Removing Hinges?
 

Hi,

I recently acquired a jet that looks great, and is well built, but has an issue I can't abide. When you bolt the wings on, the trailing edges of the control surfaces don't line up at all. The hinges were glued in while the wing was off of the plane, and the flaps and ailerons aren't centered very well at all along the wing trailing edge. Aside from it being a trim issue, the bird is a high-speed bird and stuff like this robs speed.

Question is, have you ever had to remove control surfaces hinged with Robart hinge-points? What's the best method? These are glued into a sheeted foam wing.

Thanks in advance.

RE: Removing Hinges?
 

That's easy
Cut them off flush with a knife or saw, then take a hot soldering iron tip and you can plunge it into the remaining hing section and melt it out;)

RE: Removing Hinges?
 

Hi Shaun,

I would do the following:

1. Cut through accessible part of hings with heated number 11 knife blade to separate wing from control surface
2. Get a piece of brass tube bigger than the hinge thickness and sharpen the end inner edge with a sharp blade and also cut some serrations in it with a dremel
3. Stick that sharpened tube in a drill and drill around the hinge
4. Grab the protruding hinge and pull out the "core" that you just drilled
5. Glue in balsa dowel, redrill hinge holes and soak the remaining balsa dowel with pink zap to harden it (it will wick down the longitudinal grain of the wood really well)
6. Glue in hinges

Have never tried the soldering iron trick but sounds like a good idea. I prefer the pleasant aroma of zap and kicker over burning plastic though!:D

Regards,

Craig.

RE: Removing Hinges?
 

Craig does seem to have a good method, I do remove robart points from time to time, and providing they are not bottom or top hinged, I just use the hinge centring tool to drill the centres out!
I then drill the hole oversize and glue in a balsa or soft wood plugs for re hinging!
I and some friends of mine make the flying surfaces removable by using the Robart pin less points and having a 1.5mm continuous wire hinge that can be removed for painting and maintenance!

Regards

John.

RE: Removing Hinges?
 

sharpened brass tube is the way to go

RE: Removing Hinges?
 

I vote for Craig

RE: Removing Hinges?
 

I've used the sharpened brass tube method before.  Works really well.

Kirk

RE: Removing Hinges?
 

Now I know what happened to you :D:D:D LOL

RE: Removing Hinges?
 

Old aerials are another way of getting tubes of different diameters, only way to cut holes in balsa or ply!