.
2.
Now make 3 or 4 more cuts in the exact same line, going slightly deeper each
time. As you make these additional cuts, concentrate on staying in the slit and
keeping the blade headed straight into the center of the wood so that it won’t
come out the side of the part. You will find that as the blade gets deeper into the
wood, it will become harder to move it along the slot. Try "wiggling" the knife
handle in the slot to make it cut, instead of trying to "slice" the blade along in one
continuous motion. Continue making additional cuts until the slot is
approximately 1/2" deep.
CAUTION: You must use extreme care to avoid cutting yourself while cutting the hinge slots. If the balsa wood breaks
while you are pushing on the knife, the blade could go into your hand before you can stop it. A good precaution is to wear
a leather glove on the hand that is holding the model part while you are cutting the slots.
3.
After all the slots have been cut, insert a single Easy Hinge halfway into each hinge slot in the stabilizer (or fin, or wing, as
the case may be). If the hinge is difficult to push in, re-insert the knife and move it back and forth in the slot a few more
times and then try again. DO NOT GLUE THE HINGES IN AT THIS TIME!
4.
Now carefully slide the elevator (or rudder, or aileron) onto the exposed half of
the Easy Hinges. You will find it easiest to slide the part onto the hinges at angle,
one hinge at a time, instead of trying to push it straight onto all the hinges at
once. Don’t be overly concerned if the hinges don’t end up perfectly straight or
centered in the slots - they do not have a center line.
ONCE AGAIN, DO NOT GLUE THE HINGES IN AT THIS TIME!
5.
To set the proper amount of gap between the model parts, simply deflect the control surface to the maximum amount of
travel needed. This will automatically set the proper hinge gap! Keep in mind that for best control response the gap should
be kept as small as possible, but big enough to allow full movement of the control surface. If everything appears to function
properly, remove the parts and take the hinges out of the slots. Set everything aside until after the model has been
covered.
THE MODEL PARTS SHOULD BE COMPLETELY COVERED BEFORE PROCEEDING TO THE NEXT STEP!
6.
After the model parts have been covered, use the X-Acto knife to re-open the
hinge slots by cutting through the covering that went over them. Re-install the
hinges and re-adjust the hinge gap.
7.
Place three or four drops of Thin CA glue directly onto the Easy Hinge in the gap.
You will notice that the glue is quickly wicked into the slot as it penetrates both
the wood and the hinge. Turn the part over and glue the other side of the Easy
Hinge. Continue this process until you have glued both sides of all the Easy
Hinges! Keep a rag handy to wipe off any excess Thin CA. (CA glue residue can
be cleaned from most iron-on plastic covering materials with CA Debonder).
VERY IMPORTANT: Make only one application of glue to each side of an Easy Hinge! If you apply additional glue to the
hinge after the first application of glue is already dry, the second application of glue will merely puddle in the hinge gap and
make the hinge too stiff to operate properly. The excess glue could also weaken the hinge! When properly glued, the
portion of the Easy Hinge that you can see in the hinge gap should have a dry appearance, not wet. A dry appearance
indicates that almost all of the glue has properly soaked into the hinge slot. A wet appearance indicates that excess glue is
puddled in the hinge gap. Three to four good size drops of Thin CA should be about the right amount.
NEVER USE CA ACCELERATOR ON EASY HINGES!
8.
Let the glue dry a minimum of 3-5 minutes before flexing the hinges. At first you might notice a little stiffness in the joint.
This will go away after the hinges have been flexed back and forth a couple dozen times.
Summary of Contents for KADET LT-40
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