Hernthehunter

Watt flyer members please help me. I am a terrible gluer. I try to take my time but when I glue with CA or epoxy it still looks terrible. Please give me all the different techniques and tools you use with CA and epoxy to make a clean, strong, permanent joint. I don't want my planes to look like I used a wooden spoon and just slopped the glue on any more.

GOOD FLYING!!

max2112

Hi Hern. I'm not a master builder or anything, but these things help my projects.

If at all possible dry fit any interlocking pieces once or twice before assembling and glueing. Knowing how the finished product looks can help.

When it's time to glue, use the smallest amount needed. I'll even put a few dollops of CA onto a plastic bag and use a toothpick to scoop up and apply one drop at a time.

Some folks buy applicator tips for glue bottles that end in a thin tube.

When using epoxy, don't mix more than you need. I usually stick with 5 minute epoxy so you have time for one or two adjustments.

Have a damp, lint free cloth handy to wipe up any unwanted drops or any spillage around seams.

I know these are pretty generic, hopefully they help!

John

CHELLIE

Great tips John also when glueing 2 pieces together with epoxy, use masking tape or clear packing tape on the back side of the foam, that really helps from making a mess, ask me how i know also, add some masking tape to the foam, where you do not want glue to get at, use ca and epoxy just a little at a time, wipe any excess off right away, you are still going to make a little mess, but it wont be very noticeable after you wipe off any excess glue, add some wax paper to the glued parts, top and bottom, if your able to and weigh them down with some wood or a book, etc, to keep them straight while drying, hope that helps, Chellie

Hernthehunter

Good ideas. Please keep them coming.

GOOD FLYING!!

kyleservicetech

Are you gluing foam? or wood?

If you are gluing wood, try some of that yellow carpenters glue, such as titebond. Tests I ran years ago showed that titebond is actually lighter than CA when gluing balsa. The titebond totally evaporates after 24 hours or so.

But if you are gluing foam, Titebond is a NO NO. Foam is air tight, and Titebond or similar types of glue will never dry.

radialarm

For CA glue try different types (thin, medium, or thick). The medium and thick types stay where you put them better. When I use thin CA I usually end up stuck to the plane somewhere. When using glues try not to get it too close to the edges, because it will spread when you press the pieces together, and squeeze out of the joint. Practice makes perfect.

Airhead

Boy have you got that right. practice is the answer. A few errors and messes and you are on your way to being an expert... Which I am NOT by the way.... :o

cyclops2

It does dry. It just takes a lot longer.
I glue complete profile 6 mm planes with it. It is EXCELLENT for applying as a top coat & fillet former. Washes off of everything if still tacky. Has replaced CA & Epoxy. The foam breaks just outside of the glue line.

kyleservicetech

Interesting. Last time I tried Titebond on foam was 20 - 30 years ago. Back then, one of my foam projects that was glued up with Titebond was still wet after a week.

Looks like things have improved with this stuff. I still use CA where quick gluing is required, but still use either epoxy or Titebond in most of my glue work. CA is good, IMHO, 30 minute epoxy is still strongest, and yellow glues such as Titebond are a close second.

tobydogs

glue tips.......no really ,cut the ca tips at the very end so it won't pour out.hobby city sell needle tips.
ca cleans using nail polish remover if its 100% acetone,use it sparingly on a pc of paper towel if you get ca on film covering[test a small area first for color fastness.] also rub gently or you'll scratch the film.

to clean ca off your fingers....i use sand paper ,but with carpenter hands i don't mind...softer hands might suffer more from this method.

if joining to pcs of balsa together,use the correct thickness ca...if you want a quick bond,put ca on one pc to be glued and spray ca kicker on the other...warning:you will not get a second to adjust so don't miss align

2part epoxy.i mix what ever amount i need on a pad of paper using Popsicle sticks ,moving the mix around while stirring so to be sure its mixed well.i use cheap kids paint brush's of various sizes .

