I have read that using a brass tube to drill a hole for hinges is the best method. This is the first time with Robart for me. I am getting a Goldberg Tiger 60 for my winter build and want to use the Robarts in the build. If there is a thread on the technique of brass tube drilling, I would appreciate it. I have been reading up on the tiger build threads. Looks like a great first build.

You're going to get plenty of recommendations here, so I'll just suggest you practice on some spare stock. Leave the plane alone until you can hinge some scrap stock and get the surfaces to move smoothly. An alignment tool made from scrap wood will help.

As for the brass tube, just get some tube the right size and file teeth in the end. Or if the wood is soft, sharpen a tube with a stone or diamond file on the inside. If the wood is pretty hard, a drill bit is fine.

Good luck
Dave Olson

Really, a brass tube is not necessary. You can just use a drill.

What IS necessary is the Robart Drill Jig. It only costs a few bucks and I find it to be a "Must Have" item.

I second that!! Using the drill jig makes the job very easy and very quick.

Ken

http://www.airfieldmodels.com/inform..._saw/index.htm

quick and easy read on how to make it

I've always used a drill bit for Robarts http://www.robart.com/how_to/hinge_points.aspx shows how to do it just fine. If the trailing edge is small you can add a filler block to beef it up and give more strength and gluing area. Hinge glue is good for installing them. http://www.hobbypeople.net/gallery/339173.asp and is recommended by Robart.

Thanks everyone. About to install some for the first time and now I'm looking forward to it. Great site.

One question.

Use 30 min. epoxy, white (aliphatic resin), or ZAP Hinge Glue

Is this special 30 min. epoxy or can I use the 30 min. I have. Thanks

As I said above the ZAP Hinge Glue is preferred. You need to be careful to keep epoxy out of the hinge pivots and I don't like aliphatics for this job although I use it for general assembly.

a couple of the things on Robart hinge points that I do .

what I do, is drill the control surface holes,rudder, aileron,etc...I happen to use a cordless drill daily for work, so I don't use a jig for this just freehand,trying to be as carefull as possable.

then with a small phillips screwdriver I open up the hole just a bit, the hinges you will notice are slightly flaired at the end near the pivot.

insert the hinges in the surface and align it onto the wing,or whatever area I am doing, I then mark the tip of the hinge and the center of the knuckle(the pivoting area)lightly with a pencil so I have a reference to see if the hinges are perfectly strait or not.

then I drill the holes using my center line and the reference marks so even if the hinge is a little off from perfect it won't bind on me,again using the screwdriver to open the entry point just a little bit so the knuckle sits close to the pivoting point between the surfaces.

most of the models I build are scale WWII types so I recess the hinge into the control surface, and make channels,top and bottom so the surface rotates on a axis rather than swings(a nice feature of Robart hinges).

when its time for glueing,I make sure the hinges are swinging perfectly and no adjusting is needed,then using some 30 min epoxy I will usually glue them into the wing or area where the knuckle sits more on the surface.

before I actually glue them up I will use a small ammount of 3in1 oil at the knuckle so if any adhesive gets on it it will prevent the glue from locking it up,getting these things out is a real chore if you glue it in and it doesn't move.

when the first side is done and the glue is set up,I mount the control surface and test to see if I have a nice smooth operation when I am satisfied its ready then I glue it onto the surface.

I will often use 6min epoxy to glue in the control surface,I do this for 2 reasons the glue sets fast so when I push the surface on the hinge it stays where I put it,after just a small amount of holding it in position, and with the longer 30 min glue, it can get a bit drippy and has a tendancy to get all over the place,including where I don't want it like the pivot point,you have to do it with the shorter adhesive with confidence and not fool around with it since it sets up quickly but it works well.

a couple of examples hinging my ailerons on a Focke Wolf 190A8, and the flaps using the same hinge just for a different application.

for the flaps I used 30 min epoxy with micro balloons to attach the hinges to the surface.

I like a brad point drill for the hinges. They make hitting the mark a lot easier if you are doing free hand and if you are doing the Robart Drill Jig, a must I might add, you can spot the hole with the brad tip and then see if it is where you really want it before doing the finish drilling.

Home made jigs for things like top hinged ailerons and flaps usualy don't lend themself to the robart jig. If you use some scrap poplar or bass wood, and plane and edge to match the angle of the surface you are going to hinge, the cap it with another scrap. You end up with a female mold of the angle. Now, set up this jig in your drill press and drill through the jig from the inside where you want you hinges to be. Simply hold the jig tight to the surface and use the hole as your drill guide. This seemed like a lot of work before I did it the first time. It turns out to be a real time saver though. You can make a jig in just a few minutes.

For drilling into the 45 tapered LE on alierons, I just use a flat of scrap bass wide enough to hold two scraps of balsa tri stock set edge to edge. It is a easy made jig for these and will keep the hole centered.

These jigs don't hold up for very long, but they are good enough for a model, or two.

Don

Hey Minn......I thought you were adverse to all those speciality tools.


Lm

I must have been lucky, the first pack of 30 pin hinges that I bought came with the drill jig for the same price as just the hinges. I will agree that the jig is usefull.

Cheers

How far do you reassess the hinge pin (or elbow) after the hole is drilled. Does anyone have a recommendation for this method. Also I see the manual says you only need 2 ribs on the hinge for contact (you can cut the rest), Is this recommended. Thanks

You recess the pin so that the pin pivots at the rear of the trailing edge so that it leaves no gap between the trailing edge and the control surface. This means you also recess into the control surface.

They say you CAN reduce the length, NOT that you SHOULD. This allows you to install in places where full length pins may protrude through the surface of the control or be visible due to transparent covering. Always use as many barbs as you can for the best grip.

There are several methods to set the points, but I settled on using a small, corse file to taper the entry point and square it up. I set it so the hinge pin is flush with the TE. On the LE of the surface, I use a round bur about 3/16" diamerter and cut a 1/2 circle into the LE of the surface, Make it deep enough to allow the LE to touch the TE. You will have to square and taper the hole also, so it's a cut and fit job. taper and square, cut the semi circle, more taper and square and more cut the semi circle until it's just right. Go at the fitting slowly, you can always cut deper, and bigger, but you have a very dificult time uncutting.

This sounds slow and tiedious, but in I can do a four hinge surface in about the same time it's taken me to type this in. OK, I'm a little slow typing but still it goes quite fast.

I wouldn't shorten them at all unless there was a compelling reason to. Two ribs is the absolute minimum if every thing is fit well. Any slop in the hole, or a little excess finger prints on the point and two may not be enough to hold.

Don

There is a 3 page thread on Robart Hinges in the tip forum.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_1378983/tm.htm

Airfield models has a great page on the subjet..
http://www.airfieldmodels.com/inform...ints/index.htm

Drilling the hinge pockets before beveling the surfaces make it 10x easier.