BATTLEAXE Quick Tips

BATTLEAXE

Legendary member
@BATTLEAXE, got something new for you to try and see if you like. When building a traditional ft wing with the creases in the airfoil, instead of just scoring the crease lines and opening them up with a skewer like you usually would, don’t score the lines and instead remove the paper a quarter inch on each side of the original crease line. Just score the paper when doing that. Then just compress the foam in that half inch wide area with your thumbs or roll it over the edge of the table. In the end, you have an airfoil that doesn’t have any score lines, which makes it stronger, and it’s a much smoother bend. Hope this makes sense! I’d like to see someone try it and hear their results!
I did my speed wings something like that, but I removed all the paper on the top layer from the LE to just behind the spar by a 1/2" where the airfoil starts to angle down to the TE. It did make a way smoother transition but once it is panted you could still see the spar, slightly but still noticeable. I like what you are thinking though, probably wouldn't even need to form it on the table or with your thumbs either. Have you tried this or was it a eureka moment?
 

whackflyer

Master member
I did my speed wings something like that, but I removed all the paper on the top layer from the LE to just behind the spar by a 1/2" where the airfoil starts to angle down to the TE. It did make a way smoother transition but once it is panted you could still see the spar, slightly but still noticeable. I like what you are thinking though, probably wouldn't even need to form it on the table or with your thumbs either. Have you tried this or was it a eureka moment?
I did it on my brothers mini mustang and my FT Bravo I just built. It makes for a much smoother looking wing. It works best on mini airfoils where there’s a single thickness spar. You can’t see the spar at all on these. You are right, one probably wouldn’t have to form the foam, but it makes it easier to fold the wing over and hold it while the glue dries.
 

Boberticus

Active member
hey Battleaxe, just subscribed, these vids are darn helpful,

I've been wanting to see a good comparison of hot glue vs other adhesives (titebond 1,2,&3, gorilla glue, Elmers, clear craft, spray adhesive, foam insulation, ect.) with metrics like total dried weight, strength of joint, ease of application/dry-time, paint and sand-ability, longevity to heat/water/crashes.

You could show different types of common materials and what adhesive works better where, in different types of joints: butt joints, tab in notch, flat lamination of two sheets, both with paper and without, wood to foam, aluminum to foam, servo attaching, control horns, reapplying skins, waterproofing, ect.

I know its a large undertaking to suggest, maybe a mini series on it, but a solid single place to compare actual materials and how they stack up would be very helpful. Some people are using Elmer's glue to save weight, some people are using gorilla glue and spray foam for more strength, some people live in hot environments and cant use hot glue, but nobody is doing it all and giving any feedback.
 

Sero

Elite member
hey Battleaxe, just subscribed, these vids are darn helpful,

I've been wanting to see a good comparison of hot glue vs other adhesives (titebond 1,2,&3, gorilla glue, Elmers, clear craft, spray adhesive, foam insulation, ect.) with metrics like total dried weight, strength of joint, ease of application/dry-time, paint and sand-ability, longevity to heat/water/crashes.

You could show different types of common materials and what adhesive works better where, in different types of joints: butt joints, tab in notch, flat lamination of two sheets, both with paper and without, wood to foam, aluminum to foam, servo attaching, control horns, reapplying skins, waterproofing, ect.

I know its a large undertaking to suggest, maybe a mini series on it, but a solid single place to compare actual materials and how they stack up would be very helpful. Some people are using Elmer's glue to save weight, some people are using gorilla glue and spray foam for more strength, some people live in hot environments and cant use hot glue, but nobody is doing it all and giving any feedback.

Welcome to the forum!

That's a good idea, but its been done.:)

 

Boberticus

Active member
thanks! everybody here is pretty nice. I'm not really sure how long i have to wait till i get that new member sign to go away, I've been posting sparsely for a few months, but I've been lurking here building on and off since the sea duck was released, but only just recently got around to posting anything.

funnily enough, i'm already subscribed to that guys channel, i love how he compares stuff

At the weights and stresses these foam planes get to, the difference between different brands of hot glue is sorta mute, though, the foam is usually going to give before the hot glue does, melt temp might useful, but, even then, except for a few places, I don't really use hot glue anymore, except aluminum spars and to mount servos. On everything else I'm either using titebond 3 or clear craft glue, I'm at high-ish altitude so have to do some drastic measures to save weight, and hot glue is HEAVY!!!