the best method of cleaning 2 part epoxy is rubbing alcohol. when joining pcs together that already have film covering you'll need several pc of paper towel waiting alongside the area to be grabbed up and used to clean the area glued or your fingers...lol.....if you wait to wet the towels till epoxy gets all over its a pain .note:you must use the rubbing alcohol before the epoxy set up as once hard your out of luck.

i love building and everyone has they're own way,but after 14kits built in 2 years I'm pretty happy gluing away.

fumes:i work in a basement shop,use a small fan to blow the fumes of ca away from your face.....this has been #1 rule as fumes can't be good to breath.

i don't use Elmer's much as ca is quick and very strong,but the wood glues mentioned before are great ,and they're very strong.the wood glues will hold stronger the the wood its gluing.......i hope this helps to glue more neatly.

Stu

hillbillynamedpossum

http://www.wattflyer.com/forums/show...&postcount=256

I dont type fast or well, just read that, then the whole thread.

As far as mixing and using epoxy goes, get an old window sash with the glass still in it and use that for your mixing board. You can mix 4 batches on the four corners, then flip her over and go again. You can scrape off the epoxy with a razor scraper every night when you are done and wour mixing board will last for ever. I use scrap 28 ga. sheetmetal for spatulas. (Im in the HVAC business, we bend a lot of tin)

An old body man taught me the glass mixing board trick. He mixed all his bondo on the glass, and probabally used the same sash for 20 years.

Possum

cyclops2

DO NOT glue together 1" x 4" areas !!!! It will never dry. But on 6 mm joints and fillits, it is fine.
Large area joint you still need Epoxy. Wing butts, tail parts to a body.

kyleservicetech

I've been mixing my epoxy in the bottom of an empty aluminum soda can. The concave surface is an excellent mixing area.

After finishing, just wipe it dry with a paper towel. And after the can gets to messy, just recycle it!

Every time I do any epoxy (or CA type) work, I put on a pair of disposable gloves, and do the work near by a high powered exhaust fan on my work bench. That fan blows the fumes outside of the house through a dryer vent type of setup.

hillbillynamedpossum

Awww now......... exhaust fans are for sissies. If the fumes start to bother you, just switch to filtered pall malls.

Possum

kyleservicetech

LOLOL


I quit smoking 45 years ago, before they found it could kill you. As for the fumes, 45 years of soldering with poor, or no air circulation made me allergic to soldering fumes. :o

hillbille

CA and Epoxy work very well on wood and sometimes on foam but not all foam and not all the time! I have become VERY happy using Gorilla Glue (GG). It is very strong and will stick to almost everything. It does not like silicone and plastic however. It loves fiberglass, wood, most foam and oil free metals.

I really like to use it on GWS EPO, or beercooler foam as well as blucor. After a crash - say the entire nose has separated from your plane and there are gaps in the foam where the parts mate and some pieces are missing. First straighten out the foam as best you can and ensure the mated pieces fit and align straight. Do not concern yourself with any gaps or missing "chunks" of foam. Just make sire what is actually there is aligned and straight by test fitting until all is well. Now insert toothpicks as needed to act as guides for alignment so that the parts can be fitted well and aligned easily. All the pieces can use toothpicks to help in the fitting!! LOL!!

You will need some clear packing tape and a small container of WATER plus of course the Gorilla Glue. This is the brown colored regular GG I'm referring to and not the clear "white" version.

On anything you like squeeze out a small (and I mean SMALL!!) amount of GG. Add a couple of DROPS of water. Mix thoroughly. As you mix the water and GG you will see the mix change into a tannish cream color and when this happens it is ready to use!! Lightly coat any surface that needs gluing including entire sections and then fit them together using your alignment toothpicks. When you are satisfied with the fit tear off a strip of packing tape and cover the "joint" of the pieces being glued at the seam. This serves TWO purposes. One the tape acts to keep the parts together while the GG sets up and TWO the tape acts as a barrier to prevent the GG mix from going all over the place. Do not worry about the tape being ugly as it will peel off after the GG sets up and hardens. Repeat as needed until ALL pieces are together. Take a break and have a soda for about 45 minutes or so. After the 45 minutes the GG should be set up solid enough to remove the tape. It may be "tacky" to touch but it will be solid enough to hold things together. If you have holes where pieces are missing from the foam or large gaps now is the time to do your "fill". Use the packing tape to cover the OUTER side of the gap or hole as you would make a skin covering.

