Hi Wild Fred,
In regards to "sloppy hinges", it is not nearly as easy but extraordinary results can be obtained with pinned hinges. The right tools, the right methods, and the time are the big factors. Cutting slots for CA hinges and then gluing all together takes an hour or so for a 2 meter F3A type airplane. Flat-bladed, pinned hinges, done for professional results, takes closer to a full day in working time and must be done in steps. First making the slots, cutting out the middle, then cutting neat and clean recesses takes a couple of hours alone. After covering the airplane, it takes more time to grease the pin, time to get the glue into the slots (not too little, not too much). Depending on what epoxy or glue you are using you may be able to glue only one surface at a time or even only hinge first the control and then attach it after the glue dries.

These are issues that prompted me to use CA hinges, but after the time invested in repairing split CA hinges of all different brands, I decided that the time necessary to install pinned hinges nicely was worth the additional hours. I still have a DP Ultimate waiting to have the hinges changed after the hinges cracked. The change will take more time than if I had simply installed my favorite pinned hinges to begin with.

Last year, I wrote an article on how to build an F3A airplane in the Pattern Forum entitled "ZNLine Factory: Enigma Building". If you look through that article you will find quite a few posts on how we hinge our models using pinned hinges (photos are done in quite good detail). I feel as though our methods provide the best, cleanest results possible for the type of construction and are applicable to almost all conventionally attached control types. I would be honored if you would search that article and take a look at the hinging work. I did not take any finished photos but the results are perfectly clean, no glue seepage, or fogging of the covering near the hinge locations.

On another subject, very small airplanes with tiny and thin control surfaces do not benefit from pinned type hinges and require other techniques to adequately attach the controls. Continuous monokote hinges or CA hinge slivers do work well in those types of installations. Of course, little airplanes are their own specialty.

Mark