I have trouble sanding the control surface flush with wing/ stab/ rudder

what is the best way to hold the moving part in place while sanding? (hinges not glued )

sanding the moving tip on stab (Spitfire style) are the most difficult to hold steady []

all tips/ techniques for this task would be appreciated [8D]

I would put my hinges in but not glue them. The use masking tape and tap off your hinge gap on both sides. Just have to wipe off any extra wood dust so tape will stick. Give that a try and see if it works out for you. May help out some.

Use some balsa stock the thickness of you hinge gap. CA a few pieces in to hold everything together. Then sand till your hearts desire. After sanding a few drops of debonder and a little cleaning up and your done. Works for me. Forgot to mention I do this before putting on any bevel.

Where the heck do my posts keep going???? I answered this one hours ago. [:@]

OK, type it again.

What I do is make hinge blanks. For flat hinges, I cut 1/32" plywood the same size as the hinge. Round the corners so they go in easier. The blanks will help you a lot when it comes time to sand the parts to match.

For hinge points, I use the same size dowel as the hinge point. Has worked very well for me.

- Paul

I've found these nifty little [link=http://www.sonictronics.com/products/hinges/prod03.htm]dummy hinges[/link] from sonictronics.

They are stiff plastic hinges that are temporarily put in place instead of CA hinges while you shape and sand the control surface. They work pretty well.

Of course, if you're not using CA hinges and using Robart hinges, you could just substitute the hinges with wooden dowels while working with the control surface.

Hope this helps...