green river rc

My Feedback: (2)

Whats the best way to hinge the control surfaces so they wont be to stiff? My Brodak Nobler came with CA hinges and I'm afraid they might not be loose enough. What does everyone else use?

David

leblanc

I use the supplied stuff that comes with it, but it is a little stiff, butit's inenspenxive.
You could use small hinges from du-bro with the set that you can buy at your hobby shop. Those are very good. But they do need to be in a perfect strait line so that it's not stiff.

LeBlanc

fox4evr

David, I use the DuBro hinges. Be sure, if you use them, to lube the hinge joint so the epoxy doesn't seize the hinge. I use melted vaselene for this. Also its good to pin the hinge plate so it doesn't pull out of the wing or flap, ect.
Lee TGD

Jim Thomerson

Not good for your application, but I usually make hinges out of dental floss, sewn through in a figure-8 pattern. Cheap and easy and I have never had one fail.

Jim

green river rc

My Feedback: (2)

I have used the DuBro hinges before and don't really like them because of getting epoxy in the joint, I haven't tried melted Vaseline but I did use a drop of oil. I'm now thinking about Robarts hinge points, I still have a few days to decide.

kiwipaul

Hi GR
Ive used ca hinges including Radio South and Sig on everthing from 020 to 2 meter pattern and never had a problem. Use thin ca so it will wick into the balsa. Keep a paper towel handy to mop up any excess. The hinges may be a bit stiff to start but will lossen up with use. If the plans call for 3 hinges put in one extra. Good insurance!
Kiwipaul

tperry2054

My Feedback: (15)

If you can match the color, making hinges from Monokote is a good way to go.

Tom Perry

green river rc

My Feedback: (2)

Well...I made a 3 hour round trip to the semi-local hobby shop and bought the Dubro hinges.

Fox4evr- Will try the melted Vaseline trick.

tperry2054

My Feedback: (15)

If you have not used them before or its been a while, practice on some scrap before commiting to the real thing.

Tight lines,

Tom

green river rc

My Feedback: (2)

They are nothing new to me, I just don't like them because I always get epoxy in them.

fox4evr

Hey RC
I didn't mention before, I melt the vaseline, and use a small brush to apply the melted vaseline to the hinge barrels only. Has always worked great for me.
Lee TGD

kdheath

The Klett hinges are probably a little better than the Du-Bros, with less flashing and smoother operation. They are the favorites of a number of excellent builders.
http://www.klettplastics.com/pages/3/index.htm

I heat up the Vaseline with my Monokote gun in a tuna fish can and fold the hinge back and dip it in the Vaseline. Wipe off the excess and you're ready. If you use epoxy, keep a Q-tip handy for wiping away extra epoxy as you ease the hinge into its slot.

I have had good luck with Hinge Glue from Zap. Looks like Titebond II, but seems to work well. When I crashed my Pathfinder, the wood pulled out, not the glue.

green river rc

My Feedback: (2)

kdheath- The heat gun is a good idea, I pictured some guy cooking it in a spoon with a match like crack! HA!!! [sm=lol.gif]

highflyinguy

KD, I have also used the new hinge glue and also epoxy, but am having problems finding the 2 hr cure epoxy that is thin enough to get some into the hinge slot prior to inserting the hinge (just a personel thing I found helps not having to put so much glue on the hinge itself), the hinge glue is also a bit thick to get a bit of it into the hinge slot, any suggestions?
Anybody know who makes the 2 hour cure epoxy?
Another substance I have found good to replace the vasoline is Silcone grease, no heating needed, found at most auto supply stores.
I have also found the Klette hinges to be a tad bit better made in that they have no flashing to clean off to make the hinge work smoother.
Jerry

Steve Helmick

Don't use any hinges that don't have pivot pins. Any stiffness is bad, because all the force that moves the flaps and elevator comes from line tension. If it takes 8 oz of pull to move the controls, that's half a pound less line tension. That might be nothing when you're flying level, but when you're at the top of the hourglass, or doing OH8's in a wind, it's not good.

Use Klett or DuBro hinges, the standard size, not the small ones. For installation, John Miller (aka Joe Bellcrank at SSW) came up with a super sweet way to install this type hinges with CA. Cut the slots as normal. Cut strips of silkspan the width of the hinge tab, and about 4+ times longer. Fold these strips in half. Dunk the hinge barrels in hot Vaseline, allow to cool and wipe away excess. Get ready to install. Push each hinge into the TE, with a strip of silkspan. Excess will be allowed to stick out. Don't glue yet. When all the hinges are in the TE, fold the flap tabs back, push the TE up against a door jamb or straight edge, to get them straight and inline. Get the CA ready, and apply a drop of thin CA to each silkspan tab. It will soak in and firmly attach the hinge to the TE. Do the same with the flap, but you will have to deal with the flap horn/flap joining. CA those, let the epoxy set on the flap horn install, and you're done. Quick, easy and almost foolproof. One useful mod is to pull all the hinge pins and install a single piece of 1/32" piano wire on each flap or elevator half. Makes installation, refinishing, revised flap areas, and repairs a lot easier. Then, when you are done, you're not done until you seal the hingelines with Scotch/3M Crystal Clear 3/4" wide tape. Steve

yellowrv

Hi Guys/Gals?

I'm back into U-Control after a 28 year lapse. Used to fly Flite Steaks, Cosmic Winds, Ringmasters, and Twisters in the late 60's and early 70's. I bought a Cox PT 19 and Cox Hyper Viper for Christmas( Viper is currently nursing a fractured right wing from an incomplete outside loop !) I'm building a 1/2 A Skyray and buggered up the hinges. I got them off OK, but I have to replace them. What can I substitute for the kit nylon hinges. Taffeta is in supply around the house as my wife uses it in sewing uniforms for the kids. It looks and feels like a very finely woven nylon. Guess I could test some with dope on it to see if it holds up. The dental floss sounds very interesting too. I suppose a non waxed, non mint version would be best. Any suggestions would be appreciated.


Rickster

gcb

Rickster,

The taffeta should work fine. I assume you are installing over/under "Chinese" hinges.
I have not yet tried the sewn hinges using dental floss or equivalent but some guys swear by the sewn hinges. Either should work.
The simplest 1/2A elevator hinge I've seen is the type used on the old Scientific kits. You bevel the LE of the elevator to provide movement and glue a strip of fabric on the opposite side from the bevel. I generally put the cloth hinge on the bottom and bevel on the top for those.
Good luck, whichever you use.

George

green river rc

My Feedback: (2)

Here's a picture of the Brodak Nobler that everyone has helped me so much with. It still needs some minor sanding before covering, that will have to wait until tomorrow. I still have some questions about exhaust and wrapping the leadouts, but I'll just make a new post for that.

Thanks again!
David

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

You fold the Dubro or Klett hinges and dip the pin in molten parafin.

Enjoy,

Jim

kdheath

Did I see this in Stunt News? The ultimate hinge is the Klett hinge with the pin holes drilled out slightly to fit hinge pins bought from SIG (they sell the pins in bulk), or run a full length piece of piano wire in from the tip through all the hinges, bend it over and spot glue the end down. Then the flap or elevator is removable for modification or repair. The hinges should flop down when held by one end. If it don't flop, don't use it.

Oh, here is a cute idea for greasing the old skids:

http://www.clstunt.com/htdocs/dcforu...ID1/12092.html