So I just finished covering my Taco...I know that this sounds funny, but this is a great little model that Ramon Suarez (rsuarez) sent me via email.
So the thing is built, covered and awaiting an engine. In the meantime, I plan to attach the control surfaces. A good friend, Jack Brewer, and a long time hobbier mentioned that I could attach the surfaces using some thread arranged in a figure 8 manner, for instance...enter the top of the elevator, come out of the bottom of the elevator, pass between the elevator and the horiz stab, then enter the top of the horizontal stab, repeat this through 4-5 cycles per hinge. He said that his would make for a nearly resistance free hinge.

Any other ideas for hinges...If not, what type of thread should I use...Kevlar or something...or would that be overdoing it??

The leading edge of the elevator and all other surfaces is 1/8" as is the trailing edge to which they will be attached...so I think that it will be quite hard to use any hinge that must use a slit in the edge of the surface...

Thanks-

John Huston

the Ace simple series recommends thread to use for hinges, same pattern as you said and includes some regular thread, I think its mylon but not positive......I use monokote or clear packing tape for mine......Rog

Rog-

So, if I use Monokote, do you just use one long strip across the entire length of the surface?? do you put just one on the top...and leave enough space for full deflection?? or do you make a "V" and have the hinge sealed completely...on top and on the bottom??

Thanks Rog!!!

John Huston

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John:


On the thread thing.........The original two best threads for this (Back Then...), was either Dacron or 'Carpet and Button thread'.
Today, buy Dacron Ice Fishing Line......if you can find it.

A spool will last a lifetime.

"Duie"

monokote hinges work great but they are a little hard to explain. i posted an explanation here a few months ago, and bipe flyer did an explanation with pictures that was really good just a week or so ago. do a search, and it should come up, or ask bipe where he posted it!

John,

I have been sewing my flight control surfaces on for years (1/2 A and Electrics). Works great, lasts longer than you expect and (don't tell my wife) it is fun.

Try it on just one, see what you think.

R. C.

Here's a link to the thread on Monokote hinges.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/showthread...093#post989170]

you will love the sewn hinges! tight gap, NO resistance and all the surface deflection you could ever want, even 180 deg. i've done these on all sizes of plane, even gassers, with great results. people do laugh at me sometimes when they see these, but then they wonder why their planes with 1/4" hinge gaps fly like crap compared to mine.

for a fun-fly plane that needs big throws it would be hard to beat sewn hinges.

dave

Have been using this kind of hinging for years
I still fly some that are 20 years old
very strong and the best ever on fun flys
not the prettiest but fast and good

I use thin untreated dental floss, it's near impossible to break. Also I put a drop of thin CA on each side of each surface where I will be sewing the hinges then use the smallest drill I have to drill holes for the thread. Be sure to sew the inside hinges first so the thread can be slid from the outside edge down to the hinge. The fit is so tight that only the smallest needle will go between the sufaces hinged and will still make a small gap.
Good luck hinging
Bill near Atlanta

so, do I pull the thread or dental floss very tight??? I did one hinge and maybe it wasn't tight enough, but the cintrol surface would shift left and right a little...will this matter?? or was I doing something wrong??

Thanks everyone!!

-John

My wife is a beader she makes beaded jewelry. I have been doing the sewn hinges since I was a kid. I looked in her beading supplies and what did I spot but beading thread in different colors! The stuff is tough and now I can sort of get a close match to the finish. I also liberated a few of her long beading needles. The colored thread and a little CA on each end works just fine.

this may be a really stupid question -

but do you do this before or after you cover the control surfaces?

this is a great "thread"!!! hehehe

no really, I have always wondered about it, I still use the pinned plastic Du-Bro 1/2a ones just cause I have a bunch of them still. On my next I'm gunna try either the monokote hinges (thanks Bipe Flyer) or the threaded ones...


thanks guys


timothy

the hinges go on after the covering so use thread that matches the color if possible.

i also harden the hinge area by soaking it with CA before covering or painting. this prevents the thread from compressing the wood and causing the hinge to get sloppy like jchuston described above.

dave

I no longer use thread now that I discovered the 3 1/2 floppy disk hinge.

Do tell Msaint,

I couldn't even count all of the old floppy's that I have around.

What's the deal?


t

Take the floopy apart and try to rip it once. After you have tried to rip it and or bend it apart for a few hrs then cut a lil square that looks like a ca hinge. Then take a pin and poke about 6 holes near both the ends. Take 2 hunks of scrap balsa make slots with exacto. Ca the floppy hinge you made into to them then try to abuse

Floppy revenge I love it. I have stacks of those things and was thinking I would toss them out.
Thats a good hint Msaint thanks.

Using thin mylar, etc are all great ideas, but the problem with many of the older Fred Reese and Ken Willard designs such as school girl, roaring 20, school boy, etc, is that the stab and fin are made of 3/32" or smaller balsa and the mylar hinge slots are difficult to achieve. The thread type hinges were used on many of the .45 and .60 pattern ships of the early '60s such as the Taurus, Astrohog, Orion, etc. Never saw them fail if installed correcly. Make a pattern for the thread hole locations out of balsa or cardboard and drill .032 / .040 holes through the surfaces to be hinged. Use thin CA first to harden the balsa as has been suggested. After hinging, a drop of cellulose glue can be carefully applied to the thread where is enters the hinged surface. Hinging should be done AFTER covering is complete. Works great and lasts forever with NO friction. Just my 2 cents.

Mike

Sewn hinges work great. I usually use monokote hinges nowadays but I've done many a sewn hinge over the years.

There IS a little bit of side float on them but it should be tight enough that this side play is about 1/32 inch at worst. Usually it's less.

Sew a couple of strips of fabric iron-on covering together...Instant Granite state type hinges...I use 'em on everything, big and small, just vary the width. I like braided dacron fishing line. Flexible, no stretch, and soft enough to resist cutting the fabric sewn with it.

hey guys explane the way threaded hinges are sopose to be put on.do u sew all the way down the hinge line?? or do u sew in 3 to 4 spots on the hinge line??i got the part where u cross between the serfaces.
thanks john

John-

I started this "thread" (he he) and finally did mine...I used wax free dental floss...

for my plane, I did 4 separate places on the elevator, 3 on rudder, and 4 on each aileron...I would not suggest doing the thread all the way down because in order to do that you will have to drill holes all the way down the hinge line...that is not a good idea!

-John

Drill holes? On the few planes I've tried thread hinges I've used a needle and then strengthened the holes with a tiny drop of thin CA.

well, you could use the needle to push through each time, but I just used the smallest drill bit that I could find...drilled a tiny hole...just larger than the needle and started threading the figure 8's...did about ten per hinge (safety) and then by that time it was getting tight...added a drop of thin CA and clipped the extra thread with fingernail clippers...

-John