rrragmanliam

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Hello,

Can somone explane to me the process of making that nice "wingsaddle to wing" fit with hardend putty/filler. I've a gereral idea of the process but it would be nice to hear from folks that have actualy done it. I'm looking for techniques and materials used. Thanks a bunch for the help.

Darren

RCKen

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There's a great how-to on this at Airfield Models. Here's the link to that how-to:

[link]http://www.airfieldmodels.com/information_source/how_to_articles_for_model_builders/construction/wing_saddles/index.htm[/link]

Hope this helps

Ken

RhyanO

I second using the method mentioned in Ken's link.
I used this method last year in the wing saddle area on my UltraSport 40, and it turned out fantastic.

Ryan

Charlie P.

Yep. That's the way.

But with wood filler putty you need to thin it with a few drops of water so it "squishes" better or you'll get lumps that give poor contact. I use Elmer's Carpenter's Interior/Exterior Wood Filler that thins with water. Sounds fancy, but 4 oz costs less than three bucks (Lowe's) and that's enough for maybe a dozen saddles, or all the filling on three to ten or more models, depending. Wet your finger and wipe the squooshed material away before it hardens on the outside and you'll have a lot less sanding to do. Also, a big clump can pull away the stuff you want should you snap it off if you're not careful. This stuff also works as a fairing compound for dips and dents that wetting won't pull out.

Note that with the wood filler you have to be "closer" in the gap than with the filled epoxy. You shouldn't rely on filler to support the saddle, just fill the small gaps. Too thick and it will likely crack off at some point down the road.

Wax paper and silicone caulk work very well, too. Doesn'l look as nice but is a good seal for float planes. Same as on the site RCKen provided, the wax paper is removed.

jsevey

If you are talking about a sport plane and not a saddle with a fillet as on some scale jobs I do a wing saddle out of clear silicon sealant. Once the airplane is completely finished put a sheet of plastic wrap on the wing where the fuse butts against the wing. Squeeze a generous bead of pure silicon sealant against the fuselage and attach the wing to the fuse. Go ahead and put on the hold-down bolts or rubber bands. The excess silicon will squeeze out. Give it a couple of days to cure and remove the wing. Pull the plastic wrap off the wing and trim the excess silicon from the fuselage. You now have a custom, fuel proof, water proof seal that has some "grab" to it. If it ever starts to loosen up- re-apply. I even do this under those wide, scale fillets just to seal off the interior of the airplane.

Hope this helps.

jim

rrragmanliam

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That's exactly what I was looking for.

Thanks everyone.

Darren