)

You can use any hinge you want.

I'm not sure what hinges they're putting in the LT-40 kit, but if it's CA hinges, they work pretty well; you just need a hinge slotting tool. Either a motorized one, or one of the special knife blade kits that Dubro makes.
Dennis-

swooper

Sorry to hear about your accident. Sig Easy Hinges work great and install easily once you get the technique figured out. The sequence is to install the hinges "dry" (without glue), remove them and cover the wing and ailerons, cut the covering away from the slots, then glue the hinges into the wing and aileron at the same time. They're strong, free moving, and many of us prefer them.
My technique in cutting the slots is to very lightly make a shallow cut, concentrating on getting it centered. Gradually the cut is deepened, carefully, until it's long and deep enough. Then moving the blade backwards, a bit of wood is dug out using the back edge of the blade. This widens the slot enough for a "slip fit" that allows full glue penetration.
As you've learned, hinging takes time and carefull technique to do a good job and avoid personal damage. Or you can buy the electric tool. best wishes

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Swooper's technique for cutting slots is excellent if you are using a regular blade. It's not hard, but it's tedious and takes time. If you really have trouble (and believe me, hinge slotting is one of our least favorite tasks) Get one of those double pointed blades that Dennis mentioned, or better yet, the GreatPlanes Hinge Slotting Tool.

As far as your bloody wing, welcome, you've been initiated into the Offical Model Builders Club, and your plane has now been Baptised. I always like to think that there's a little bit of "me" in every one of my planes.

PS Reguarding your cut... It's something that happens now and then, but you can avoid it if you learn from your mistakes!

Bucshot

My Feedback: (16)

Use the CA hinges! I think these hinges are the best thing that has come to model avaition in a long time! I used to use the pinned molded hinges all the time. They work great if you install them perfectly. If your slot is slightly angled or off centered, the hinge will bind. Then there is the gluing. No matter how you try, you always end up with one hinge that has glue in it. I've tried all kinds of grease to prevent gluing the hinge, but nothing is fool proof.

I do as was mentioned earlier, only I eliminate one step. I don't do the precutting. I build the wing/H-stab/V-stab and the aileron/elevator/rudder first, cover both, then I cut the slot. I fit the hinges, and glue them in place. I don't worry about getting excess glue in the joint. I dries clear with a little white residue that can easily be wiped off with windex and a soft rag. These types of hinges are so easy! After the plane is covered, I can all surfaces in place and hinged in less than an hour. Try doing that with pinned hinges!

One last thing, if you are concerned about strength, install an extra hinge. They don't add weight. I've used these on high speed prop jets and have NEVER had a failure.

Good luck on your LT! Best trainer ever made!

Heartland

My Feedback: (9)

here's a few tricks that i use when installing CA hinges like sig easy hinges. cut the slot like normal, then drill a small hole, maybe 1/16" or 3/32", right in the middle of the slot into the surface to be hinged. then stick a pin through the middle of the hinge. insert the hinge in both surfaces, the pin will prevent the hinge from sliding into one surface more than the other, this way you have equal amounts of the hinge in both surfaces. now remove the pin. deflect the surface one direction and apply a few drops of THIN CA to the joint. the hole helps the glue flow all the way to the end of the hinge so that the whole hinge soaks up glue and adheres to the structure. then deflect the surface the other way and repeat. never had a CA hinge fail on me. also, with CA hinges you can control the gap between the surfaces much better than with a pinned hinge. hope this helps.

-Aaron

CafeenMan

I don't think I've ever built a model that didn't have my blood on it somewhere. I do that on purpose so that if anyone ever steals one, I can have it DNA tested to prove it's mine.

Jimmbbo

Agree completely... have hinged controls with everything from "over under" cotton strips to all manner of hinges to hinge points, and find the CA hinges an absolute Godsend... plus they are inexpensive, which in some small measure may keep model prices down (uh huh - sure)

My 2 cents-

Jim

jester125

All great tips, thanks all. I guess Ill stick with the ca hinges and go get a slot machine. I really think its a pain in the backside cutting all those slots. I think it will be a good investment if I continue to build more kits.

again thanks everyone
chris

rc-sport

My Feedback: (12)

If your using CA HInges and you cut yourself you can use the CA to stop the bleeding. It stings like hell but it works.

Patriot

He is right. Initially, CA glue was developed during the Vietnam era for the military. It was to be used for gluing together wounds quickly on the battle field for the soldiers. It proved to work very well to seal a wound to prevent them from bleeding to death uuntil they get evac'd to a hospital. The problem is as stated. They found the glue to be so painful on serious wounds that could send a soldier into serious shock, thus making a bad situation worse, and he would die anyway. So the use of it never caught on. I think they have something now that is in fact for this, but is a differant glue that is relatively painless.
But after the war, they found it worked very well at gluing just about anything, and thus "Krazy Glue" was born. I still remember those commercials when I was a kid, of the guy wearing a hard hat, hanging from an I-beam from a peice of wood glued to the top of his hat.

Patriot

Minnflyer is correct. Thou hast been christined into the fraternal bond of... Planehood. (Kinda like joinin' the Illuminatus)

stuk_at_work

My Feedback: (111)

Make sure you buy the corded (120 Volt) slot machine, not the battery operated one. I had (notice the past tense) one of the battery operated ones, and it seemed to run out of juice after two or three hinges.

Before I run the tool on the surface to be hinged, I use one of the two pointed hinge tools to "mark" the hinge location and act as a guide for the hinge tool. I tried one of those plastic edge guides that Great planes sells, and found using the two pointed tool a lot more accurate for guiding the electric hinge tool.

And for the record, I have YET to build ANYTHING that at some point in construction/assembly did not draw a little blood. It has gotten to the point where I get worried if I'm almost done with a project and haven't had to make a trip to the medicine cabinet for some band-aids yet!

Balsa Master

ya no they still show those? i never relized how old that comercial was. now that i think about its been around for ages.

u can make somthign liek this wiht 2 pieces of balsa 4 1" pieces of dowel and 1 bolt, put pencil in on of the 2 corners and draw a line strait down the center of TE. just an idea. (sorry, wanst conna draft this in cad ms paint has to do.)

and its sure cheaper than buying one from GP pf robart

spokman

My Feedback: (2)

Some people don't like the hinge slotters. My dad has actually prefers to use his exacto knife over the dubro kit for slotting. One hint is to use the non-sharp side of the blade to dig out balsa. Also you can lay a strip of wood or other item flat paralle to the slotted surface and use it as a knife guide.

Balsa Master

thats what i do. (only i use the tool i drew to make a line so the hinges are all in line). only way to go. i do the toothpick trick for that extra reasurance they aint' going any where.

SCJ

You may also check with the hobby shop about a centering device that will help center the hinge vertically on the surface and the trailing edge. They are relatively inexpensive and work wonders.

Sam