Let's Glue Those Landing Gear Rails Already
Step 1
As with any rc airplane project, I always clean up my building area before starting on the next component, this removes clutter and helps me think more clearly. You can choose to follow this tip if you like, it’s up to you. I know for me if I clean up before the next steps, I can really see the overall picture better too, but that is just me.
When it comes to using epoxy, you want to make sure, really sure that the rc airplane part you are about to glue has been checked and re-checked. Now that my work area is clean, I went and got my epoxy for this job.
I was using 5 minute epoxy, but I really should have used 15 minute to give myself more time. There is no rush and you should give yourself plenty of time when it comes to epoxy.
Now to get gluing! I use a piece of wax paper and begin pouring out equal amounts of the resin and hardener (if you are not familiar with epoxy, it consists of 2 components, a resin and a hardener, when mixed together it starts a chemical reaction and the glue begins to get warm and the curing process has begun).
In most cases, most newbie’s will mix too much epoxy and waste it. Instead, I always mix a smaller amount, and if I need more, it takes no time to mix another batch. This is also a good reason to use 15 or even 30 minute epoxy, you will have more time to figure it all out and not feel rushed.
Step 2
Now that the glue is mixed, take the forward landing gear rail and only apply glue to the points where it will contact the ribs. Try not to apply too much glue so that is does not drip.
You can use a cheap acid mixing brush to apply epoxy, it works quite well. You can get these at auto parts stores.
After the glue is applied, it is time to place the landing gear rail back in the wing ribs exactly as it was removed. I like to mark my parts so that I know where they went and I don’t have to think about it (a simple top or a few marks on one side is all it takes).
I always make sure that the joints of my glued parts look completely covered in glue before I move on to the next gluing job
Satisfied with the first landing gear rail, I apply glue to the next landing gear rail where it too will touch the ribs in the wing, and set it in place. I check it over to make sure all joints are covered with glue. Now is a good time to clean up any excess glue that may have started oozing down the side of the ribs.
I use a piece of wax paper to clean up all the excess glue. Try to remove as much extra glue as you can, it does nothing for strength, it will only add needless weight to your finished model, which we do not want.
Step 3
Before the glue sets, I clamp all the rails in place. I also add a piece of wax paper between my clamp and the glued part. Nothing worse than gluing your clamps to your parts and trying to pry them apart. Now all that is left to do is wait for the glue to dry.
I like to wait 24 hours before I remove my clamps and start working on the rc airplane parts that I just glued. This is because epoxy does take time to fully cure. Yes, it dries in about 15 to 30 minutes, but the full cure time really is 12 to 24 hours, depending on your humidity level.
Step 4
Well, the glue has dried and I can remove the clamps from the landing gear rails. It is always a pleasure to see my rc airplane come together and see all the parts work together to create a working model. Thanks to the wax paper that I put between the clamps and the glued parts, they come off nice and easy.
You can see in the pictures below that the wings landing gear rails are now glued in place and all that is left to finish the rails is a little sanding to make them flush with the ribs. I use a homemade sanding block, it was made from a scrap piece of 1/4 inch plywwod and I use spray on adhesive with the sand paper to make it stick (I used 100 grit to sand the rails flush).