timrob

Hi,

I recently dropped my wing, and the tip took the brunt of the damage. The ding is a diagonal one, I was wondering the best way to repair this? The damage is worse than this looks in the photo, it is quite a crushed area.

Thanks for your help.

Tim

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

What I would do is to cut a straight, diagonal cut to remove the damaged portion, then glue on a slightly oversized piece of balsa, and sand to shape.

greenboot

My Feedback: (1)

Is that a foam wing? If so, repair is not easy. You must replace the damaged foam with a new piece (either foam or balsa) and reshape it. Start by removing the covering which you will replace as well.

The plane will fly fine as it is. The tip has no structural loads. If you are learning to fly with this one, don't worry about it.

Tom

timrob

Tom,

The wing is a foam core wing, but it doesn't seem that the foam is damaged at all, just the balsa wing tip. I was thinking of doing something similar to what MinnFlyer suggested. Thanks guys for your help.

Tim.

CafeenMan

To add to MinnFlyer's absolutely correct response - make the same modification to both tips and it will look like it's supposed to be that way.

timrob

CaffeenMan,

I will make MinnFlyer's mod, hopefully I will be able to disguise it so it will look like it was continuous, so the mod to the other tip won't be necessary.

Thanks for the input CaffeenMan, greenboot and MinnFlyer.

Tim.

Jemo

My Feedback: (5)

You can also drop the other wing so it will match..............




sorry, I couldn't help it.

MinnFlyer's fix is what I do.

swooper

Can't see that photo very well. If it's just a dent, try this before cutting:
Wet the dented area and let soak in a couple of minutes while your covering iron heats up.
Apply the hot iron to the damp balsa. It'll sizzle a bit and will take its original shape as it dries.
In this case, don't bake it too hard because of the foam.
I'm amazed at how well this repairs dents.

CafeenMan

Swooper - For years I've advocated using white vinegar to remove dents. Yesterday I stupidly clamped some contest balsa all around the perimeter of a fin using clothes pins and really dented the wood badly. The vinegar didn't help much so I pulled out my iron and voila! Good as new. I never realized how well that works until yesterday and now I'm sold on it.

Scalebuff

so that works>>>?? i have heard you guys talk about it but never actualy done it, and the wood never shrinks back??

hhhmm well ill guess ill have to give it a wherl

CafeenMan

Scalebuff - if you had seen this you would be an instant believer. Here's the skinny...

I built up a fin and rudder to look like an old Sopwith rudder. The thing is that it's going on the stik that I have several articles about on my site. The skin is 1/16" and is routed out to accept 1/64" plywood iron crosses.

When I clamped the skins to the inner skeleton, the wood was crushed all around the perimiter. I had clothespins side by side all the way around. I was really annoyed with myself when I pulled the clothes pins off for not having the discipline to use clamp blocks.

So, I tried vinegar with little success. In desperation I pulled out my covering iron and they dents COMPLETELY disappeared. I'm dead serious. These dents were deeper than half the thickness of the wood and a quick run over with the iron completey removed them.

Here's the finished product (the fin - the plane is far from finished):

Scalebuff

i WANT ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

tnx for the info on the iron treatment so you just used the iron and no water right??...

i gota build me one of those cafeenman!!!, that looks so damn nice, once i get this DVII out the way i think my hurricane will have to wait a little love that rudder essebly

CafeenMan

Well, I wouldn't want to do it again. I routed 8 maltese crosses! The ones on the wings (2 each top and bottom) are 8" square. It wasn't hard to do, but got to be tedious. First one took a couple hours, but after I got into the swing of it, they took about 20 minutes each. Still, I will cry like a baby when I crash this one.

http://www.airfieldmodels.com/inform...lays/index.htm

The wood was still wet with vinegar when I used the iron.

timrob

Here is a bigger photo, sorry for the smaller one before. I didn't realize it would come out so small. I will take another shot of the ding end on and post in a few minutes when downloaded from my digital camera.

As you can see if you look closely, it is more a crumpled area than a ding (the title of the thread wasn't accurate). You can see the kind of squashed in bits (jagged area). You can get a better impression of the size of the crumpled area if you run a line down continuing to complete the triangle where the TE and wing tip should meet. The area has been crumpled on a diagonal.

I don't think the water would work, but I will give it a go, couldn't hurt. This is the type of suggestions and good info that RCU is so great for.

Thanks guys for your input again. Stay tuned for the end on shot.

Tim.

CafeenMan

DId you build this wing? It looks like you did a nice job on it. Sorry about the tip. I hate it when stuff like that happens.

You know that wing I posted pictures of above? I had just finished finish sanding it and put it on a board to take pictures of it. The board was leaned against a heavy stand in my driveway. I went inside to get my camera and it blew over on the wing. The board is 1/4" x 2' x 8' masonite. The wing survived, but had all kinds of gravel in teh wing skin. Man did I want to cry. I can't do a thing about it either. I'm just going to call it "weathering" and live with it.

My point being I certainly feel your pain.

