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Building Tips and technical articles. => Building techniques => Topic started by: t michael jennings on October 06, 2010, 06:48:16 PM
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Gentlemen,
Purchased a piece of Polyester fabric to use as hinges for my current Chas Parrott P-47.
Have two questions concerning making the hinges;
1. Which to use, pinking shears or regular scissors to cut the material,
2. What hinge width, 1.0, 1.5 or 2.0 inch.
Thanks for the assistance.
T Michael Jennings /DV
Knoxville, TN
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I myself use a straight edge to cut material to width I want. The material is taped to a cutting surface. Sharp single edge razor blade or new X-acto blade. Then cut to length using regular scissors. Pinking shears leave to many small peices of material raveling away. I think the old Perfect material had some kind of glazing to keep the threads in place. The little wife just suggested using spray starch on the polyester to hold the threads in place. Also my hinges are usually about one inch wide. Small planes I make them 3/4 inch wide.
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Mike, I use a frabic cutting board and wheel to cut my hinges, my wife enlightened me about this.
They can be picked up at fabric stores.
On my hinges I cut them 1" by 1" for the stab, and I put them side by side, on the flap's I cut them 1"x2" with the 2" side parrell to the flap leading edge, these are also butted up against each other, by butting them up you have a sealed hing line.
Something else that I do is apply them with clear dope.
Hope that this helps... H^^
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Doc,
Gil,
Thanks for the info on cutting hinges.
I purchased a $21 Rotary Cutter from a fabric store. And, 6 inches by two yards of Polyester material. The sales lady thought it was an unusual purchase.
Today, I cut and equal number of 2.25 X 2 inch and 1 X 2 inch strips of polyester material for Flap and Horizontal Elevator hinges. It took about 45 minutes to cut approximate 80-100 hinges. Will last for 2-3 aircraft.
Thanks again for the EXCELLENT advice on making hinges.
T Michael Jennings H^^
Knoxville, TN.
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There's a good how-to by Tom Dixon on the Tulsa Glue Dobbers site. I've done several airplanes this way and the hinges look great. I use polyester fabric from the fabric store as well. I don't think I would use fiberglass, as mentioned in the article. Nylon tape maybe, but the polyester works well.
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The best cloth hinge job I have ever seen is by Gerry Phelps. He uses Tafeta and I believe he did a write up for SN some years back that was published. ;D Should be an easy find and a good read.
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"Polyester" has been mentioned. I use Rayon "Taffeta", also from the fabric shop. 1/4 yard will last several lifetimes. I use pinking shears, only because I have one. The best adhesive is good old Ambroid.
Put the hinges very close together, and you will not need to seal the gap with clear tape. Also, brushing and spraying clear and colored butyrate right over the hinge line doesn't cause stiffness. Amazing stuff!
Floyd
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If I may suggest Kevlar hinges. They last forever and you insert them with epoxy and after that you use the back side of the Exacto blade to scour the Kevlar at the hinge line the snap the glue joint and you work it out a bit. They will loosen up more and more and they will not brake. The guys who fly Gliders use this technique on planes that go 300 mi/hour.
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T.Michael,
I do like Gil, I use 1"X1" on the stabs, and 1"X2" on the flaps. I install all hinges before covering so that the silkspan goes over them.. The thin taffeta will basically disappear during the finishing process..
i *think* what I use is nylon taffeta, might be polyester, could be........ whatever it is, it doesn't rot, and it is very thin. doesn't break either!
Mongo
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Here are my hinges using SIG Coverall cut into strips.
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hi Doc,
I remember the Perfect cloth hinges, and those in kits ('50s-'60s) seemed to be Ceonite, or an aircraft fabric. We used the when we got them, but many were hinged with a thrown away bed sheet. ;D They lasted about as long as the manufactured stuff. of course they all rotted after a while.
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I've posted this picture before but here it is again. This is the stab of my Yoicks using the Tom Dixon fabric hinge method. The hinges were glued on with Testors Green glue but I've also used Sigment and clear dope to apply my hinges on various models. Tom recommends laying a strip of masking tape along the leading edge of the stab hinges and the trailing edges of the elevator hinges. After gluing the hinges on, you carefully cut through the hinge material along the masking tape line. When the tape is removed you have a very neat straight line, which adds to the craftsmanship effect of the work. Hope this helps.
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Ty, I used Tom Morris' hinges and the recommended clear dope application method on my Barracuda. I love the sealed hinge line benefit as well. I'm going to get myself a cutter from the fabric store and I'll use your suggestion of giving the material a coat of clear before cutting the hinges on my next model.
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Hi dennis,
I will back up Ty's recommendation for putting a coat of dope on the fabric first. It really cuts out all the frayed edges!
BTW: Is that the Barracuda John Pond had in AAM back around 1964? I have had those plans for decades, but never really tried to build one. ;D
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Ty, I used Tom Morris' hinges and the recommended clear dope application method on my Barracuda. I love the sealed hinge line benefit as well. I'm going to get myself a cutter from the fabric store and I'll use your suggestion of giving the material a coat of clear before cutting the hinges on my next model.
Beautiful work Dennis, all square and straight. Just beautiful.
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Hi dennis,
BTW: Is that the Barracuda John Pond had in AAM back around 1964? I have had those plans for decades, but never really tried to build one. ;D
Yes it is Pond's Barracuda. It has been sitting for more than a year waiting to be covered. I wanted to do that last summer but it rained enlessly and the humidity was always to high. I plan on finishing it off right after New Years day (can't stink up the house right now as relatives are coming for Christmas). I have to get the Cuda and a couple of other projects fiinished before spring arrives as I have to work on a 1:1 scale project when the weather warms up (see picture below).
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That really looks awesome, Dennis!
What power train? ;D
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What power train? ;D
Although a little off topic Bill (where did I see that name before?) LL~ ...
It has a Geo Tracker belt drive conversion for power. I'm wondering if I should send it to Randy for mods?
The Cuda will have a Rojett BSE .40SE.
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Although a little off topic Bill (where did I see that name before?) LL~ ...
It has a Geo Tracker belt drive conversion for power. I'm wondering if I should send it to Randy for mods?
The Cuda will have a Rojett BSE .40SE.
Thanks, Dennis. it should be good to go with the .40SE BSE ;D
Please start a thread in the Classic section! That is an unusual model, and I am sure not many have seen it. I have the old Hobby Helpers plans, all three sheets......... ;D