wraith0078

My Feedback: (2)

So what's the secret to getting these things in here without getting them full of glue?

teufelhund

My Feedback: (2)

Hi wraith0078, If you will put some Vasoline or light oil in the middle of the hinge it won't lock up, also use a little less epoxy if you have a lot squeezing out when you insert the hinge. Ben

Rcpilot

My Feedback: (78)

Drill a hole with your drill bit. Then take a cone-shaped dremel bit and use it to make a countersink hole for the "knuckle" on the hinge. I use a bit thats about 1/4" long and 1/4" diameter at the top. It's the perfect dpeth for the countersink hole.

Drill the hole with the drill bit first--then use the dremel bit to make the countersink hole.

Use any type of oil or light lubricant on the hinge point to keep it from getting glued.

3-n-1 oil--vaseline--ky jelly--mink wax (the kind used for water-proofing your hiking boots) --crisco cooking grease. Pretty much anything will work to keep the epoxy from sticking to the knuckle.

I use a paper towel soaked in denatured alcohol and wipe down the hinges when the glue squirts out. That alone helps a bunch. Get most of the glue off it from the start. The oil/grease will do the rest.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I do mostly everything mentioned but I also drill A hole through the Trailing edge and the leading edge of the surfaces all the way through the wood and the hinge then glue A tooth pick through everything. Cut it off and sand when dry. To date I have never had A hinge give way and have only had one break.

tubig

ditto on all the above. another thing to keep in mind is to drop just a couple drops of epoxy into the hole, not on the points themselves so the hinge points will push the epoxy further in the hole vs. having the hole push the epoxy up into the hinge. then position the surface so that the epoxy settles back down into the barbs using 30 minute epoxy.

goatboy

I also use the methods as stated above, and must say the alcohol is a big plus. I use a pippette to apply the alcohol and wipe off the excess while working the hinge back and forth. have not had a hinge stick yet useing the above methods.

tashley

My Feedback: (9)

All good information. I also like to take a round toothpick or something similar and apply the epoxy to it and push it around in the hole to make sure that all of the hinge pocket is saturated with glue before pushing the point in. I also put a thin film on the point it's self.

Jigley3

http://airfieldmodels.com/informatio...ints/index.htm

TLH101

My Feedback: (90)

Work the surfaces a little before the epoxy "goes off". This will help loosen the epoxy that gets around joint. Do lube the hinge joint as stated before.

Dr1Driver

I wouldn't use any type of oil that is petroleum-based. It might attack the plastic. Use KY.

Dr.1

Gringo Flyer

My Feedback: (18)

I also would recomend gorilla glue instead of epoxy, its great for filling in all open areas. You need to watch gorilla glue more so than epoxy for exapnding out into th ehing. Just check it every 5 to 10 minutes and wipe the hinge clean.

I use vaseline on the hinges and have never had on get sticky.

RCVFR

My Feedback: (7)

All the gluing is to the hinge hole, none on the hinge itself. Any glue you put on the hinge post will migrate (a lot or a little) to the hinge. and you don't want that.

voyager_663rd

When would the best time be to actually do the drilling/insertion of the hinge?

Before the wing is skinned? or after?

I'll be using a robarts jig to assist in the drilling.

tashley

My Feedback: (9)

Are you refering to skinning the wing with balsa? If so, before or after is ok. If however you are refering to covering the wing with film, definately before. Before the wing is covered up, providing it's not a foam core, make sure you have blocking in front of the trailing edge to get a full purchase on your hinge points if the trailing edge is not as wide as the hinge is long.

voyager_663rd

with balsa then glassing.

I figured it would be easier and less messy if I could drill and glue the hinges in the TE b4 I skinned the wing/flap areas.

On second thought, maybe it would be easier AFTER skinning/glassing. It might be difficult to work the glass around the inserted-hinge. Easier to just glass it then drill/insert.

TF Corsair (60 size).

tashley

My Feedback: (9)

There you go. Or, skin em first, then lay out the hinges and drill pockets, then glass em and then all you have to do is poke a hole in the glass where the hinges go. If it were mine, I would do it this way. The less work you have to do to install your hinges after the wing is glassed and ready for primer and paint the less chance you have to ding something up.

