BrianArtea

Hi,

I'm new to this forum and RC airplanes, helicopters, pretty much everything that's remote control, please don't laugh me into the Van Allen Radiation Belts!!! I wanted to know if super glue could be used as a substitute for the epoxy glue on foam RC gliders with an engine for putting on the tailpeices and back wing? I bought a kit that was 90% assembled/made but the shipping and price they wanted for the Eoxpy Glue was outrageous and thought I might get away with it if I used super glue?

Here is a video so you can see what type of material this airplane is exactly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXGY3...layer_embedded

I'm also going to be flying the Hellcat as my first time ever flying an RC plane next week and could use some good tips. Here's video of that plane if you care to check to give you more detail on what I'm going to try to fly for the first time without breaking it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr7s3...layer_embedded

Please give me your thoughts on this and what I wrote in the first paragraph it's very appreciated!!!

Thanks in advance.

Campy

My Feedback: (1)

DO NOT USE REGULAR SUPER GLUE !!! If you MUST use a super glue get FOAM SAFE super glue. (Sit down before you look at the price - it is about double what regular super glue is) Regular super glue WILL MELT most foams.

Personally, I suggest using 30 minute epoxy on foam planes (or any place you need to use epoxy). You should not need that much for the average foamie. Go to Wal-Mart, Ace, True Value or any hardware store. They have epoxy for about $3 - $5 for a tube.

30 minute epoxy is almost as strong as 60 minute, but several times stronger than 5 minute epoxy (the longer it takes to cure, the stronger it will be).

For your motor mount you want a STRONG bond.

FWIW: The Hellcat, or ANY warbird is a VERY POOR choice for a 1st plane. Get yourself a trainer AND an INSTRUCTOR. Save the Hellcat for your 3rd plane.
Clubs will provide instructors at no charge to members. The cost of dues for MOST clubs is what you will pay for a new Hellcat.

Rodney

Another good adhesive for foam is Gorilla Glue. It must be used with care though; since it expands as it cures, you must be able to clamp and hold the parts in position while it cures (an hour or more) else the parts will be pushed apart and miss aligned as the glue cures and become a hopeless mess.

on_your_six

My Feedback: (11)

Another question about this topic... I am repairing a Multiplex FunJet Ultra so I cannot use epoxy. Instructions say to use CA with this type of foam. Just gluing the cracked joint with CA does not seem like enough to restore the structural integrity.. I don't care what the result looks like so much as it is sound...

I want to use CA with 1/2oz fiberglass to glue a patch onto the plane. I roughed up the surface with sand paper and applied the CA soaked fiberglass and set aside to dry.

Anyone see a reason that would not work?... Can CA and fiberglass be used in this manner?

KC36330

wet it and use a polyurethane glue

on_your_six

My Feedback: (11)

.

cutaway

CA hardens brittle. Ordinary white Elmers Glue-all stays somewhat flexible for decades and sticks well to foams. Its also dramatically cheaper than foam safe CA's.

KC36330

changed your mind about what the manual stated?

on_your_six

My Feedback: (11)

No... I added the information to original question, so I would not have to answer again and again... I did nothing wrong. Elmers glue... I don't think so. Go get the Multiplex Manual on line.

KC36330

simply stating that just because the manual said you can ONLY use CA, that's not the only glue what will work, the polyurethane glue works very well as does the above suggested Elmers.

on_your_six

My Feedback: (11)

OK here is a direct quote from the Multiplex instruction manual:
Page 8 Adhesive: Use any type of medium or thick cyano-acrylate adhesive (“cyano� - not in the MULTIPLEX range). Do not use styrofoam cyano.
Page 9 This model is not made of styrofoam(tm), and it is not possible to glue the material using white glue or epoxy. Please be sure to use cyano-acrylate glue exclusively, preferably in conjunction with cyano activator (kicker).

The question is NOT what glue to use... the question is will the CA work with the fiberglass to give me a fiberglass and resin type result as it relates to strength not finish? If you want to fight the which glue is better war... the war is elsewhere.

KC36330

Don't get your panties all in a bunch, you asked for advice on a sound repair to your plane, i offered you advice on how to do that, you came back with a smartass quote from the manual, there is no glue war just you in a pissy mood.

on_your_six

My Feedback: (11)

How is that a "smart*****" quote? You really have less than zero credibility now. I told you before what the company recommends... you persisted to tell me to do exactly what they said not to do. Who am I going to believe somebody on the internet, or the company that produces the product? I am in no pissy mood, I just happen to read and follow instructions, something you should consider. Maybe you should just take your meds and leave the tough stuff for others.

