How to repair wing dowel loose
 

Hello,

Need some recommendations on how to repair this wing dowel which was mangled when glider cartwheeled.
Wing is foam and the dowel is about 1 1/2" long.

Is it enough to just fill and glue with epoxy or should I use a longer dowel to go further in ?

Also what about the wooden front part which the dowel goes through ?

Thanks,

L
http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/7343/dsc6327q.jpg

RE: How to repair wing dowel loose
 

Well it is going to depend some on your building skills. I'm assuming you are rather new at this so excuse me if some of what I say seems common knowledge. That front part is called the leading edge and if it's split then you will need to glue it all together again. I would recommend that you cut and peel the covering back for a better look and access to the damage. If the dowel is not broken off then simply gluing all the pieces back together will suffice then you can patch the covering or reiron it down again. Depending on how the breack is I like to fit all the pieces together and then soak it in thin CA glue. Some times if the broken parts are just split it is hard to get epoxy into all the cracks, so CA works better. Open it up some more and take some pics and post them so we can get a better idea whats going on.

RE: How to repair wing dowel loose
 

Here is a thought. Remove the dowel andsee if you are able to lighely clamp the peices so they can fit back together. If so, get Elmer's glue into all the cracked, damaged areas, and reset the dowel in Elmer's and reclamp just tightly enough that all the peices fit back together. Let it set overnight and go fly.
Hope that is hlepful.

RE: How to repair wing dowel loose
 

You are referring to wood glue and not the white school glue?

RE: How to repair wing dowel loose
 

Elmer's makes a wood glue, you would want to use the wood glue.  You can always use epoxy and chopped fiberglass for a stronger repair.

RE: How to repair wing dowel loose
 

You can use either one. It is said that wood glue may be stronger, but I have not seen that as I also do woodworking. School glue would work just fine if you don't have wood glue.
Best wishes.

RE: How to repair wing dowel loose
 

Try Gorilla glue. It will expand so it will really firmly hold together.