jabowil-RCU

My Feedback: (9)

I am resurrecting an old Piedmont Focus. But the wing is difficult to slide on and off, Can anyone suggest a good lubricant that would work?

TIA

RCFlyerDan

My Feedback: (54)

Don't use any lube. Take a long dowel that will fit into your drill chuck. 1/4 inch dowel works well. Cut a slit at the opposite end. Take about and inch wide and a couple inches long 500 sand paper. Operate the drill ON sliding in and out of the wing tube. Don't go any more course then 500. If anything, 1000 grit is even better. Then, wet sand the wing tube with 500-1000 paper.

speedracerntrixie

My Feedback: (29)

I always used a good quality canuba wax on my wing tubes. Helps quite a lot. If the wing socket is that cardboard material, do not sand it. Once you get through that skin layer it will wear and get loose very quickly.

RCFlyerDan

My Feedback: (54)

There's always more then one way to skin the cat. Speed usually has viable alternative methods that work for him, my experience works for me.


1). Wax only helps the male side of the tube. Doesn't help the female tube in the wing when gummed up.


2) Hopefully, you know better then to sand through the tube. You are Only supposed to sand up and down the inside of the tube but a couple times.

3) . If it is a paper or cardboard tube, my method is to soak the tube with thin CA. The tube becomes extremely rigid, and can take the sanding. Another reason that you use a fine grade of sand paper. You'll never have to worry about the tube again.

4) My method is usually good for a long time. Maybe even the life of the airplane.

5) With lube, it's a constant nuisance and continues to attract dirt. Depending upon how neat your are with the tube when it's out of the plane on clean up. Holding the tube with fingers cover in glow residue doesn't help.

6) Graphite is another dry alternative, but messy.

Stay Safe! Stay Well! Dan

jabowil-RCU

My Feedback: (9)

It is an anodized aluminum tube that fits in a (I think it is a phenolic) tube in the wing. How do you get CA way down in the wing tube?

Thanks,

RCFlyerDan

My Feedback: (54)

It will take a lot, maybe an oz or more per wing. Minimal weight. Make sure that you have plenty of ventilation. I've done it straight out of the bottle. But these applicators work great. If you have air hose or some 3mm hose, attach to the end to get further into the wing. A lot of CA runs like water. So you need to be quick with rotating the wing. About a 45 degree angle works well. Besides rotating the wing. You can tilt it back and forth. Four hands are better then two if someone can help.





They are on Amazon. What's neat about this kind of applicator, is that you can make a U out of the stem and glue upwards.




I had to look it up.



They are more clear. I also use them when spraying small amounts of urethane paint.

speedracerntrixie

My Feedback: (29)

Not sure about using thin CA on a foam core wing.

RCFlyerDan

My Feedback: (54)

Thank you Speed for that point. I thought it was wood or Airex. Regular white foam, then no I wouldn't do that either. You can still put a rag on the end of the 1/4 dowel and use a cleaner on the rag and go up and down the female tube.

jabowil-RCU

My Feedback: (9)

OK thanks for the help Dan and Speed. And yes it is foam core. I hadn't thought about that. Think I will not try CA.
Thanks again

RCFlyerDan

My Feedback: (54)

Might work? Foam safe thin CA?

https://www.towerhobbies.com/product.../GPMR6068.html

jabowil-RCU

My Feedback: (9)

I am going to try to very lightly sand inside the phenolic tube using your suggestion with the split dowel and see how that works. I don't think i need much sanding as I really only have difficulty in pulling the wing off.

RCFlyerDan

My Feedback: (54)

I personally don't think that you'll have any issues. If you use wet 1000 or finer, it really just polishes the dirt and grime off. Then wax the tube as Speed recommended. I've done it with cardboard type of paper with no issues. Please let us know the results.

jabowil-RCU

My Feedback: (9)

I used a band saw split dowel and 600 wet and dry (this is the finest I had on hand). The dowel was a 3/4" with pieces of sandpaper about 4" wide wrapped around to a thickness just under the phenolic tube ID. Hand rotating It in the deepest part of the tube has made an improvement in the fit that I think I can live with.

I decided against the 1/4" dowel and smaller strips of paper because I worried that I might leave a strip in the tube and have difficulty getting it out. Even the 4" came loose but I was able to retrieve it with a long needle nose.

Thanks again for the suggestions.