049flyer

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I'm off today so working a bit more on the Pole Dancer.

Time to work on the horizontal stab.

My biggest headache when building planes is hinging. I've tried just about every kind of hinge made and just about every device designed to help with the task. I know most people use CA hinges and I have used them from time to time but was never was able to make them work as well as my tried and true method of sewn hinges. On small planes it is pretty tough to cut the slots into 3/32 or even 1/16 balsa without making a mess of the wood or cutting up your fingers. On larger planes it is tough to get the slots perfectly aligned to eliminate binding. And heaven help you if the wood is really hard!

About a year ago I came across a tool that makes hinging something I actually look forward to because it is so simple. The device is so simple you'll wonder why you didn't think of it yourself. You can even make your own. I can't believe that in 40 years of modeling I hadn't come across this sooner.

It is the Harry Higley hinge tool and It works VERY well. The basic idea is they mount xacto knives into a block of aluminum so that the blades stick out parallel to your work surface. You elevate the item to be hinged with balsa spacers, playing cards or in my case credit card type hotel guest keys. Anyway you elevate the piece until the blades are exactly aligned with the desired hinge line. You then just slide the blade into the wood, wiggle around a bit and move on to the next hinge. As long as the tool and the piece to be hinged are held aligned with the table surface you can't screw it up. And as long as the blades are sharp, hard wood is not a problem either.

See the pics. This scrap piece is 3/32 inch thick and it looks like there is loads of room to cut the hinge!

I can now use CA hinges on 1/16 inch balsa surfaces!

Easy, Peasy Lemon Squeezy!