clintyboy19

Hi

I want to cut my own foam wings but I'm struggling to find info on how to cut the wing tube sockets accurately (SQUARE AND TRUE). Is there ANYONE out there that can help me out PLEASE?[]

dreadnaut

My Feedback: (5)

I build a jig that holds the cores and chucks firmly in place. Then I clamp an aluminum wing tube to ''V-blocks'' mounted to the the bench and pointing to where I want the hole to go. Cut a saw edge on one end of a wing socket tube. Unclamp the wing tube, slide the socket onto it and relamp it. While twitsting the socket on the tube feed it into the core. You will only be able to cut about an inch and a half before unclamping the ''hole saw'', and blowing the foam plug out. Repeat until you reach the desired depth.

I fint this to be a better way than hot wire cutting IF you are carefull with the setup.

SoCal GliderGuider

I've seen a circular hot wire tool used for wing tubes. Does leave a slot on one side of the wing where the wires come off to the tool's handle. This was intentional so as to bond the carbon tube/spar to the wing skins.

Tony Hallo

Try this post
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_39...tm.htm#3951375
Tony Hallo

dreadnaut

My Feedback: (5)

Interesting thread. With just a couple of differences, it is pretty much the way I build foam wings. One noteworthy similarity is that it does not look like he is using a breather layer. I you stick the vacuum line in the tube cutout as shown, you do not need one.

I feel, though some may dissagree, that this allows you to get a good bond with very little epoxy. I squegee the resin onto the skins so that they appear almost dry. By ''breathing'' through the foam, the little epoxy that has soaked into the wood is drawn across the interface into the foam. I have done over a dozen 2m pattern wings with this method and have never had a failure.

The router template is another good idea. I use this technique for making the aileron servo, and aileron hinge line cutouts.

Differences include wing tube cutting method, and I use an 18'' aluminum sanding bar instead of a power sander to smooth the skins.

ptxman

My Feedback: (2)

I used to build F3A models & here are some jigs I used to do exactly what you are referring to. They were orientated around Gator spars/sockets, but the principle could be scaled up/down. This is going back a couple years (Jeez, like 6 or so!) so some of the details might be a bit rusty. If the pics arent somewhat self explanatory, just ask away!