Reinforcing bevel joints

Ohio3D

New member
I'm building a FT Explorer and following the video, I put a thin layer (spread out) of hot glue in the bevel joints of the elevator and ruder. Now both joints are way too stiff and don't want to stay in a neutral position. Other than making the parts again and not adding that glue, any suggestions? Is there a better way to reinforce those joints? Ideas to get my current parts to be more flexible?
 

Merv

Site Moderator
Staff member
... any suggestions? Is there a better way to reinforce those joints?...
I use an old covering iron to reheat the glue. You need to spread the glue even thinner. If you don’t have a covering iron, use a old clothing iron. Don’t use a good iron, go to the thrift store and get a old one. You are going to goop it up. The hot glue will wipe off with a paper towel, but you are not going to want to use the iron on clothes anymore.

The hot glue trick works well when you get the glue thin enough. I like to add a bit of paper in the V of my hinge. Open the hinge, lay out the paper and reactivate the glue with the hot iron. Super strong, I’ve never had this hinge fail.
 
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Tench745

Master member
Like Merv said, you just need a thinner layer of glue. It is possible to get your glue gun really hot, put another layer of glue on over the old one which will heat the old glue up enough to squeegee off even more.
The easier way is to use an iron. Your typical clothing iron works fine. It will get hot glue all over it, but once it's room temperature again you can put a little rubbing alcohol on the glue and it should peel right off the iron.
 

Foamforce

Well-known member
I’ve run into this a few times.

I have a pretty hot glue gun, so my favorite approach is to put a big FAT bead of really hot glue on top of the old glue. Then have several scrap foam squares handy and aggressively wipe the glue out. Focus on really getting the tip of the square down to the bottom of the hinge.

Another approach that is messier but works is to heat up a putty knife with a heat gun and then put it right down to the bottom of the hinge and pull slowly up along the bevel, then repeat for the length of the hinge.
 

danskis

Master member
Coating the hinge with glue works great but what they don’t explain is that your want to use the least amount possible. Put the glue in half or 3/4 of the hinge and the scrape it into the rest of the hinge with foam board. Also your servos are pretty strong and you might not need to get it as loose as you think you need.
 

Bricks

Master member
If you fold the hinge completely back on itself then you have ^ instead of V which makes it so much easier to wipe out the extra glue.