I have been putting together a sig 4*60 arf and have run into so many problems with poor fitting parts. I followed the instructions to the letter and was fitting the vertical fin when disaster struck on the vertical fin there is a block of wood that is supposed to go over the wire joiner for the elevators. well i applied epoxy to all surfaces that were to be glued down and pushed the post on the fin into the hole it was supposed to go into this is where the problem started the block that is supposed to go over the joiner would not fit it seemed too long i tried and tried and in the end the epoxy cured too much and when i tried to get it out it snapped the post. I am devastated is there anything that can be done to get it out? if i can get it out i could order a new fin from sig. what would you do

I don't understand your problem. What post are you talking about? I have the same plane and it went together nicely.

Hold on, hold on. I think I now know what you're talking about. On the fuselage there are two ply extensions of wood that have covering on them that are intended to fit over the horizontal stab after it is slid into position. That piece broke? When you're talking about the joiner, that's the metal rod that connects each elevator half together right? You're saying there is a piece of wood that goes over that? I don't remember on mine. Are you able to glue the vertical stab back on and reinforce it with some balsa triangular stock where it meets the horizontal stab? That should work.

I agree with Cruzomatic on how to fix it.

I see what you're talking about. Right behind the elevator joiner, there's a piece that comes down to the fuselage. First, and this is important, and you're probablly figured it out already. TEST FIT THE PARTS DRY!

Now, I think you can safely not worry about that small piece behind the elvator joiner. BUT if you would like, you need to get some balsa stock either the same thicknes or thicker. With your sanding block, or a piece of sandpaper wrapped around something hard and flat, sand off the piece that 's glued to the fuselage. Carefully, as you don't want to sand down the fuse itself. Now, test fit the fin to the fuselage, and sand the rear of the fin untill it just contacts the fuselage. You'll probablly have to do some estra sanding to get the epoxy out of the slot it's supposed to fit in. Patience here, do a good job and get as much out as you can. YOu want the fin to fit as tightly to the stab as possible. When you get a good tight fit, just re-epoxy as per the instrutions. IF that piece on the rear of the fin dosen't contact the fuselage, you'll need to get a piece of balsa stock, and fit it in the gap. While it's PROBABLLY not critical that the fin touch teh rear of the fuselage behind teh joiner, why second guess Sig engineers? Make sure the grain runs the same diretion as the grain in teh stab. Than, like Cruzomatic said, get a couple of balsa angles and glue them next to the fin on each side for extra reinforcement. And off you go. I know it sucks that your brand new baby isn't going to be perfet, but look at it this way... it's gonna be personalized!


Andy

I have managed to use a dremel and drill the balsa out and i have got nearly all the epoxy. I should be able to get a new piece to fit after a little sanding and i should also be able to re-attach it to the fin so maybe all is not lost. I have taken my time drilling all the wood out (all night) so i will have a fdew hours sleep and see what can be done but i think i have gotten away with it. i will let you know what happens in a few hours
thanks for your help
paul

I called Sig yesterday (Monday) and i explained the problem to them. The guy i talked to was real helpful he told me how to repair it and said that it is a common problem usually as a result of a crash and that it was an easy repair. I also told him that the arf was new and i did not want to repair a plane that has never been in the air. he told me he was new to the company and asked me to hold, after about 1 minute he came back and said he would send a new fin (vertical stab) out free of charge. he also read the manual and agreed that the step i made the mistake with was not clear or mentioned in the manual. he also told me that if i ever need advice for repairs or any other help then just call them and they will help.
I have to say Sig has great customer service and will go the extra mile to make sure you are happy and back in the air as soon as possible. I would like to say well done to Sig and hope they keep up the good work

Like Andy said, "TEST FIT BEFORE GLUE". If it doesn't seem right, ask questions or figure it out before continuing. No rush.

A soldering iron with a flat tip is a great tool to melt hardened epoxy. Use with care and its a lot easier than trying to sand the epoxy off