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RE: Repairing an RTF wing - my Hobbistar 60 trainer - 10/22/2012 2:17 AM   
grosbeak



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Status: offline 		As hoped, the top surface went a lot better.



The bottom surface of the port wing went just as well. It was slightly more complicated because it needed a cutout for the servo tray.








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RE: Repairing an RTF wing - my Hobbistar 60 trainer - 10/30/2012 2:35 AM   
grosbeak



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Status: offline 		I didn't like the original covering scheme enough to go to the effort of recreating it, so I thought I'd try laying out a few different ideas.
















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RE: Repairing an RTF wing - my Hobbistar 60 trainer - 11/3/2012 12:15 AM   
grosbeak



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Status: offline 		After consulting with a far more experienced pilot on visibility at a distance I've decided on a bolder pattern with a single colour.




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RE: Repairing an RTF wing - my Hobbistar 60 trainer - 11/4/2012 3:24 AM   
grosbeak



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Status: offline 		I created the cutting template for the registration letters. The letters are 6" high and 22" wide.



Today I went to M&T Glass, a local business. In their clearance area I found a nice piece of 5mm polished glass, 53" x 17-7/8" It makes a great cutting surface for covering. Great people to deal with.



I have a power tool guide that I purchased from Lee Valley Tools several years ago. At 52" it makes an excellent straight edge for cutting covering.



Using the Windex method, I laid the first stripe. I figured I should try just one to start because I am new to this approach.




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RE: Repairing an RTF wing - my Hobbistar 60 trainer - 11/4/2012 6:38 PM   
grosbeak



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Status: offline 		The Windex method worked very well for the first stripe, so I used it for the rest of them. I ironed the first stripe down around the edges and will do the same to the rest of them tomorrow.



The three port wing stripes have been placed as well.

I've been using a brush to remove the excess Windex from behind the covering - Lee Valley Tools calls it The World's Kindest Nail Brush. The bristles are very soft but are so close together that they can apply consistent pressure to the covering to push out the excess. I start with the bristles and follow with the straight edge on top.





Another discovery - razor blades are very useful for separating a corner of the Monokote backing from the covering.




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RE: Repairing an RTF wing - my Hobbistar 60 trainer - 11/6/2012 2:16 AM   
grosbeak



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Status: offline 		So - all of the wing bottom stripes are on, ironed down and wrapped around.



I got a tip about cutting the stripes into the hinge gap: Use a straightedge.



Makes for nice, straight cuts.



My least favourite thing about covering is ironing the loose ends into the hinge gap. Thankfully, that's all done. And the leading edge strips for the upper surfaces are Windexed in place now.




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RE: Repairing an RTF wing - my Hobbistar 60 trainer - 11/7/2012 2:05 AM   
grosbeak



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Status: offline 		The leading edge stripes are ironed onto the upper surface.



The aileron stripes are Windexed in place.




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RE: Repairing an RTF wing - my Hobbistar 60 trainer - 11/8/2012 11:25 AM   
grosbeak



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Status: offline 		The aileron strips have been ironed on...



... including the hinge gap. I'm getting better at that.



Next steps - Cutting and placing the registration letters.


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RE: Repairing an RTF wing - my Hobbistar 60 trainer - 11/8/2012 11:37 AM   
grosbeak



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Status: offline 		Now for the registration letters. I'm using a method I found on YouTube: Monokote 301.

Required equipment:
  • Glass sheet
  • Windex (Original - with Ammonia-D)
  • Paper towel
  • Glad Press'n'Seal (no subsitutes)
  • Squeegee tool (credit card, etc)
  • Straight edge (if cutting straight lines)
  • Hobby knife (or razor blades) - lots of blades
  • Covering iron
  • Heat gun

    1. Apply covering to glass
  • Cut a piece of covering a bit larger than the design
  • Clean the glass and coat it with Windex
  • Peel the backing off the covering
  • Apply the covering to the glass
  • Squeegee the Windex out from beneath the covering
  • Carefully dry the covering and the surrounding area



    2. Apply template over covering
  • Place template at flat as possible
  • Tape both sides to glass, taking care not to cover the design



    3. Cut out the design
  • Start at one end and work towards the other
  • Take your time and change blades often. Glass dulls them very quickly





    < Message edited by grosbeak -- 11/9/2012 1:48 AM >


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    RE: Repairing an RTF wing - my Hobbistar 60 trainer - 11/8/2012 11:46 AM   
    grosbeak



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    Status: offline     		4. Peel off the covering that is not part of the design
  • Remove the remaining pieces of template and tape
  • Use a hobby knife with a new blade and peel carefully, especially where cut lines meet
  • Start with the outside pieces
  • Hold onto the pieces of the design to keep them from shifting on the glass
  • Go slowly









    < Message edited by grosbeak -- 11/8/2012 1:36 PM >


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    RE: Repairing an RTF wing - my Hobbistar 60 trainer - 11/8/2012 11:59 AM   
    grosbeak



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    Status: offline     		5. Apply the Glad Press'n'Seal
  • Tear off a suitable sheet of Glad Press'n'Seal
  • Holding the sheet as flat as possible, apply it to the graphic
  • Rub the sheet firmly on the pieces of the design until all are adhered





    6. Transfer the graphic
  • Spray Windex on the surface to which the graphic will be transferred
  • Blot the Windex to remove most of the excess, but do not wipe it all up
  • Starting at one end, slowly peel the Glad Press'n'Seal from the glass
  • If any part of the design does not come up with the Press'n'Seal, lower it down and again and rub to adhere
  • Transfer the sheet to the new surface
  • Ensure the graphic is properly placed
  • Carefully squeegee excess Windex from beneath the graphic
  • Allow the graphic (still adhered to the sheet of Press'n'Seal) to sit overnight





    < Message edited by grosbeak -- 11/8/2012 1:36 PM >


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    RE: Repairing an RTF wing - my Hobbistar 60 trainer - 11/9/2012 1:40 AM   
    grosbeak



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    Status: offline     		7. Remove the Glad Press'n'Seal
  • Grab your heat gun and set it to Pleasantly Warm
  • Starting at one end, apply a little warmth to the Press'n'Seal with the heat gun and start peeling it from the surface
  • At the edge of the design, slow down to ensure that the graphic remains on the surface
  • Continue a slow cycle of warming and peeling until all of the Press'n'Seal has been removed





    8. Finish the job
  • Iron the graphic lightly, then use the heat gun to stretch out any creases
  • Wash off the surface and the graphic and you're good to go!




