DU-BRO 101 - HOW TO USE THE HINGE SLOTTER TOOL

[@scotmash1]

I have a plane in which I goofed my aileron hinges and left gaps . I have since removed surface can I use hinge tool to clear out the old CA hing left on the slot?

[@JoshuaOrchard]

Absolutely on track with this idea! Cut the CA hinges clean and then use a cutting blade to slice into the wing and aileron above AND below the remaining CA hinge material. I then use small electrical side cutters or needle nose pilers to grab onto the hinge and pull it out of the wood or foam. From there you can proceed as you would to make a cavity for these hinges. You can use the hook tool to clear out any additional debris from the slot and install your pin hinges as needed. I recently used this method while restoring a Hangar 9 B-25 and removal of the old CA hinges was greatly simplified this way. I hope this helps!

[@edsherrod5216]

so what do you do if you need to create a hinge slot in wood that is only 1/8th inch thick? Or do you use another method rather than trying to cut a hole to insert a hinge?

[@dubropineridge]

It's tricky but I would recommend scoring your wood with a razor blade (#11 or equivalent) to make a cut, roughly as deep as you plan to go for the hinge. This will preliminarily soften the wood fibers and help create a guide for the slotting tool. Go slow, be patient, and avoid side loads in any way and you should have a slot that will accept the hinge.