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Building Tips and technical articles. => Building techniques => Topic started by: Bootlegger on July 27, 2018, 01:09:21 PM
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When you are building, and you need to locate the hinge center lines 0n your moving surfaces what have you found to be the best/easiest way to do it?? Thanks
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My absolute favorite tool for finding hinge centerlines is a hinge centering tool that was included in a Carl Goldberg Electra kit I bought back around 1990. I wore it out and have acquired two more. Those should last me the rest of my life. I've seen other manufacturers make similar tools, and I've tried them. But none match the simplicity and accuracy of the Goldberg tool. If you can locate one, grab it.
(https://s5.postimg.cc/fvt9mcs5j/hing_toolc.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Mark
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I sand the slots into pieces that are half of the t.e/l.e. thickness and glue them together.
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Myself I'm not that meticulous and just eyeball it. D>K
The easiest way is to go cloth hinges. S?P
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My absolute favorite tool for finding hinge centerlines is a hinge centering tool that was included in a Carl Goldberg Electra kit I bought back around 1990. I wore it out and have acquired two more. Those should last me the rest of my life. I've seen other manufacturers make similar tools, and I've tried them. But none match the simplicity and accuracy of the Goldberg tool. If you can locate one, grab it.
Mark
;) Ditto!! ;)
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My absolute favorite tool for finding hinge centerlines is a hinge centering tool that was included in a Carl Goldberg Electra kit I bought back around 1990. I wore it out and have acquired two more. Those should last me the rest of my life. I've seen other manufacturers make similar tools, and I've tried them. But none match the simplicity and accuracy of the Goldberg tool. If you can locate one, grab it.
(https://s5.postimg.cc/fvt9mcs5j/hing_toolc.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Mark
So that's what that thing is. I found one in my shop. How do you use it?
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I like the robart pin hinges, use their little tool and voila, dead nuts center.
for flat ones, lay your surface down, and use a pen flat on a table, draw a line. flip the surface over, draw a line again. your center is between those two lines. it's tough on thin stock, however....
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A precise way to make hinge slots exactly centered is to use a Dremel arbor and a "cut-off" wheel in your drill press. Adjust the wheel to be off the table by 1/2 the thickness of your stab, elevator, flap, etc.
Once a slot is cut, turn the piece over and run it again. The slot will then be exactly centered. If you have adjusted the Dremel wheel accurately, the slot will be equal or slightly thicker than the thickness of the wheel.
I always try the adjustment on a scrap piece to get the table set as close as I can to the center of the balsa piece.
Any setting error is cancelled by running it through twice, once with the piece upside down.
Of course, wing trailing edges must be slotted before the wing is assembled.
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"So that's what that thing is. I found one in my shop. How do you use it?"
Two methods come to mind:
Put one leg above trailing edge and the other below trailing edge and turn until the legs contact balsa lightly. Push and use the little pin to scribe centerline.
Or, Insert one leg into each nostril and eyeball centerline through the hole.
I have some shop mystery tools also. If I can't figure them out, I usually insert them into my nose. That always works.
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So that's what that thing is. I found one in my shop. How do you use it?
Come on!! ::) :o
PS. I love Floyd's technique!!!
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Well, just in case someone doesn't know how these work, I grabbed my hat cam and a piece of scrap to shoot a quick clip of using the Goldberg tool. I've used this on everything from 1/16" sheet up to 1/2" sheet. Since this makes such a nice fine line, I use a 0.5mm mechanical pencil to highlight the line scribed in the wood. I don't know why no one makes these now that Goldberg is no longer making them. I don't see any patent number stamped on the tool...
https://youtu.be/oWktRTpMBH4 (https://youtu.be/oWktRTpMBH4)
Mark
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I build mine with a center sheet of 1/32 between two half size sheets - so 1/8 then 1/32 then 1/8 over the 1/32. the 1/32 sheet is cut for the size and position of the hinges
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"So that's what that thing is. I found one in my shop. How do you use it?"
Two methods come to mind:
Put one leg above trailing edge and the other below trailing edge and turn until the legs contact balsa lightly. Push and use the little pin to scribe centerline.
Or, Insert one leg into each nostril and eyeball centerline through the hole.
I have some shop mystery tools also. If I can't figure them out, I usually insert them into my nose. That always works.
LL~ LL~ LL~ LL~ LL~ LL~ LL~ LL~ LL~ LL~ LL~ LL~
Boy! You really got me rolling on that one!
Jerry
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I came up with a neat one. If you have a multi tool, I took my Dremel cutoff wheel and notched the flat blade so the teeth is about .40 wide. I then found some steel spacers to center the blade on the thickness. Turn that sucker on and eat right into the flap, le, elevator, etc and out comes a perfect slot. The blade is .032 thk and perfect for nylon hinges.---Louie
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Louie, can you post a picture of that tool? Sounds interesting, thanks... y1
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In case you couldn't see it, the two guide legs on Mark McRiley's Goldberg tool are flattened on the side for even contact with the wood.
In lieu of that tool, I tape a piece of music wire with a diameter half the thickness of the wood to the table. Then butt the wood up to it and trace a line with a mechanical pencil. Then I flip the wood over and do it again, being careful to hold the pencil at the same angle both times. If there is any gap between the scribed lines, that's your center.
Rusty
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bootlegger, I am not setup to post pic's but I use the "flat flush cut blade". This blade is on all Multi-tools. The cutting edge of the blade is over an 1" wide so I use a dremel cutoff wheel to cut or notch each side. My cutting edge is approx. .400 wide. I make 2 cuts parallel to c/l of blade and then two cuts perpendicular to create the "notches". The blade should be 1/32" thk. so say your flap is 3/16 thk, subtract 1/32 and divide in half and this will be your spacer thickness. The depth you cut is up to your hinge type. For trailing edges I don't worry because the angle the slot is at will still allow the hinge to flex 180 degrees. I hope this helps. If you don't have a multi tool go Northern tool. They are a descent $$.----Louie
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I build hinge pockets out of 1/64" and 1/32" plywood. The build a strip with the pocket in it and use it as a center piece in the trailing or leading egde. Instant hinge pockets and dead straight. Easier than a lot of methods.
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Randy-
Are the thicknesses you mentioned, 1/64" and 1/32", for two different types of hinges??
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Most folks around here seem to laminate their TE's with 1/32" sheet balsa in the center, and leave spaces to create hinge pockets. If you use the CA & silkspan method of installing hinges, it's Da Bomb. If the hinges are a little loose with one layer of silkspan (folded over the hinge tab), add a second layer of silkspan. Laminated TE stays straight if you use CA or epoxy, & not any of the water based glues. Do the same thing for the LE of the wiggly surfaces. D>K Steve
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Hinges (DuBro, Klett, whatever) are generally about 1/32" thick.