KC36330

if the manual is so high and mighty as you claim, why not just follow it and glue it as recommended?

on_your_six

My Feedback: (11)

Since I did not get an answer here.

I glued the plane and soaked some fiberglass in CA and applied the exterior patch to hold things together... it seems to have worked nicely and dried in about two hours.

I will give it a flight or three and report the results in the thread how it lasted... at 125mph, I do not want things coming apart.

cutaway

I told you what wil happen with a CA/glass repair - it will be more brittle than the foam, promoting future breakage right at the edge of the repair edge. However it will work if the plane isn't splattered again.

Multiplex is full of crap if they're saying white glues won't work on that foam. Sure, its not "styrofoam" (which has a very specific meaning), but white glue does indeed work fine with it when allowed enough drying time.

Undoubtedly Multiplex says what they do because typical naive users won't have the patience to work with other adhesives that may be vastly better suited to repair work.

on_your_six

My Feedback: (11)

And the glue war continues.... take it up with Multiplex.

nitro208ca

hey brian
The main reason that you don't use reg super glue on the foamies is that the superglue will eat right through the foam.Epoxy is a very common and widly use type of glue.Lots of people will say to use a 20min epoxy because it is stronger,Now dont get me wrong it is a very strong glue.You can use the 5 min epoxy just let it sit overnight to fully cure.The trick to the epoxy that i have done in the past is: if you use to much on the piece that you are tring to hold togethere the epoxy will not really bond that much, to where if you use just enough to cover both surfaces with something like a popcicel stick it has just enought to bond real good
Now correct me if im wrong ppl ca glue is more or less like normal elmers glue just a faster dry and cure time then normal glue

BFoote

Just like glues, there is a vast number of foams out there all fitting under "common" names. Stating with conviction that so and so is wrong is the height of stupidity and flat out ignorance. Whoever puts forth these absolutes, is completely clueless. They are probably generally right about common materials one can find at your Ace Hardware store, but otherwise they are smelling some serious sulphur gas particles because their heads are up their *****'s.

Most glues, while maybe not ideal, will stick well enough to do the job. His elmers glue for instance It will depend which version. Standard elmers works. Waterproof elmers I believe melts styrofoam. IE tightbond II I think. I could be wrong. It could be tightbond III. I have used it on foam. It works. % years later if you pull the panel off the foam one will still have non dried elmers glue but it will stick especially if its wood allowing the water to evaporate through the wood. You said fiberglass over the top with CA wicking. That will work. It will be brittle of you use the super fast CA one can normally buy. Just like any glue, CA is a GIGANTIC family of glues. The slower it cures, rule of thumb(not always true like everything else in life), the less brittle it will be. Covers everything from ultrasonic curing CA's, to UV curing CA's, to water curing CA's or a combination of many factors.

Depending on the foam type(polyurethane, foamed PVC, foamed ABS, acetate, etc), you could do the repair in rubber cement if it is not styrofoam, not ideal but super cheap and easily brushed on. Spray/brush on, let it get tacky then apply fiberglass and brush or apply glue of choice. Make it thin.

Heck, I have used wall plaster mud to "glue" foam together when I wanted a 6" block. It is amazingly good actually when spread VERY thinnly and allowed to predry a bit. It gets wet you have a problem of course along with high vibration environment.

I personally have taken to skim coating my styrofoam with a 2 part polyurethane foam/glue, take the ridges/bumps off and sand then apply whatever I choose as long as it is well ventilated. Can make a foam airplane in a whopping 1 hour this way that is night indestructible depending on what one uses for a surface if one uses anything at all. Assuming one doesn't just use colored tape of course.

When it comes to foams/glues its trial and error.

Emphasis on error generally.

=)

on_your_six

My Feedback: (11)

There is no need for trial and error, just use what the manufacturer of the foam recommends. Why is this so tough? If none is recommended... then you have to do some searching. If the instructions say to NOT use epoxy, then I am not going to use it no matter what an internet "expert" tells me.

BFoote

Bingo!

Jackjet

My Feedback: (1)

why are you pilots even wasting your time with this ?


let him listen to multiplex....................



jackjet[&o]

on_your_six

My Feedback: (11)

Wow... you dredged up this old thread from 6 months ago??? what for?? ....................

Since you did that, I will take the time to report good looking and durable repairs made multiple times using CA soaked light weight fiberglass cloth... It worked great... yes it is not as spongy as the original foam, but it is strong and you can hardly see the repair.

Still don't see why everyone got so upset at me for following the instructions. There are so many chemical compounds out there, who knows what to use. I have melted foam before.. it was not fun.