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Building Tips and technical articles. => Building techniques => Topic started by: Motorman on February 26, 2020, 06:49:54 PM

Title: Gluing Plastic Pilot
Post by: Motorman on February 26, 2020, 06:49:54 PM
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Title: Re: Gluing Plastic Pilot
Post by: Dennis Toth on February 26, 2020, 07:21:56 PM
MM,
The ones I've installed I used Sig-ment to glue it to the floor and used a small screw up from the bottom. I think the Sig-ment would hold the two half's together.

Best,   DennisT
Title: Re: Gluing Plastic Pilot
Post by: Dave Hull on February 27, 2020, 12:17:23 AM
If ya gotta, just gotta improvise on the glue you might try xylene. I think it is the main ingredient in actual, for real, plastic model cement. I'd sure test it on some scraps first.

I made a few pilots a few years back. I thought I would screw at least the first one up because I'm not really a plastics kind of guy. They turned out fine, and I had fun making them.

I drilled a pair of holes in the base, and glued and pinned the bust to the balsa "floor." I'd try a flexible glue myself. Canopy glue might be the ticket.

Good luck with yours,

Dave
Title: Re: Gluing Plastic Pilot
Post by: L0U CRANE on February 27, 2020, 10:44:44 AM
Also, whatever you use to join the front and back together, look at the joint seam. If it is very noticeable, scrape it down gently with a #11 blade, held vertical to the surface.

Sand the base flat. It may have joined at an angle which prevents full contact with the surface under it. Sanding with a fairly coarse grit (100 or 60, e.g.) also provides more "tooth" for the bond. SIG-ment works; so does the RC56-type canopy glue, and epoxy, and aliphatic, etc., etc...

If you have a prominent moustache, beard or sideburns, paint them on, too...
Title: Re: Gluing Plastic Pilot
Post by: FLOYD CARTER on February 27, 2020, 03:15:04 PM
Once the pilot is glued in, under a plastic canopy, it is then captured forever!  To prevent the plastic pilot from rattling around after it has broken loose, I usually drill a hole in the bottom of the pilot figure, and in the cockpit floor.  I pin them together using a balsa "dowel" made from a piece of hard 1/4" square balsa.  Don't depend on just glue.  Use a dowel, plus glue (epoxy for the doubters).