Foam to foam bond with clear PVA craft glue is stronger than the foam itself, just like hot glue, all you have to do is tape the joints with blue tape and give it a day or so to dry, and the weight savings are significant. I don't have a scale but its night and day, Glue up a few speed-wings in different glues, and one with hot glue, weight them all, then add weight to a strap across where the fuselage would be until they all fail. just saying it would be a interesting thing to see a decent builder do several solid builds and compare the end result.

just filming up a decent chunk of "master" techniques for alternative glues, gluing and taping with good adhesion, using weights and flat surfaces for even pressure, and estimated dry times would be pretty useful.
 

BATTLEAXE

Legendary member
hey Battleaxe, just subscribed, these vids are darn helpful,

I've been wanting to see a good comparison of hot glue vs other adhesives (titebond 1,2,&3, gorilla glue, Elmers, clear craft, spray adhesive, foam insulation, ect.) with metrics like total dried weight, strength of joint, ease of application/dry-time, paint and sand-ability, longevity to heat/water/crashes.

You could show different types of common materials and what adhesive works better where, in different types of joints: butt joints, tab in notch, flat lamination of two sheets, both with paper and without, wood to foam, aluminum to foam, servo attaching, control horns, reapplying skins, waterproofing, ect.

I know its a large undertaking to suggest, maybe a mini series on it, but a solid single place to compare actual materials and how they stack up would be very helpful. Some people are using Elmer's glue to save weight, some people are using gorilla glue and spray foam for more strength, some people live in hot environments and cant use hot glue, but nobody is doing it all and giving any feedback.
That is a great idea, and you are not wrong, it would be a huge undertaking of time, resources and finances as well. I have used myself a handfuls of the adhesives you speak of in a handful of various ways, some I have liked and others not so much. But that's just my opinion. I could do a non bias series just on glues since it is the life blood of our hobby, no glue no plane kinda deal. If your looking for metrics and strength testing again this would take a substantial amount of time and planning not to mention the resources involved but I could do something with what I have found through my own trial and error. Just thinking of it now it might start out pretty general and could get into more detail as people chime in on the topic.

What I have found in the past since making these vids is that when I see a need for a vid i will make one. Seems to work out so far, as I don't want to push the obvious on people. As with anything there is always positive and negative feedback with every one I put up, more on the positive side, and I take the negative as a learning experience to make note of for the next one. But that being said I have found that new people coming into the hobby are happy with what I have done so far as far as the vids, and really this thread is also a donation kind of set up where if you have any tips you would like to share please post them here to make this a one stop reference for others to learn and get inspired from. Just like @Sero did in the previous post is exactly why this is here. And if you are looking for a quicker guide to the tips I do have all the Quick Tip vids in one playlist on my YouTube channel, link is in my signature. And like and subscribe to get notified of anything newly posted or just peruse through my flight vids to see my success's and follies, might be entertaining for you. And if you have a channel and you subscribe to mine I will subscribe to yours.

Thanks for the feed back, always appreciated.
 

Vimana89

Legendary member
Not to hijack @BATTLEAXE's thread, but I thought I'd drop one of my own quick tip here that I've dropped a couple times before...so if you don't already know, buy your Velcro at the dollar store. If you are going there to get your foam anyway, bonus! Name brand Velcro and Command Strips and the like are like $3-4 for a little pack. The dollar store has generic stuff called "hook and loop" strips or something, a dollar a pack and it works exactly the same as the name brand stuff. One dollar store I go to even sells multi colored packs for a buck, with red, blue, black, and white...so stock up on that generic Velcro at a dollar store near you!
 

BATTLEAXE

Legendary member
Thanks for the tips guys, dropping links and tips is what this thread is all about. This is a thread for everyone and anyone to share and learn. No hijacking here whatsoever. Keep them coming, I appreciate it.