The Triplane Tribuild! (Catchy, huh?)

[buzzbomb]

I find hot glue challenging as I’m always in hurry - if you have time gorilla glue is awesome - I used it on my DL(TT)G wing and also the 1.2 DLG wing - dries in 3 hrs!

I am planning to try it also on a fuse build, but alas, always in a hurrrrrry!

Not straight Gorilla Glue. Gorilla Hot Glue sticks.

 

[bracesport]

I am indeed an idiot!

 

[mayan]

If you think it's a weak joint than using some duck tape could only help.

 

[degriz]

@kilroy07 - I must try the ironing - the Adams paper just about falls off on its own, I wonder if that would improve with the edge ironing?

Ironed edges is the way to go! I use it for sealing, making bevels, rounding off square edges. It also helps spread the dried glue thinner.
Once you use one you will wonder how you got along with out it.

 

[kilroy07]

I must try the ironing

I started mainly because the laser leaves some under cutting... but I’m really sold on it now. I don’t cut the bevels for control surfaces any longer because ironing it makes them much stiffer.

I find hot glue challenging as I’m always in hurry - if you have time gorilla glue is awesome - I used it on my DL(TT)G wing and also the 1.2 DLG wing - dries in 3 hrs!

I really like using gorilla glue too (especially on big builds, might have been more trouble than it’s worth on this one.)
One neat trick I used on my storch was to put blue painters tape on the outside of a GG joint. This stopped the glue from expanding out and creating a mess... I figured it added about two days to the build however. 😉

 

[kilroy07]

I had problems last time I used my small one. I've bitten the bullet and asked my son to pick me up some mini Gorilla Glue sticks, and I'm going to find out if it was the gun or the glue.

If ive let mine sit heating for “awhile”, I find it can make a bubble and almost an effect like vapor lock.... I have to run about an inch or so of glue through it to clear the blockage.

If you brace the struts (with one of the many methods or come up with your own) and iron, I wouldn’t worry. I can just about support the whole model from a wingtip it’s so strong!

This weekend is looking pretty promising for my maiden!
So you both have plenty of time to catch up. 😜

 

[buzzbomb]

If ive let mine sit heating for “awhile”, I find it can make a bubble and almost an effect like vapor lock.... I have to run about an inch or so of glue through it to clear the blockage.

I've been using the Adtech Pro 200 because my small glue gun failed, and then I bought a new small glue gun and the glue joints failed. I think you're right about the vapor lock. I was experiencing exactly that with the Adtech Pro.

The problem I'm having the Adtech Pro is I haven't the strength to pull the trigger and hold the gun still, so I have to press it in to the foam in an attempt to make a straight line. Hence the melted foam. I'm hoping the lighter pull of the trigger on the smaller gun will work better for me, and that the Gorilla Glue sticks work better than what I used last time. We'll soon find out.

 

[bracesport]

@buzzbomb - I vaguely recall there is a power feed glue gun - I'll look into it

 

[buzzbomb]

@buzzbomb - I vaguely recall there is a power feed glue gun - I'll look into it

That's good info and a great fallback plan for me. Thank you. Don't use your time on the search, though. Hopefully my son will be home soon with the new glue sticks, and we'll see how I do with the smaller gun. If it doesn't work for me I'll start googling and if I can't come up with anything, I'll give you a hollar.

 

[bracesport]

@buzzbomb - power feed glue gun

 

[kilroy07]

Have your son run about an inch or two of glue through the adtech and see if it suddenly gets easier (I’ve even had to pull the stick back out and trim off a bit to fix it.) I find it hard whenever I’ve walked away from the workbench (only to return hour(s) later. 🙄

 

[sundown57]

not all but a good amount of these builds could be done with a hot glue pot and a popsicle stick too

 

[kilroy07]

not all but a good amount of these builds could be done with a hot glue pot and a popsicle stick too

Or foamtac glue. It’s a bit like clear rubber cement.... might be an option too. Dries pretty quick and doesn’t expand like gorilla glue does. I have friends who swear by it for foam repairs.

 

[buzzbomb]

Turns out my little glue gun does alright. It's an Adtech Mini Hi-Temp. I don't need to say it gets nowhere near as hot as the 200 and there is a lot less time to wipe off excess and whatnot. It does however get hot enough I can push a whole glue stick through it with my thumb in just a few seconds. That's been a nice alternative to the trigger, when I needed it.

Here's today's progress:

I decided to put some regular packing tape along the wing seams on the wing bottoms. The weight is truly negligible and I figure it can't hurt.

Ironing all the little curves and corners of all the struts is a little beyond my skill level, but I wanted to try my hand at it. I'm also curious. The ironed edges are definitely stronger, and it looks great when done well, (shoutout to @kilroy07!) but I wonder if they are also more brittle? I figure this is a good plane to find out, with all the little parts it has.

Not where I wanted to stop this evening, but I nearly made a dumb mistake and that means it's time to call it. I've errands to run tomorrow, so I don't know if I'll have anything left for building. Time will tell.

 

[kilroy07]

Looking good!
Yup best to know when to quit (I didn’t and got the wings on before the servos were in...) 🙄😂

I’ve ironed a few planes now and my current Mustang’s wing tips wrinkled as normal rather than fracturing so I don’t think it makes anything more brittle (but will keep an eye out for it.)

The one area I’m still not sure about is the undercarriage. I was going to fabercate plywood or try lamination.... if the maiden goes poorly, I might still have to try something like that.

 

[bracesport]

What temp did you end up with on the iron?

 

[Hai-Lee]

IF you have troubles with the breaking of the undercarriage in a rough landing you can add something which has little weight but makes the undercarriage far more resistant to being bent backwards in a landing.

Simply glue in a BBQ skewer or pieces thereof in the nose of the bird with a couple of lengths of braided fishing line tied and glued to each piece of skewer.

Then cross over the braided line so that the line on the right of the nose goes to the left axle of the undercarriage and the left of the nose is tied to the right axle of the undercarriage.The line should be tied such that there is no real tension but the line has no slack.

When you land roughly the undercarriage will be pushed backwards BUT the line will stop its motion until the line breaks or the skewers are ripped from the nose, (Quite a lot of force). There are plenty of colours available for the line including black and even silver.

Just a thought!

have fun!

 

[buzzbomb]

What temp did you end up with on the iron?

357F seems to be working pretty well.

 

[kilroy07]

What temp did you end up with on the iron?

As Buzzbomb said, around 360, you don’t want it too hot... you want it to take a bit for the foam to start to melt you can more accurately mold the paper.

I’ll think about guy wires, good idea!
I did tuck a short bit of carbon fiber into the rear strut of the gear leg. I also left the whole undercarriage separate from the fuselage and just glued it to the wires.... time will tell if that will help prevent damage. I don’t have a hard surface to land on so I fully expect it to just nose over in the grass. 😂

 

[buzzbomb]

Go some more done this evening.

I stopped at the landing gear. I'm waiting for my wheels to come in the mail, and I had other fish to fry...