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Building Tips and technical articles. => Building techniques => Topic started by: James Mills on April 26, 2016, 08:01:42 PM

Title: Attaching Wingtips to a Foam Wing
Post by: James Mills on April 26, 2016, 08:01:42 PM
What glue do most use for attaching wingtips to a foam wing?  I'm thinking Titebond (Alaphatic).

James
Title: Re: Attaching Wingtips to a Foam Wing
Post by: Sean McEntee on April 26, 2016, 10:21:37 PM
...is this a real question?
Title: Re: Attaching Wingtips to a Foam Wing
Post by: Tim Wescott on April 26, 2016, 10:29:24 PM
...is this a real question?

Probably.

What glue do most use for attaching wingtips to a foam wing?  I'm thinking Titebond (Alaphatic).

James

What sort of foam wing?  A sheeted foam-winged stunter, an all-foam combat wing, what?
Title: Re: Attaching Wingtips to a Foam Wing
Post by: Avaiojet on April 26, 2016, 10:59:05 PM
James,

Five minute Epoxy will work and there's a CA for gluing foam. Used for repairs mostly.
Title: Re: Attaching Wingtips to a Foam Wing
Post by: Brett Buck on April 26, 2016, 11:39:05 PM
What glue do most use for attaching wingtips to a foam wing?  I'm thinking Titebond (Alaphatic).

   I use something like Titebond. I actually used white Luthier's glue the last time but it's not at all critical.

     Brett
Title: Re: Attaching Wingtips to a Foam Wing
Post by: Chris Wilson on April 27, 2016, 03:09:25 AM
Most non solvent based glues will work and my choice would be poly vinyl acetate ( PVA) water based adhesive.

The supposed benefit of Aliphatic glue is sanding ability and water resistance but I cant see that as a plus here.

Large surface area contact would be far more important.
Title: Re: Attaching Wingtips to a Foam Wing
Post by: James Mills on April 27, 2016, 05:39:32 AM
...is this a real question?
It's been a while since I built a foam wing, don't make me sick Ben on you next time we see you (he has the height advantage now LL~).

James
Title: Re: Attaching Wingtips to a Foam Wing
Post by: Paul Smith on April 27, 2016, 12:29:00 PM
I've done OK with Titebond on foam.  Just don't use it in the center of a huge block.  Epoxy is a lot of effort when you don't need it.  You're only gluing one layer of beads so it would deliver it's potential strength.
Title: Re: Attaching Wingtips to a Foam Wing
Post by: Tim Wescott on April 27, 2016, 03:10:04 PM
If you're not aiming for pretty (you never did say if it was stunt), Gorilla Glue works great on foam.  Just make sure that there's enough moisture for it to fire off completely, that there's a place for any excess to go when it foams up, and that your clamping system will hold even when the glue tries to push everything apart.

It may even work on a stunt plane -- I've never tried sanding it, so I don't know.
Title: Re: Attaching Wingtips to a Foam Wing
Post by: James Mills on April 27, 2016, 03:47:32 PM
If you're not aiming for pretty (you never did say if it was stunt), Gorilla Glue works great on foam.  Just make sure that there's enough moisture for it to fire off completely, that there's a place for any excess to go when it foams up, and that your clamping system will hold even when the glue tries to push everything apart.

It may even work on a stunt plane -- I've never tried sanding it, so I don't know.
It's a stunt plane so pretty counts.

James
Title: Re: Attaching Wingtips to a Foam Wing
Post by: Target on April 27, 2016, 04:23:12 PM
Sounds like a great place to use P/U, aka gorilla glue, to me. That stuff sands well and uses moisture to cure. Make sure the part is securely taped to the wing or it may try to lift the tip away when curing.
Some of my sailplane buddies use PU to vacuum bag 1/64" ply to foam cores. It's pretty strong when used correctly and sands better than Aliphatic resin, in my opinion.
Title: Re: Attaching Wingtips to a Foam Wing
Post by: Sean McEntee on April 27, 2016, 06:10:47 PM
don't make me sick Ben on you next time we see you (he has the height advantage now LL~).

James

Im sure I can out-PT him  :D


Title: Re: Attaching Wingtips to a Foam Wing
Post by: Chris Wilson on April 27, 2016, 08:08:09 PM
If the tip is a porous material like balsa there is never any issue with the glue being able to air dry, and even with foam to foam the section is not large enough to deny air entry even through the glue seam itself.

Really can't see an issue with good old PVA.
Title: Re: Attaching Wingtips to a Foam Wing
Post by: James Mills on April 27, 2016, 10:46:37 PM
Im sure I can out-PT him  :D



I don't know, he started running track this year #^
Title: Re: Attaching Wingtips to a Foam Wing
Post by: Sean McEntee on May 03, 2016, 09:25:57 PM
Im sure I can out-PT him  :D



I don't know, he started running track this year #^




Took a PT test today...2-mile in 12:33.  Tell Ben to bring it  8)
Title: Re: Attaching Wingtips to a Foam Wing
Post by: James Mills on May 04, 2016, 05:17:20 PM


Took a PT test today...2-mile in 12:33.  Tell Ben to bring it  8)
That's pretty good for an old sergeant y1.  I'll pass it on.  If nothing else he can do more damage at a buffet now than you could.

James
Title: Re: Attaching Wingtips to a Foam Wing
Post by: Rich Perry on May 05, 2016, 12:30:39 PM
I use Elmer's white glue on my combat models, for the spars and the wing tips. It dries clear.  You do have to let it set for several days on the spars, but wing tips dry fast.  You gotta tape off the foam when sanding flush, otherwise the foam will get low.  Been down the Gorrilla glue road and quit using it.  Tough to control the foam out, and almost impossible to clean up.  It is not that easy to sand. Not in this application.