Rudder Hinges for Foam Models

With foam models, it can happen that a rudder breaks off. For homemade models made of Depron, good rudder hinges are also essential. If you don't have anything else on hand, rudder hinges from Biella pencil cases are a good solution. I only use these now.

If the hinge is glued to the material—rather than inserted into it, as described later—I proceed as follows: Determine the dimensions, cut out the hinge, round off the corners, then use sandpaper to thoroughly roughen the adhesive surface, bend it 180 degrees in both directions of movement, and, if necessary, press the fold a little tighter. There may be small tears in the material, but that’s okay. If you don’t like it that way, do it again and press less firmly. Then clean the bonding areas with glass cleaner, let them dry, apply glue, and join the pieces together.

If the hinge needs to be inserted into the material because the design calls for it, I follow the procedure described above. However, I don’t round off the corners—I simply cut them off—which makes it easier to insert the hinge into the foam. In addition, I sand both sides thoroughly and cut out recesses. The recesses serve to further “wedge” the hinge in place. At the recesses, the foam material fuses together again, providing additional locking power in addition to the glue. The rudder and damping surface are slotted at the appropriate points and then fitted together. Once the rudder is in the correct position—pay particular attention to its position relative to the thickness(!)—apply glue to the hinges (do not use contact adhesive or superglue with an activator spray!), and if necessary, the

Widen the slit slightly and add some more glue. I use UHU All-Purpose Adhesive (solvent-free). It might be a good idea to apply a little pressure to the glued areas using clips or screw clamps until the glue has set.