joining spilt cowling
 

plane: Nitroplanes 140 size Cessna 182
Problem: to aid in fitting cowling, I have split it horizontally, which will help in many ways. BUT I am looking for a strong way of joining the halves and still being able to separate them to get to the engine when necessary.
Thank You in advance.

RE: joining spilt cowling
 

I'm assuming it is vacuum formed and not a fiber glass cowl?

These are typically a ABS or polystyrene type plastic

You can use material like this
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXDL95&P=ML
To make a joiner on the underside. You can use screws on one side and glue the other side with pipe cement

If in fact the cowl is vacuum formed you need to reinforce the back side with fiberglass cloth using pipe cement from the hardware store

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...heet&search=Go

Epoxy will not stick to plastic

RE: joining spilt cowling
 

Unless you accidentally drip it onto your cowl while gluing something else and fail to notice - then it will undergo a miraculous change at a molecular level and become super-plastic-bonding-cement. [>:]

Matt

RE: joining spilt cowling
 

I f you want epoxy to stick to a plastic cowling, it will just fall off when it hardens. But no doubt when you don't want epoxy their, you have it for life.