Now mix another batch of GG and some water and pour or spoon it into the gap or hole from the inside. If the hole or gap is small then cover the inside with tape also. If the hole or gap is pretty big make sure to smear the GG mix everywhere on every edge og the gap or hole and THEN use several strips to cover the space. The GG will EXPAND about 20 to 30 times its liquid state in a foaming action and will FILL the gap or hole! Bigger the space to be filled the more GG and water you will need. And you CAN repeat until the gap or hole is completely filled.

Water mixed GG solidifies in about one hour. The foam created is very solid but porous on the inside. It will have a smooth outer "shell" which can be painted. If sanded the porous part WILL appear. GG is much harder than most foams and when sanding care must be used as the white foam will sand away MUCH easier than the GG.

Experimenting on scrap FIRST is best then you will get an idea of the capabilities of the glue and how best to use it. My best example is a failed attempt at putting retracts in a GWS A-4. The wells were cut as well as the holes for the retract units themselves. When the system failed I was left with large holes in the main structure of the wing that would definitely effect its flight integrity! GG to the rescue!! Mixed and poured and it filled the holes. Sealed with an over coating and painted. Bungee launch now and belly land!! You really can't tell there ever was a hole in the wings at all!!!

Hillbille

WOW am I long winded or what!!?

SunDevilPilot

You may think about using different glue. I have been using CA for a long time but on my latest project I am trying Gorilla brand wood glue (Not the Polyurethane stuff). I really like it! It tries relatively quick and has no fumes. Cleans up with a damp towel when wet and is water resistant when dry. Holds like crazy.

SunDevilPilot

mac44mag

My vote goes to using CA Applicator tips. A member named Judge used to sell them, but I haven't heard or seen anything about him/them for some time.

SunDevilPilot, I love the L-4 avitar. Which kit is it? I've just ordered the Mountain Models one.

Mac

Hernthehunter

Thanks to all. I have been taught to glue by a good rc friend. Sometimes it takes more than forums and people at your club just telling you how. Sometimes it takes someone that understands your ignorance and shows you alot of patience for all the dumb questions you have and then actually shows in person what to do. Thanks Matt F.

Capt. Midnight

Hi there!

Has anyone had any experience with use of epoxies or other adhesives to fasten components to the surface of a glass-type PCB? Any suggestions/comments would be appreciated.

Cheers,

Dave P.

kyleservicetech

Yup
I've done that many times. To get maximum adhesion, (or any adhesion at all!) the surface of the fiberglass circuit board should be scuffed up with a piece of sandpaper to break the glaze. Something on the order of 160 grit or so. Be sure to remove all traces of glass dust with a piece of paper towel with a bit of pure alcohol to wipe the glass board clean. Not rubbing alcohol, that stuff's 20% water.

And depending on what you're trying to fasten to the circuit board, if it's slick, and can be sanded, do the same for it. If you're trying to glue on an electronic component, not a good idea to sand it, might damage the part.

Then put a thin layer of epoxy on the surfaces, and lightly clamp for sufficient time for the epoxy to cure.

Note if you've got something that might get hot, the epoxy is not heat resistant. Several hundred degrees, and it might let go. Thick CA can also work, but is much less forgiving of air gaps between your component and the fiberglass. CA also has a tendency to run all over the place.

Mtrchs

You can use CA for most anything, and use epoxy only for firewalls and wing joints

kyleservicetech

Do check your CA to make certain it's safe before using it on some types of foam though. (Don't ask how I know )

deniscullinan

This is just a minor tip that I learned from another forum......For applying really, really small dollops (this applies especially to thin CA) of glue to delicate and small parts, snip the end off the eye of a needle, of "appropriate" (I love that word) size so that you now have something like a two-pronged fork. Put a drop of your CA on a bit of something, dip the fork in, and transfer your super-tiny dollop of CA to your tiny tiny parts.