Tedebear Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Hi Folks When hingeing flying surfaces with mylar hinges, they say you should use cocktail sticks to anchor them. If we are supposed to cover the surfaces before fitting them, how do we avoid a cocktail stick through the covering? Should we fit the surfaces, cover the wing and then slit the covering to free the aileron (elevator, whatever), or what? We operate alone, without a club, etc, so we are working from our own imagination. The truth is out there, but there seems to be a severe lack of CDF in our house. Hope you can help. Regards Steve & Donna. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Lewis Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 If you plan ahead with your covering you can always hide them. Cover a little strip over the trailing edge of the wing / tailplane / fin and the leading edge of the ailerons / elevator / rudder. Then glue and pin the hinges before covering the rest of the wing / tail. Alternatively you can cover it and then glue and pin the hinges and hide the cocktail sticks with small pieces of covering. Rob Edited By Rob Lewis on 18/08/2012 17:40:35 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garbo Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 I carefully hand twist a drill bit from the bottom and place a finger above the hinge and stop before the bit goes through the top film surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Put the cocktail sticks in a little long and after the glue has dried nip the cocktail sticks off flush with a pair of nail clippers. Use eye protection because the bits fly any where. A dab of matching paint is easier than trying to get little bits of film to stick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cantwell Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Posted by Garbo on 18/08/2012 18:07:22: I carefully hand twist a drill bit from the bottom and place a finger above the hinge and stop before the bit goes through the top film surface. very handy if your covering in red, i once saw an idiot at my workplace trying to drill through a piece of steel plate--in reverse, drill was all a glow, then, he corrected the rotation, and as the drill was blunt, it still would not drill, bit of head scratching later, he tried the drill with his finger, went through very nicely, nail and all, i have never pinned a mylar, or any hinge, with the mylar, i cut an accurate slot, drill 3 holes in both side of the hinge, rough it up with sandpaper, mark the half way point, and use epoxy, never ever lost one yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly boy3 Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Hi Tedebear, try this on a scrap piece of balsa same size as control surface. Usind a scalpel maks a slot/slit size of Myler hinge, Push hinge into final position, it should be a tight fit. Bend hinge away from from balsa and put a drop or two of Cyano.To be 100% (belt and braces) bend hinge in the opposite direction and add some Cyano to this side. You will notice the Cyano dissapearig as it wicks into the slot. Take all precautions with Cyano( Ventilation a must) Now see how hard it is to pull the hinge out. The balsa will rip first. Alan also has a great way of doing things as well cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 I'm with Alan and FB3 - never pin them and so far I've never had one come out (touches a big bit of wood!). I use a technique similar to FB3. Insert the hinge in the slot in the flying surface so half is sticking out. Put a modelling pin, or dressmakers pin, through the hinge up against the training edge. Now add the control surface so that the pin is trapped between the trailing edge of the flying surface and the leading edge of the control surface. Now pull out the pin - its only purpose was to act as a spacer. Flex the control surface backwards and as FB3 says add a single drop of CA directly onto the tiny strip of exposed hinge. It will sit there for a second and then magically dissapear! As it wicks into the slots and the hinge. For complete security repeat on the other side. Doing it this way you can obviously cover both the flying surface and the control surface beforehand. Picking up on what Rob says above, the best hint I was ever given regarding covering was to do all the fiddley corners, nooks, crannies fillets, trailing edges etc. first with appropriately small bits of covering, then do the big flat surfaces so that the covering there overlaps these small bits. Its so much easier and neater! BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedebear Posted August 19, 2012 Author Share Posted August 19, 2012 Hi Folks Thanks for the info. It all becomes clear now. Simple, really, when you know how. Regards Steve & Donna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 HI, NOT SURE IF THIS IS THE CORRECT FORUM !!!!!. I am trying to build the ' Dawn Flyer',(WW1 type fighter) and looking for a suitable covering , ie Linen look alike. I have been away from modelling for some years and am rather out of touch. Can any one suggest what I could use please. Regards Barry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 Oratex, iron on heat shrink. Or, nylon with dope. I'm sure there is an iron on fabric used by microlights that would work although the name of it escapes me, I have never used it personally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Fry Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 Not on this thread, but I read from a contributor a few weeks ago that he removed backing film with sticky tape. I have been, for decades, doing it with a pin. Might I thank my unknown benefactor from the bottom of my heart. A revelation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 I forgot to say I would like a nonglossy finish. Ideally satin. Is the Oratex like so. Barry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Fry Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 Yes, Satin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 Posted by Nigel R on 25/11/2019 13:27:24: Oratex, iron on heat shrink. Or, nylon with dope. I'm sure there is an iron on fabric used by microlights that would work although the name of it escapes me, I have never used it personally. Ceconite? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 That's the stuff. Has no glue, I believe, you'd need to find something to paint the airframe with first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted November 26, 2019 Share Posted November 26, 2019 Many thanks to , Nigel, Don and Bob for your suggestions. Barry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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