Repairing Foam Models

[Andrew McKelvey 1]

I have a Calypso glider that I was flying the other day and one minute it is up in the sky and the next it is two fields away and I am struggling with it. Suffice to say It went behind some trees and it gets a bit difficult to gauge where the ground is so fingers off sticks and wait..I had landed out and vaguely knew which direction to go in so off I trot. Two fields away and I am in a field full of mummy sheep and baby sheep and three of the baby sheep are showing interest in what looks like a glider.

When I get there and scare the sheep away from chewing the said glider it isn't in bad shape just out of shape, gone in nose first canopy is off but it is intact.

Asking back at the flying field how do I straighten that and get rid of the bite marks, the considered opinion seems to be hot water or steam but I forgot to ask what am I looking for when I immerse it in hot water or steam, on no account use a hot air gun it will melt it.

I clamped a couple of wood blocks to the outside of the fuz to flatten the bulge and now the canopy fits but I need to glue the bit where it split.

The question is

1. If I pour hot water on it what effect am I looking for, what do I do next, of course I used my hot air gun because I don't have steam or hot water in my model room. Does foam have memory, do I heat it and push it back into shape, or do I get it back in shape and heat it, any thoughts.

2. I don't have UHU Por and generally use 5 minute Epoxy Glue from a well known Toolstore which I haven't had any issues with, would PVA do the job, will CA do, do I glue it clamp it and go away for 24hours.

3. How do I remove bite marks.

4, The tail plane and rudder has always had a strange profile, ever since I have had the plane, looks a bit curled up at the ends, there are no stiffeners so should I worry about it, it normally fly's ok, would carbon fibre rods be of benefit.

The only thing I found abnormal when rescuing the plane was the elevator horn had become detached from the elevator, it is only glued, I don't know if it came off up a height or when it hit terra firma but I did struggle keeping it up when it was coming down?

 

Anyone any bright idea's

[Shaun Walsh]

29 minutes ago, Andrew McKelvey 1 said:

I have a Calypso glider that I was flying the other day and one minute it is up in the sky and the next it is two fields away and I am struggling with it. Suffice to say It went behind some trees and it gets a bit difficult to gauge where the ground is so fingers off sticks and wait..I had landed out and vaguely knew which direction to go in so off I trot. Two fields away and I am in a field full of mummy sheep and baby sheep and three of the baby sheep are showing interest in what looks like a glider.

When I get there and scare the sheep away from chewing the said glider it isn't in bad shape just out of shape, gone in nose first canopy is off but it is intact.

Asking back at the flying field how do I straighten that and get rid of the bite marks, the considered opinion seems to be hot water or steam but I forgot to ask what am I looking for when I immerse it in hot water or steam, on no account use a hot air gun it will melt it.

I clamped a couple of wood blocks to the outside of the fuz to flatten the bulge and now the canopy fits but I need to glue the bit where it split.

The question is

1. If I pour hot water on it what effect am I looking for, what do I do next, of course I used my hot air gun because I don't have steam or hot water in my model room. Does foam have memory, do I heat it and push it back into shape, or do I get it back in shape and heat it, any thoughts.

2. I don't have UHU Por and generally use 5 minute Epoxy Glue from a well known Toolstore which I haven't had any issues with, would PVA do the job, will CA do, do I glue it clamp it and go away for 24hours.

3. How do I remove bite marks.

4, The tail plane and rudder has always had a strange profile, ever since I have had the plane, looks a bit curled up at the ends, there are no stiffeners so should I worry about it, it normally fly's ok, would carbon fibre rods be of benefit.

The only thing I found abnormal when rescuing the plane was the elevator horn had become detached from the elevator, it is only glued, I don't know if it came off up a height or when it hit terra firma but I did struggle keeping it up when it was coming down?

 

Anyone any bright idea's

Some photo's of the damage would help.

[Andrew McKelvey 1]

TBH there isn't much to see. The front of the fuz had bent up and bellied out at the sides and the canopy wouldn't fit, attached by magnets, there is a split under the the fuz basically it needs straightening and staying that way

[Frank Day]

Strip down where necessary and dip the deformed parts in very hot water ( pan large enough to cover the damaged area) and leave for a few minutes, foam does have some memory and you may see it taking its original shape, take it out and use you hands to squeeze it back to shape, re-dip until it looks OK-ish hold till cool or plunge into cold water to fix.  If the canopy is still 100% offer it up as a guide. You probably wont get it all back in shape.

 

Any snapped off large bits glue them on first so they are in the position at the point they let go and dip the lot so it all comes back together.  

 

Heat gun, Will turn it to pop corn, I only use it where it wont be seen or where it really wont cause any further damage or you are prepared to get the filler and paint out. (light filler dont waste money on model specific lite filler, it doesn't really exist) This is the exact  same stuff at 1/4 of the price. Screwfix

 NO NONSENSE LIGHTWEIGHT FILLER WHITE 500ML (75073) £4.78.  I use this.

Cocktail sticks are good and i also you long bamboo skewers pushed into the foam to hold /strengthen as the foam often loses some of its original strength.  Glue the split once you are happy with the shape.

 

Below is my Vampires nose after said treatment, boiled/heatgun/epoxy/foamtac/bamboo/screwfix filler/household water based primer and Tamiya paint, this is its best side still has a slight change in the curve the other side but would need filling etc, may be in the winter.

[Andrew McKelvey 1]

Took some photo's today. Not a great lot to see. I have been bonding the foam back together with 12h Araldite because it gives plenty of time for manipulation, once I have it back solid I'll give it a once over and see if I need to do any thing else. I am using the canopy as means to line it all up it is attached with elastic bands at the mo but the magnets do hold it in place.

[Andrew McKelvey 1]

Flew the repaired model yesterday bit of trim tweaking and all ok