Hot glue hinges, reviewed.

gonzalito

Junior Member
Hello everyone..

So, in my first plane I used the kind of hinges we learnt to do with experimental airlines (I think).

They worked nice and did their job, but somehow I did not like the way they affected the look of the plane, nor also the fact you need to trim the edge of the aileron in a 45 degree angle or more, diminishing the amount of material resisting the force.

Also, if the glue was too hot, the depron would melt, or become fragile.

Taking all of this into account, and without knowing or having any other method to hinge the ailerons, I managed myself to make something more traditional.

In the next video, you can see how I made my hinges out of hot glue, and see the final result on rudder and stabilizer.
I found it much easier to do, and the result was even stronger than with the other kind of hinges.

The best thickness for the hinges is about 1 to 1.5 mm.

Here is the video:

I hope this can be of help for you.

This is how I continue to make my hinges. Never bought any actually.


Cheers!!

Gonza, desde Argentina!..

PS: please tell me if I had any grammar mistakes.
 

coffeebean56

Junior Member
Hi, do you make a slit in the foam and glue them in? Grammar is fine, and better than some that English is their native tongue!
 

con244

Senior Member
Interesting idea. How do they perform in hot climates? Hot glued planes have a habit of falling apart in the summer here in South Australia.
Con
 

lobstermash

Propaganda machine
Mentor
Haha, found that out first hand last year (February with my Funbat.... 40 C in the shade equals a lot more in the sun!
 

gonzalito

Junior Member
Hi folks..

Yes i make slots in the places I will put them, and also preffer to use a glue that dries slow so I can manage the clearance between the moving surface and the fixed one. The thing i like best of this method, is that the moving surface can be beveled simmetrically and sanded perfectly. It also makes cleaner fixed surfaces, without any hot glue insight.


About climate temperatures, maximum ones here where I live, reach 39 degrees, and I´ve had no problems at all.

About reinforcing with paper, I think you can do it if you want, but I find this hinges extremeley strong. If you glue it and thenr pull from it, it´s more likely that the whole thing will tear up, instead than just the hinge.
 

tallflyer

Member
Mentor
Great idea here are a few other ways to make hinges that I have tried.

Foam Tac Hinge

My method of a hot glue hinge

Good old strapping tape hinge method
 

gonzalito

Junior Member
Yes I've seen those other methods, but for example in my country foam-tac is "ungettable".. In the type of foam i can get, tape doesn't sticks very well, so in any moment you can loose an aileron or something else.

And personally I don´t like how you can see the hot glue spreaded all over the place where you make the hinge.
I got the idea from the first video you show.

I thought, I´ll be spreading the hot glue over the glass, onto a certain thickness. I try to maintain that thickness, to about 1,5-1 mm..

This thickness makes it more resistant than those spread hinges, wich are clearly thinner.

Both are great methods but I prefer mine, since it makes cleaner surfaces, and its easier to achieve, and you don't need tape or other elements to do it.
 

MrClean

Well-known member
Have you thought about laying down the desired size thickness in music wire and dragging across the hot glue to make a uniform surface? I'm thinking sugar cookie cutting methods and applying them to hot glue here. Not quite as tasty but you'd have a set thickness.
 

gonzalito

Junior Member
Yes..

I was thinking for the next time I need to use this, I´ll maybe take an old credit card and make it a little slice, put the melted hot glue over the glass and then pass the credit card over it. All hinges should come out with the same thickness..

But that shall be the next time.
 

Dagger_117

RC Flyer
Cool idea...I tried the old way of making hot glue hinges directly applying the glue on the wing and aileron, but they didn't last very long before cracking...I found myself re-gluing them before every flying day...abandoned the idea and went back to tape...these are much thicker and would probably last longer
 

gonzalito

Junior Member
Indeed.. They are very durable.

The first plane I made was made the same way you did.. I had exactly the same problems, and then tried it this other way.

With this "newer" method I´ve been using my actual plane for about 3-4 months with no problems at all. They seem like new.
 

colorex

Rotor Riot!
Mentor
Cool idea...I tried the old way of making hot glue hinges directly applying the glue on the wing and aileron, but they didn't last very long before cracking...I found myself re-gluing them before every flying day...abandoned the idea and went back to tape...these are much thicker and would probably last longer

I prefer tape too.