Question, when you recover a plane do you remove the control surfaces then recover them?

I have recovered several models over the years & to answer your question, yes i remove the control surfaces. If they are CA hinges i cut them w an xacto blade & if they are robart hinges i use a zona saw. After recovering i move the hinge off to one side or another.....Gene

When I build and cover a plane I cover the wing and ailerons, stab and elevators using one piece of covering while the controls are assembled and hinged on the plane. The rudder not always, depends on the plane. By doing it one piece it covers the hinge gaps and makes clean up at the field easier. That's just how I cover. If you need to remove them and cover separately then by all means remove the controls. It's more a choice thing.

When I am recovering a plane I don't remove the control surfaces. When I build a plane I am like Gray Beard in that I put the control surfaces on the plane before I cover it, so recovering a plane is no big deal for me. 

<div>Ken</div>

I was going to say it depends on the type of hinges on the plane. The CA hinges you can just cut off and trench for new ones.

Gene and Ken, if I'm reading your posts correctly, you cover, say, the horizontal stabilizer with one piece of covering. Then, do you leave it as one piece and let it flex as the control surface moves?

Actually, I don't cover it in one piece. Here is how I cover with control surfaces attached.<div>
</div><div><ul>[*]Deflect the control surface as far is it will go and hold in place with tape.[*]Cut a strip of covering and fold it into a "V", place it in the gap between the control surface and the main surface (in this case the stabilizer) and iron into place on each side of the gap. then iron the excess flat on the stabilizer and control surface[*]Cover the control surface from the gap back.[*]Then cover the stab. Use a razor blade to cut the covering at the edge of the gap.[/list]</div><div>
</div><div>Ken</div>

OK, I got it. Next tme I use plastic covering, I'll try it.