What’s your preferred method of gluing in nylon hinges?

[Paul Taylor]

I have used epoxy.
And have wrapped the ends of the hinge with silk’s band put them in the slots and used CA. That’s a little sketchy, but you’re not gonna pull them out.  🤪

What’s your preferred method?

[Dave_Trible]

Paul I don't really glue them at all.   I join the surfaces BEFORE covering and finishing.    The hinges are slipped into the slots then drilled through with a toothpick inserted to retain the hinge- in other words pinned in.   In this way I don't get epoxy or cya into the hinge at all.   Dope? Not a problem since it doesn't stick to the nylon at all.  I will be joining a stab and elevator later today so maybe I'll post a picture.

Dave

[Colin McRae]

I have been using 30 min epoxy.

And I carefully dip the hinge pivot area in liquified petroleum jelly, so epoxy does not get into the hinge pivot area (heated up a bit with a micro torch on the bottom of a coke can). The jelly flows like water and after it cools off it resolidifies. I have not used oil to coat the hinge pivot area.

[Jim Svitko]

I use 30 minute epoxy.  It does not take much.  The epoxy will fill in those little holes and then act like rivets.  I never had a hinge come loose.  Just be careful about getting any epoxy in the hinge pin.

[Dave Moritz]

Gents:

As a side note here, I recently learned the hard way that aligning the little buggers is critical. Best achieved by removing the pins and going with a length of straight music wire. Don't ask. Ha!

Dave Mo...

[Dave Moritz]

Neat idea, Dave. No glue needed?  I take it that you drill a smallish pilot hole before boring with the toothpick?

Dave Mo...

[Crist Rigotti]

Pacer 560 Canopy glue!

[Dave_Trible]

Neat idea, Dave. No glue needed?  I take it that you drill a smallish pilot hole before boring with the toothpick?

Dave Mo...

Maybe I fiddlesplained that.   I drill the hole through,  put a drop of cya in the hole then shove the toothpick in.   Afterwards I clip the toothpick off with old toenail clippers and sand it down smooth. 

Dave

[Rick Campbell]

Regardless of the glue you choose, this helps get it in the slots neatly.

[Steve Helmick]

I believe that a lot of the West Coast Varsity Stunt guys use the folded strip of silkspan and drop of thin CA method described in detail by Dirty Dan Rutherford. Dunking the hinge barrel in liquified Vaseline was part of this method.

Getting them aligned all at once with this method is easier in the chordwise axis (slide 'em all in and use the nearest door jamb to push them home). Getting the slots in line is best done by creating the slots by laminating the wood TE/LE spars on both sides. Then apply that drop of CA.  Steve

[fred cesquim]

30 min epoxy, works for F2b, giant RC jets and 1/3 scale jobs ( been doing all of them for a few decades)
since i only glue them after final polishing this is the only practical method to do it.

[Ken Culbertson]

Maybe I fiddlesplained that.   I drill the hole through,  put a drop of cya in the hole then shove the toothpick in.   Afterwards I clip the toothpick off with old toenail clippers and sand it down smooth. 

Dave

Been using this method for years.  Hinged stay aligned.  Use the full span pull wire.  No need to glue but if you must, some thinned CA in the hinge slot with the flaps/elevator removed won't hurt...BUT..leaving them unglued will allow them to stay aligned.

Ken

[Brett Buck]

I  use regular Titebond.

    Brett

[Dwayne Donnelly]

I  use regular Titebond.

    Brett

Interesting, what method do you use? Wet the hinge?

[Brett Buck]

Interesting, what method do you use? Wet the hinge?

   Just wipe titebond on both sides, make sure it gets in the pin holes, shove it in the TE wood. Clean off any squeeze-out. I have done test pieces where I tried to pull them out, it destroyed the test piece, and trying to clean the hinges of the residual wood and glue for re-use is relatively difficult. It has also withstood getting soaking wet numerous times.

   As long as your slots fit well, you have to be careful when pushing them in, because if you stop in the wrong position, it will stick and you will have to cut it out.

      Brett

[Perry Rose]

Too much trouble, use cloth hinges.

[Dave_Trible]

I 'grew up' with cloth hinges.   They are a simple, quick and cheap way to get there.   They can also go a long way toward sealing the hinge gap.  However they have two failings.    Unless you are extremely careful you will build up enough dope in them while finishing that they will will be stiff and restrictive of control movement.   The larger issue is they have a relatively short life.  If you are using a regular glow fuel 'slimmer ' as I do the hinges will become oil soaked and eventually rot and have to be replaced.   I've seen them appear to dry rot as well.   This might be more along the lines of the dope in them getting brittle and cracking.    In any event for airplanes flown a lot I'd expect you'll only get one or two seasons before needing to strip and replace them.  I will still use them on 1/2As and training planes where they are not expected to last long anyway.

Dave

[Mike Griffin]

When I use nylon hinges, I do what Brett does.  I have used Tite bond and regular Elmers white glue as well.  Never had a hinge fail. 

Mike

[Brett Buck]

Too much trouble, use cloth hinges.

  As Dave notes, too stiff even at the best of times and impossible to do a modern finish. It's one thing getting dope in them, but try soaking them in epoxy paint and urethane topcoat.

   Additionally, you cannot remove them once installed without cutting them out, so you are stuck with the flaps and elevators you started with and can't remove them for trim or design changes, repairs, etc. This may not seem like a big deal but it's something I and others have used repeatedly (ever since I ripped off the idea from Paul Walker), including between qualifying rounds at the 2006 NATs

     Brett