Kwigen

I've used candle wax with good results. Fold the hinges in half then dip them into wax and quickly striaghten them out before the wax cools. After gluing the hinges in just flex the control surface to loosen the wax. Works with epoxy, ca, gorilla, et al. Just becareful not to bend the hinge prior to the glue setting.

tashley

My Feedback: (9)

Candle wax, now that sounds like a better idea than vasaline.

Starfighter

My Feedback: (78)

Hi, name's Ken(Starfighter).
Read this entire post, and the advice on the use of a blocking agent/oil is correct. Any of the recommended methods for oiling the hinge are ok. As for myself, I use a drop of after run oil on each side of the hinge.
But, as for the choice of adhesive, I don't agree with any others advice I read. Don't use epoxy, and don't use Gorilla Glue.
Use: ALIPHATIC glue. Correct, ALIPHATIC glue. Sig, or TiteBond II, or Pacer's Hinge Glue (another Aliphatic).
Either of the above Aliphatics will not lock up the hinge (even if you don't oil it, but it will get stiff if not oiled).
The Aliphatics also cause the wood around the hinge point to swell, and really LOCK the hinge point in place. You WILL NOT be able to pull out a correctly glued hinge point when glued with Aliphatic. You WILL destroy the flight control/surface instead.
Because the Aliphatic , due to the water, swells the wood, the hinge point holes can even be oversized, and the hinge point will still be SOLIDLY affixed. Just be careful not to get any oil on the barbs.
Guys, I don't care if you "FLAME" me. Really. I probably have MORE EXPERIENCE than most of you. What experience; 50 yrs. building acft. and 43yrs. in R/C. I've built models on consignment/professionally (had an acft. I built at Top Gun), and I've competed at Pattern and won at various levels. So, I THINK I KNOW what I'm speaking of. Also, I only write in to these posts when I have something to offer. So, you can either take the advice or ignore it. Your choice. But keep any nasty comments to yourselves. OK?

Lowlevlflyer

My Feedback: (3)

No nasty comments here, I just dont agree with you. I've been using Gorilla Glue on every Robart hinge I've installed, and I have not had a single failure. I really dont see the difference in the principals you describe for the Aliphatic glue, and the way Gorilla Glue works. You say the Aliphatic causes the wood to swell, locking the hinge in place... Okay, the Gorilla Glue expands, thereby locking the hinge in place. The wood also swells a bit, because you must get some water in there to activate the Gorilla Glue. I've tried to pull these things apart on a couple of test pieces I made up when I first started using the Robarts, and broke the wood trying, so I know for FACT it works. While I appreciate and respect your level of experience, I dont agree Aliphatic is the best way to go on these hinges. Each to his own, though.

tashley

My Feedback: (9)

To each his own but I've been using Weldbond also known as RC-56 canopy glue for some time now and don't see a reason to change. It's not messy like epoxy or polyurethane and it's hell for stout. I will guarantee that if you use this glue on a properly sized slot/pocket, let it dry thouroughly and pull test you will either pull the hinge apart or tear out a big chunk of wood.

voyager_663rd

The problem with wax as I see it is since you have to make sure the hinge is 90o up/down, you have to flex it up/down. That would break the wax mold and possibly allow whatever glue you're using to seep in past the cracked wax.

Dipped in melted vaseline/bit o' oil is still better I think.

tashley

My Feedback: (9)

Good point.

RVM

What about Astroglide?

da Rock

Looks like more than one glue is the best. And looks like more than one technique is also the best.

Not surprising. Very often, in modeling, there are more than one "best method" of doing something.

Epoxy might be the best glue simply because it fills, then turns to a solid. Problem is getting it to actually fill hard to reach places, and it'll lock a hinge solid in a heartbeat so you have to work to protect the hinging yet not ruin the surfaces to be glued. And you have to mix it and then work fast to beat the pot life. And if it gets into the hinge part, that hinge is now a solid fixture.

Gorilla glue seems to have the ability to lock a hinge solid as well. But it's going to fill hard to reach places with no extra effort. That's what it does best. But you do have to work at protecting the hinging yet not ruin the surfaces to be glued.

The glues like Hinge Glue lock the hinges into the wood absolutely, and don't require much effort to protect the hinging. Matter of fact, you can ignore that wax/oil/grease/whatever step completely. As long as you simply wipe away any that gets into the hinging, it'll be good to go. And you don't have to mix it or hurry up on the application to beat the pot life. And you don't have to worry about it extruding out over time. What squishes out at first is it. Paper towel or Qtip that off and move on to some other building task.