How do you dress the visible edges of foamboard?

[nheather]

I know they are only foamboard models, but if you are making a warbird and going to the trouble of giving it a nice paint job how do you dress the exposed edges of foamboard. Particularly with a laser-cut kit where the foam core has shrunk back from the paper layers?

Do you fill the concave ends - if so, with what? Or do you tape over them? Or just leave them, because you can't see them in the air?

 

[Foamforce]

You can iron the edges together to a point with a standard clothes iron.

 

[Merv]

...Or do you tape over them? Or just leave them, because you can't see them in the air?

Some do nothing & just paint over the edges. Some use hot glue alone. Some use a thin layer of hot glue then iron the edges. The little bit of hot glue helps the edges stick together better. My favorite method, instead of paint, cover the plane entirely with colored packing tape, the edges are no problem.

 

[randyrls]

I use a Hangar 9 monocote iron (?) to melt the edges together. Do both sides. This eliminates the paper lifting. I also iron the flight controls instead of cutting bevels. The edges get 45 degrees, the controls get 25 degrees. The paper sticks tenaciously after this treatment.

The benefit for edges is that the treatment makes the edges MUCH harder. It takes a lot to dent the edges. I have also on occasion embedded skewers in leading edges.

 

[LitterBug]

Some do nothing & just paint over the edges. Some use hot glue alone. Some use a thin layer of hot glue then iron the edges. The little bit of hot glue helps the edges stick together better. My favorite method, instead of paint, cover the plane entirely with colored packing tape, the edges are no problem.

@Merv Can you recommend a good source for colored packing tape?

 

[Merv]

...Can you recommend a good source for colored packing tape?

I use Carton Sealing Tape from Tape Planet AND Wing Tape from Hobby King. Both have a good selection of colors. I buy from the one that has it in stock at the time.

If anyone knows of other sources please share.

Colored Carton Sealing Tapes

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/workbench/glues-lubricants-tapes/tapes.html

 

[Rhaps]

Battleaxes ironing tutorials (note that the vapors are not good for you, do it outside) :

 

[bisco]

I have a selection of colored tape from radical rc. idk how it compares to others"
Radical-RC-COLOR-Acrylic-Tape-2-x-55yd-100546
they have a great selection of carbon and other stuff

 

[Niez13]

I know they are only foamboard models, but if you are making a warbird and going to the trouble of giving it a nice paint job how do you dress the exposed edges of foamboard. Particularly with a laser-cut kit where the foam core has shrunk back from the paper layers?

Do you fill the concave ends - if so, with what? Or do you tape over them? Or just leave them, because you can't see them in the air?

If you want to protect the foam itself from the paint, you can take Elmer's Glue along the edge and it won't dissolve the foam when you spray it.

If you want to make the model last as long as possible, definitely go with ironing the edge with an iron and then paint over everything. The paint really seals everything as much as possible from the elements while the ironed edge gives the piece of foamboard the most strength.

 

[MadMonkey]

If anything I use packing tape over the edges, or a bead of hot glue that I go over with scrap to smooth it out.

I'm not usually too worried about how my foamboard planes look.

 

[LitterBug]

If I expect frontal impacts (and who doesn't from time to time), a bamboo skewer and packing tape on the leading edges can be useful.

 

[MadMonkey]

If I expect frontal impacts (and who doesn't from time to time), a bamboo skewer and packing tape on the leading edges can be useful.

I put a foot long skewer out the nose of one of my combat planes once 😈

But yeah skewers can really help leading edges from getting smashed in