jbloom

I have a two part cowl for a Goldberg Super Chipmunk. I don't have the cowl joiner strip. I can get it from Goldberg models for a 1.00, then I'd likely pay $5.00 to ship it. So, before I did that, I was wondering if there is a different material that I could use to join the halves.

I'm guessing the joiner strip would be installed using acetone or something that will fuse the parts together. Any suggestions?

Spicoli

CA works good.

DaveB

Any scrap pieces of the ABS can be tack glued with CA and then reinforced with 1" strips of fiberglass cloth along the entire joint and then resin. It's a good idea to add the fiber glass in any case because these cowls will crack and break before long if you don't.
DaveB

DavidAgar

My Feedback: (108)

Use thin CA carefully. You should attach the joiner strip to one side and then apply the second side to the joiner strip. You can reinforce the inside with fiberglass cloth if you want. Use Bondo to fill the minor gaps on the outside. Good Luck, Dave

HalH

My Feedback: (12)

You can use fiberglass cloth and paste PVC cement. Works great.

phread59

Just lightly sand the inside area of the joints. Clean carefully and use fiberglass and thin CA. Just use adequate ventallation. You may want to glass the entire inside. Those cowls are kinda flimsy.

Mark Shuman

jbloom

Sounds great! Thanks.. Hadn't considered glassing the whole inside, but it couldn't hurt.

So the actual joiner strip should be ABS? Or are you saying use the ABS just to hold the halves together until I can glass it?

michpittsman

My Feedback: (11)

The solvent for ABS plastic is acetone, and you can make a paste for joining ABS parts by dissolving scraps of the material in acetone; the glass cloth or wing joining tape should be used. Eventually you may want to go to fiberglass parts, which are available from several suppliers, including Goldberg. JIM

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

That Cowl BTW lends itself to a neat little trick:

Instead of joining the two halves, put tabs on one side and screw the other side to the tabs.

That way, if you ever need to remove the cowl (To make adjustments or whatever) you don't need to remove the spinner and prop. The cowl simply splits in two.

bduarte

I joined sucesfully an ABS cowl using 1/64" strips of plywood with CA, works fine.

Bruno

lownslo

If you can afford it..... look at Stans or Fiberglass Specialties for a fiberglass cowl. I have a Fly Baby I am building this winter and one of the first extras I bought was a Stans cowl. I just don't care for all the work on the ABC cowls and the glass is stronger....Just my opinion......lownslo....

rcmiket

Why go to all the trouble of fitting and painting that plastic one. Over time its going to crack and your going to need to repace it anyway. Just get a glass one you'll be much happier down the road.=Mike

jbloom

Yea.. I have been entertaining the idea of getting a fiberglass cowl for it. I just have to make up my mind. Thanks for all the suggestions..!!

RCPilot100

My Feedback: (4)

You can joint it with CA or acetone - but then I would glass the entire inside for some strength and durability. While I have bought many fiberglass cowls for ease, I now find joining and glassing ABS a low cost alternative that actually works out fairly nice. ABS is easier to fill, prime and paint than fiberglass - no pinholes - which can take three to four times the work to get rid of. And you can find people like me who use fiberglass parts - who will gladly give away their ABS stuff.

Dan