cloth hinge material?
 

What is the best kind of cloth to use for hinges? I have used the pined hinges, but prefer the floppy control surfaces only cloth hinges can offer. I wonder if christmas present ribbon (nylon?)would work, it's tough as nails and dirt cheep!

David

RE: cloth hinge material?
 

If you go to a fabric store and ask some taffeta (it's wedding dress material) in plain white. Tough and cheap. Same stuff Tom Morris cuts his out of. I buy his because they're also cheap and he cuts neater than I do!

RE: cloth hinge material?
 

If you want hinges that are both really cheap and floppy, make figure-8 hinges out of dental floss. Waxed, unwaxed, mint flavored, all are good.

RE: cloth hinge material?
 

I used to use the cloth padding stuff that is used inside a necktie.
It works very well :)
However as a schoolboy I all my ties were thin, creased and looked a mess !!!!
My parents never figured out why !!

Nowadays I prefer to stich with cotton thread, it looks neater and gives a good hinge, just check the integrity of the cotton every so often.

JB

RE: cloth hinge material?
 

Being an ardent competitive CL flier from early '50s through the early '70s, back in about 1959 I purchased a 1000 ft. long X 3" wide roll of aircraft pinking tape for around $5 back then. For many years all CL hinges, (flap, elevator, etc) were made from this material. In addition all fuse./wing/stabilizer joints were reinforced with the material. Same for cowls, and front-ends. I still have about a third of the roll. I use it sometime when I think about it for reinforcements, however now I prefer fiberglass or other newer technology material. If I were to build additional CL models that I planned to dope, then I would again use the pinking tape.

I think SIG still sells the pinking tape under packaged CL hinge material. Linen such as heavy handkerchief or bed sheet works well, however that linen needs to be used with dope finishes or several clear coats for the material and should be cut on the 45* to the grain/thread.

RE: cloth hinge material?
 

I've used Goldberg Nylon tape in the past. Also works good for reinforcing joints.
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXDML2&P=FR

RE: cloth hinge material?
 

If you live out in the boondocks like me, and need to improvise sometime, the material from old, poly-cotton boxer shorts, cut into strips with pinking shears and applied with Elmer's white glue, seems to work very well. Solid colors recommended, unless you like striped or plaid hinges.

RE: cloth hinge material?
 

OMG, yeah, guess that might work.

Another method is to use fishing line or carpet thread or even dacron line and stitch a figure "8" pattern between the stabilizer and the elevator. Drilling a 1" line of small holes 1/4" in adjacent to each other on both pieces, so that you can stitch cleanly for each hinge location. That works real well and is very free moving and can be done after you have covered the individual pieces. When done, put a small drop of CA at each hole top and bottom to secure and fuelproof. I have a FliteStreak that was done like that and no hinge has ever failed and continues to be free as day one.

RE: cloth hinge material?
 

Take a look at this site. http://www.iroquois.free-online.co.uk/knot.htm Scroll down to close sewn hinges. This is what I have in mind as a figure 8 hinge.

RE: cloth hinge material?
 

yep, those work fine. Done with a little precision and the right color thread, they look pretty good as well.

RE: cloth hinge material?
 

tyvek mailing envelopes work well too...