Originally Posted by Philkoury

My method of warming the glue allowing the hinge pin to be removed results in a ready use hole for the hinge pin. No need to plug and re-drill the hole. Hopefully you will never need to remove hinge pins again but if you do give my method a try.

The covering is printed and difficult to replace or fix if damaged. Also, I don't have 2 irons and the wood is very thick at the base of the rudder. At almost a half inch of wood to penetrate I just didn't want to put that much heat into the covering.

Is there a good method for removing flat hinges? I am re- covering a Pitts bi-plane and it’s really hard to cover with control surfaces on.

If they are GS hinges with a cotter pin, slide out the pin and remove the hinge halves using a #11 or chisel exacto blade, sliding the blade above and below the hinge.

If they don't have a cotter pin, carefully cut them in half at the hinge line with a dremel cutting wheel

Her's a picture of a chisel blade and handle I made to remove some CF horns.

Allows you the get "flatter" along side the hinge than a standard Xacto handle

Originally Posted by kork

Brass tube and then re plug with 3/16 round balsa and redrill with jig. Seriously a 1 hour job.
Covering doesn't get wrecked either.

Hoistguy, bring it over I will do for you.

Do you have time for this? I should have got it to you last fall.

what is consensus for removal of the Robart hinge point?

Soldering iron to melt them out.

ok, this is what I did, i tried the burning thing. total waste of time.

the burning produces toxic fumes, and it takes a hell of a long time, considering i had to remove 52 hinge points.

SO i just cut the hinge point, remove the metal pin from the plastic, then I redrilled hinge point holes 1 cm away from the old hinge point.

this was much quicker.

Put on a respirator and melt them out with a soldering iron.

Originally Posted by eheliflyer

Put on a respirator and melt them out with a soldering iron.

52 hinge point pockets, way too much for me, I do not have that patience.

two wings

13 hinge points per wing


drilling new ones was way easier, and the new hinges went into a nice snug pocket. more accurate too. when you try to melt them away, which i tried, the soldering iron or what ever you use, that is heated up, like a screwdriver tip or what have you, may deviate away from the plastic core the deeper you get, then all of a sudden, you plunge, and now a large are of foam gets burned away.


SO the burning, for me, in my hands, I will never do again.


Just wanted to share this with everyone, so they get the perspective of one person


not saying the way I did it is better


just sharing a different perspective