Scalebuff

LMAO!! i like the when bit

as for the crosses, i carnt see my self going through all that a touch of the old paint works for me lol, and besides i dont have a router yet this damn wife of mine LOL, that will look awsome when its done though mate,

CafeenMan

It's been a tough couple seasons for me. Of all the planes on my website, the only two I have left are My Stik 30 and the Herr Pitts. All the rest crashed or flew away. My flying isn't the same caliber as my building. This next year I hope to get my hanger filled up again.

timrob

Here is the end on shot.

CafeenMan, Yes I did a lot of the build, except I didn't sheet the wing (I consider the amount of time you take to sand the thing smooth far outweighs the time to skin a wing, I could be wrong). I glasses it myself, and considering this is my first real build, I think it came out well. I have learned heaps (like not to drop something you place many hours of work into!) Nice to see the your other inlays, I have admired your work on the How To's on the website. I forgot to mention that the wing is glassed, can the heating dings still work (for smaller dings) under glass, I wouldn't imagine so. Anyone tried? I feel your pain too about the gravel rash! Weathering is a good explanation. It isn't far from the truth.

I took my newly finished trainer into the LHS to be checked over. Even though it was a ARF, it still have several hours of work into it, and a gust of wind blew the door shut onto the stab. Crushed quite a large section. So I took back the covering, repaired the balsa, and stuck back all of the covering I could. As I didn't have any covering I covered the area with a couple of spare OS stickers that came with the engine. Looks like sponsors stickers strategically placed, and it hides all the damage.

Tim.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

I'm familliar with the vinegar/heat trick, but I think that tip might be a little too far-gone to do it.

CafeenMan

MinnFlyer - Yeah, that tip definitely couldn't be saved by that. If I had known I was going to use heat I would have used water instead of vinegar. When I put the vinegar on, I had no intention of using heat.

timrob

CafeenMan and MinnFlyer,

That was what I was afraid of. A definite repair job is in order. Out with the band saw and balsa block. Thankfully I will be able to take a nice cut off without going into foam.

Thanks for the help, much appreciated.

Tim.

CafeenMan

You did a nice job on that wing Tim - ESPECIALLY for a first build, but it's good regardless. Hanger rash is something we all have to live with. No matter how careful you are, things are going to happen.

I think if you tried heating the glassed surface, you might have some problems with the epoxy softening, but it will harden again. The problem is it will probably become brittle. In other words, it might work and it might not. How's that for sitting on the fence.

As far as sheeting goes, you sand the skins BEFORE you put them on the wing. It doesn't take that long, but for most sport planes it's not worth it. I don't think they're much heavier than a D-tube because you still have glue on the entire rib for the cap strips. If you use contest balsa, then the extra weight is insignificant.

However, a sheeted wing in most cases does not fly noticeably better than a D-tube. Well, a good pilot can tell the difference, but I can't.

Anyway, it's nice to know there's another builder in our ranks. We're having a rumble at the lodge with ARFers on Wednesday. Hope you can make it. Bring a good bat.

timrob

CafeenMan,

I like a good rumble, being an Aussie, I will bring a cricket bat, you can do some serious damage with one!

I really enjoy building, so much so, I haven't had the pleasure of flying yet. I have my trainer set to go, but I spend most of my weekend making the Sabre. One of these weekends I will take the plunge.

I saw a thread about what everyone hates about building, well being a newbie, I like most of it, I really like sitting out in the sun with a wing on my lap and sandpaper in hand, and feeling the freshly sanded part forming with each sand. I like gluing, and even the challenge of hinging. Each time in my shed, I learn something new. The best part is seeing something coming together nicely, and be rewarded for all your hard effort. My biggest lesson is to take your time, almost good enough isn't good enough at all.

I am almost too scared to fly with all that money and effort. I hate ARF's, but they serve a purpose. I would much rather be hands on, which is really surprising, as I am not really that handy around the home.

Tim.

CafeenMan

Gotta love it. There's hope for the hobby yet.

Scalebuff

Yep this ARF/RTF war is getting nasty , the market has been flooded with thee things and i personly find it upseting, bacause so amy good builders are tossing there sanding block to one side and going for these things, as you say tim they do serve a purpose and i respect that, but its a shame we are seing less hand built (scratch built/kit built) planes at the field..

the old days of watching some stunning craftsmanship glide through the air is all but gone with the ARF's flying about (pardon the pun)..
i must admit i have been tempted at times when other pilots are bringing a new plane every 3 weeks to the field and its taking me months to finnish my latest project, but the end result keeps me on track, i have had ARF planes and it just feels like a toy to me as i never built it, but when MY PLANE is up there i feel all warm and fuzzy (and damn scared im gona smash it to bits )....

so as cafeenman said welcome to the ranks we need all the builders we can get here we are a dying breed , these forums are just grate and you will learn tons of stuff and there is always someone willing to help

CafeenMan and minnflyer are a mine of information and arnt the only ones on here making us all better pilots/builders

CafeenMan's building has....... well gave me a boost to better my building, his work is just mind blowing and his website is a super place for information so check it out