This is not rocket science but it worked really well to have precision hinges on my FuntanS 40 ARF. Most of it I got from other people.

1) Carve out hinge slots to proper depth with a the .010 feeler gauge. The #11 hobby knife was a little too thick and I didn't want to make the slot too sloppy. Drill a hole in the center with 3/32" drill. Clean out slots again after drilling. Do this to both wing and aileron slots.
2) Put hinges in wing slots making sure they line up with control surface slots. Lock them in with a small drop of CA. Let dry for a few minutes.
3) Slide aileron onto hinges. Use .016 feeler guage to set gap at 1/64th of an inch all along hinge line. Make sure the aileron has a 1/16 inch gap on the root side so it doesn't hit the wing during deflection.
4) When control surface is perfect, put one drop of CA on each hinge to lock in the position of the aileron to the wing.
5) Now put 5-6 drops on each hinge to make them full strength.

Man I tell you, this gave me perfect hinge line gaps and the hinges are very strong as well. I just don't like having my hinge gap be a guessing game every time I assemble an ARF. You can put a feeler guage all along the slot and it's dead nuts perfect. They move very smoothly too.

And hey, NO PINS NEEDED !!! (they never work for me).

Joe

Thats what I love about this hobby (their is not just one perfect way of doing things) their are many ways to skin a cat, and your way seems to work as good as any. I like the feeler gage for accurate spacing

Thanks Check. I was trying to think of something I could put in there to measure the gap, like cardboard or something and then it occured to me to use a feeler gauge. It works. [8D]

Don't you risk the CA wicking in and messing up the hinge for the later drops? When you "lock in" the hinge on the wing side, how can you keep the CA from wicking onto the aileron side thus messing it up for the later drops?

I would personally avoid the pre-wicking. I believe it can prevent proper wicking for later drops. I prefer to put a pin in the center of the hinge to keep it centered and then push the aileron on tight against the pin and then just pull the pins out to get the last 1/16" of gap out. then I put 8-12 drops of thin CA on each side.

I thought about that too but I just am tired of the hinge rotating on the pins and getting crooked. I think that two pins are actually needed to keep them from moving. Also note that they sucked up quite a few drops after so I think that theory is not valid. When the CA starts dripping, that's when you know the hinge is saturated. They were not until maybe 4-5 drops on either side. Also the 3/32 hole let CA drip inside my wing (Funtana has clear yellow covering on bottom). I could see it after I was done. It got back there alright.

Anyway, I gave it the tug test and they seem very strong. Anyone not comfortable with my method can do the pin thing. I got the tip about locking them with a drop from a guy at the field who's 48, been flying for 40 years and competes in pattern and freestyle. His dad has been flying for 40 years also. If I loose a hinge I promise I'll comeback and post a thread about it. If they last for 100+ flights I'll also come back and report. After inspecting them I feel like they are there for good.

Joe