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    RE: Repairing an RTF wing - my Hobbistar 60 trainer - 11/9/2012 1:47 AM   
    grosbeak



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    Status: offline     		Now that the registration letters are done, it's time for the logo. Same procedure to start with - and I found that a plastic straight edge wrapped inside a paper towel makes the perfect squeegee.



    This time I transferred the graphic by hand, for two reasons. First, it's smaller. Second, alignment of the two separate pieces wasn't as important.



    Tomorrow I'll iron down the logo - and the wings will be done.


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    RE: Repairing an RTF wing - my Hobbistar 60 trainer - 11/10/2012 12:38 PM   
    grosbeak



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    Status: offline     		Okay - they're done.



    Next step: converting the trainer to a tail dragger - but that's a different thread. ;-)


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    RE: Repairing an RTF wing - my Hobbistar 60 trainer - 11/10/2012 1:14 PM   
    grosbeak



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    Status: offline     		This project is complete!

    SUMMARY

    Cost

    In terms of cash alone it would have been a lot cheaper to buy the replacement wings. A LOT. In terms of time, the ratio is virtually incalculable However, there are several mitigating factors.
    1. The purchases for this project were either supplies or tools. I still have a lot of balsa, covering and filler left. The tools, of course, I now own for other uses.
    2. I've learned a lot about working with balsa and covering and about wing structure and I added to my pool of knowledge on shaping wood by hand
    3. I've got a finished result that I'm very proud of
    4. I had a ton of fun in the process

    If I had to make the decision over again, I would still opt to do the repair myself.

    Lessons learned

    Mark your balsa stock for purpose before you start cutting -OR- you might make a complete set of leading edge ribs out of wing sheeting stock
    Pay attention to the direction of the grain in the balsa -OR- your leading edge ribs may not have the strength they otherwise might
    Find an intact piece to use as a template for replacement pieces of the same size and shape -OR- you might cut a whole set of leading edge ribs that don't match the rest of the wing
    Use some dust filtration / extraction and a mask when you cut or sand balsa -OR- you're going to do a lot of coughing

    Photos

    I took, let's see, 301 pictures during the repair process. Lots of them are in this thread. All of them are in my Flickr set, which is titled Hobbistar 60 - Wing repair


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    RE: Repairing an RTF wing - my Hobbistar 60 trainer - 11/29/2012 8:32 PM   
    Twin_Flyer



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    Status: offline     		Outstanding work!

    I think if/when you decide to build a kit, the work you did here shows you have the skills needed to master it!

    Bill S.

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    RE: Repairing an RTF wing - my Hobbistar 60 trainer - 3/11/2013 3:14 PM   
    grosbeak



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    Status: offline     		Thanks, Bill!

    I did convert the Hobbistar to a tail dragger, but I can't find the thread on RCU. In any case, here's the report from the long overdue re-maiden.

    After swapping the wheels for some skis, I re-maidened the Hobbistar in warm, beautiful winter weather on Saturday.



    It flew very well. On the first flight I needed to trim in some left aileron to keep it level and the first and second flights ended with dead sticks and long walks until I got some help tuning the OS 65 LA glow engine.

    The third and fourth flights were excellent. Lots of low, slow passes with the new 3-blade prop and a few touch-and-gos.

    I had forgotten, however, how slimy glow exhaust is. I'll be keeping my eyes open for a little gasser - maybe an RCGF 15.

    All in all, an excellent re-maiden!


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    RE: Repairing an RTF wing - my Hobbistar 60 trainer - 3/13/2013 10:09 PM   
    MrGoodwreck



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    Status: offline     		Very nice job.

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    RE: Repairing an RTF wing - my Hobbistar 60 trainer - 4/29/2013 1:54 PM   
    KitBuilder



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    Status: offline     		Nice job on the fix...
    Some are builders.. and some are assemblers.. welcome to the ranks... You have all the skills necessary to go and modify a kit (kitbash). Extremely fun!

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    RE: Repairing an RTF wing - my Hobbistar 60 trainer - 5/3/2013 7:23 PM   
    bikerbc


     

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    Status: offline     		Way to go Grosbeak . It often costs more to build than it does to buy an ARF or repair than buy ready made parts but the pride we feel cant be measured in dollars and cents...That is the part of this hobby that so many hobbiests are missing out on.. Not everybody has the time or space to dedicate to building so buying an ARF is the way to go.. They are awfully nice planes ,awfully nice looking anyway ..But once you build one and feel the pride .. You love it warts and all...And when you maiden it you knees knock together .. You miss part of that when you fly an ARF because you just don't have that much of yourself invested...There is no way you can fully explain the pleasure we builders get from this part of our hobby but for me it is the better side of the hobby.. I would probably keep building even if I couldn't fly anymore but I probably wouldn't keep flying if I couldn't build ... You did a great job and learned a lot ,you should be proud , By the way , did you fix the tree ?

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