dasintex

My Feedback: (10)

Do Hinge Slotters like the one from Dubro work well on Beveled surfaces, like the leading edge of an Aileron?

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Yes, but they are designed for cutting a thick slot for Nylon hinges. If that's what you use, great.

If you use CA hinges, that will not work. The best slot cutter for CA hinges is the Great Planes Slot Machine.

parrthd

ditto, that's what i use and haven't had anyproblems. only thing i've noticed is my slots seem to keep getting thinner and thinner. i'm thinking the blades are dull or wearing down. next tower order has a set on it. no big deal though, i just take a #11 exacto blade and finish it off. takes a total of 3 extra second on each hinge.

dasintex

My Feedback: (10)

You referring to the Powered slot Machine from Great planes, right?

vicman

My Feedback: (10)

And don't get the battery powered one. It runs low on juice too fast[&o]. The plug in slotter is the ticket! I love mine.

bps

My Feedback: (3)

The GP slot cutter has blades available for both CA and Nylon hinge slotting.
JEB

parrthd

yep, i was at the lhs yesterday and got a new set of ca blades for mine but they didn't have the nylon blades or i'd have got a set of those too

Rcpilot

My Feedback: (78)

I have the GP powered hinge slotter. I use it for cutting CA hinges on smaller planes. Works perfect, but I think the blades wear down a little fast. Maybe I'm just expecting too much out of it. I can cut about 30 hinge slots before the blades get so dull that I'm having to push a bit hard to make the blades feed into the wood and actually cut the slot. It's not really a big deal because the replacement bladews are $4 and I keep new several sets on-hand. I just thought the thing would cut about 100 sots before the blades wore down. Maybe my balsa is just hard? I don't think I should have to push so hard that I'm afraid I'll snap a stick in the wing. The thing should just practically fall into the wing when you start the motor. And it does--for about 20 or 25 slots. Then it gets hard, like the blades are dull.

Oh well. Like I said, blades are $4 apiece.

RVM

Speaking of slotting hinges, I got an ARF in recently and I want to use some standard DuBro pinned hinges. The CA hinge slots that are precut are REALLY tight if you try to get the DuBro hinge in. How wide should I make the slot? Should the DuBro hinge be loose, or snug, or tight or what? I've only ever used CA hinges and Robart hingepoints.

RVM

Nevermind, I just realized I have a DuBro Kwik Hinge Slotter laying around somewhere.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

One note about the GP Slot machine - Make sure you get the little red plastic guide, it makes lining things up MUCH easier

rajul

My Feedback: (58)

Tettra makes a hinge slotting guide that works great with the GP motorized hinge slotter. The Tettra tool is designed for bevelled and tapered surfaces, and automatically centers the slotting blades. Pretty handy and quick when you're making many slots. Comes in two sizes, small and large. The large one is suitable for 60-size and above planes.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

That looks pretty slick Mike

rajul

My Feedback: (58)

Minn, it's a real productivity improvement tool! Just finger clamp the guide in position, and let it guide the slotting blades into the wood. Perfect alignment all the time.

vicman

My Feedback: (10)

To be fully truthfull, I now use a dremel cut off wheel in my drill press with the quill locked and run the wheel in on all the surfaces at the same hight every time, but I do like my slotter.