Removing Aileron
 

So I am doing research for an upcoming project I want to do and that is recover my first plane. I have noticed that people doing similar projects have taken off their Ailerons, elevator and rudder. How do you removed these and replace the hinges? I am looking for a summary of step by step and products you use. I figure since I do not know the age of my plane and I am replacing stuff like fuel lines, tank, and other items I might as well replace the hinges. Plus it looks easier to recover with those items off.

Thanks guys

RE: Removing Aileron
 

No matter what kind of hinge you have... you must cut the hinges off. Then cut a new slot and glue in new hinges...Of course there is one exception. Big hinges that have a cotter pin as a hinge pin.
Be careful before you cut...Make sure that you have enough room to cut new hinges. and take note where the structure is...that way your not trying to cut into a wing rib

RE: Removing Aileron
 

If they are CA hinges...just cut them with a razor blade.  Then buy new CA hinges and cut, or "slice" your hinge grooves (they make a tool for this so you get them exactly parallel) into both the aileron and wing/stab.

Once you are ready to reinstall the hinge I always take some push-pins and insert right into the center of the new hinge (this will assure you that you get eqaul parts of the hinge on both pieces. 

One you have center pinned your new hinges, reassemble your aileron/wing with the hinge and put a few drops of CA on each side.

DO NOT PUT THE HINGE IN THE AILERON AND GLUE IT....THEN TRY TO PUT THE AILERON W/HINGE ALREADY GLUED INTO THE WING AND GLUE IT.  THE CA HINGE WICKS THE CA TO ALL AREAS.  YOU WILL NOT GET A GOOD BOND AND POSSIBLY WONT EVEN GET THE HINGE INTO THE OTHER PART OF THE WING.

So...always assemble it...THEN glue it.

IF they are anything other than CA hinges...Im not sure about the "best practice" to remove them.  If they were glued in with epoxy...I will say that you will remove them with a heat gun.  Heating up epoxy degrades its bonding and you should be able to pull them out with pliers once hot enough.  This will ruin your covering...but you are recovering anyway...so thats ok.  Just dont get any other wood joints too hot with the heat gun.  Concentrate your heat on the hinge area only.

RE: Removing Aileron
 

Thanks for that info, it is very informative. The hinges are CA type. This sounds like maybe more than I should try to tackle. All the hinges are secure at the moment and work (I have tugged on them and did find one lose but re CA it) So if I decide not to replace the hinges how do you cover the aileron without removing it? Would I do each half and just cut to fit around the hinge? When cutting the old hinges off and making new slots will this ruin the intergerty of the wing at all?

RE: Removing Aileron
 

One more point here. When you are ready to CA in the new hinges, make only one application of CA per side. Do the bottom with several drops of thin CA then the top with several drops of CA, then don't apply any more CA. Take it from personal experience.... if you apply the CA again after it sets up, it will come un-done, and probably at a very inopportune time - like during a flight.

CGr.

RE: Removing Aileron
 

Here is a youtube video I found. Was kind of eerie when I watched it as it was done by MinnFlyer. Man what a loss he is to the community.

Anyway...dont think that this is too large a project for you. Just take a razorblade and cut the hinges loose, then follow what Mike does in the video.

It really is an easy task.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpwEvmhpAjY

And here is another video showing how to install the pin style hinge. Same process...just using the "hinge tool" makes a little wider slot for the hinge, using the picker tool that is. You can cut a hinge slit with an exacto. Just be careful...those things are sharp and can cause you to end up in the ER getting 5 stitches in your palm. Dont ask me how I know this!!!! lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oYTQLqa82E

Also...I wouldnt be worried about trying to get the old CA hinges out. Just cut a new slot next to the old hinge and be done with it.

RE: Removing Aileron
 

What do you mean Minnflyer what a loss to the community...what happened to Minnflyer? I just saw the article I got to meet Minn once...what a nice guy

RE: Removing Aileron
 

He passed away last week.

There is a thread about it in "The Clubhouse" forum.

RE: Removing Aileron
 

Oh no.  That's the first I had heard about MinnFlyer.  Awful news.

I never replace a CA hinge with another CA hinge - the wood is once soaked & CA doesn't stick well to CA.  I use Nylon pinned hinges thereafter. 

RE: Removing Aileron
 

if you don't want to cut the hinge the dirty way of doing it is to leave a little covering on at the hinge line recover the wings and the ailerons and that should cover most of the old covering. then take a strip of covering and place it in the hinge line to seal the gap and that should cover the old covering at least from the top. make sure the old covering is very clean before you try to over cover it.

RE: Removing Aileron
 

My Deweyville has pinned in hinged, and they are in GOOD, so I recovered while still attached. The thing I did was cut a part out the width of the hinge and fish it through so the covering went to the other side. To finish off, I did the same on the other side. Takes a little longer this way, but I figure it would take more time to rehinge than to do this.