Easy RC Hinges from Milk Containers

[@stanpotter7764]

Wow, that's a great idea, and I have several Guillows kits just waiting for me right now!

[@TimMcKay56]

Thanks! Tim

[@thetwogardens6048]

Good Tip. I work at a Galvanising plant and found that the perspex plastic face mask the workers wear make good control horns. After they toss them away , I just pluck them back out of the bin . hahahah

[@TimMcKay56]

Great suggestion, thanks! Tim

[@joewoodchuck3824]

We used to use cloth hinges. Two at each location with each one in the opposite direction from the other. Never wore out.

[@TimMcKay56]

Thanks! Tim

[@djSmokeShow]

Yep, I still have the first control line plane I built and I did indeed use cloth hinges. Dang I'm feeling old now... 😜

[@flyingfortressrc1794]

Great idea Tim 👍 I've never thought about using milk jugs before. Thanks for the tip.

[@TimMcKay56]

Thanks! Tim

[@FarmerFpv]

I use polyester Cloth-covered Mylar for my hinges. You can get them at the post office or Amazon for real cheap. it's the same flexible tough material that used to come with the Old GWS planes. I use contact cement to glue them in. It takes longer to dry when using it as a normal glue but you get nice clean really flexible hinges. I also use Bob Smiths' Foam Cure or UHU Por glue for gluing hinges as it never gets stiff. I'm going to have to try milk jug hinges as well. Thanks for the tips.

[@TimMcKay56]

Great ideas, thanks! Tim

[@berndm9743]

Great Idea. Thanks. What I have always done when installing hinges is after the hinge is glued in and movement is OK, I take a very thin flat headed pin and carefully push it thru the building material and the hinge to act as a mechanical anchor. It doesn't need to be glued in. Then I cut off the pointy end with some flush cutters. I have also built quite a number of models where I use only pins and no glue at all so tha in case of a crash I can easily remove the hinges without damaging the control surface. I have never had a failure with this 100% glueless method. I use 2 pins per side of the hinge joint.

[@TimMcKay56]

Great techniques, thanks for sharing! Tim

[@pauldaflyer7879]

Have been using old floppy disk material for years. Good video Tim.

[@TimMcKay56]

Thanks! Tim

[@joepellissier2091]

Great idea, never thought of using this. Will definitely try on my next time.

[@TimMcKay56]

Good luck! Tim

[@martincox4520]

Always use the toothpick or cocktail stick as a jolt such as a hard landing can loosen the hinges

[@TimMcKay56]

Excellent point! Tim

[@johnw5734]

Great idea. Definitely use that for my smaller planes. I'm installing the larger pinned hinges on a 20cc size plane (last night). I like the option of pulling the pin to remove the control surface. Picking out the wood, greasing the pivot, gluing the hinge...not my favorite job.

[@TimMcKay56]

Sounds great! Tim

[@frankgordonsmith4795]

good idea, i am currently making the 27 inch bf109 guillows rc

[@TimMcKay56]

Good luck! Tim

[@Danburdick-lm5xt]

u can also use postoffice mailing envelopes that are tare proof, been using floss hinges for years that need to be sewed on

[@TimMcKay56]

Excellent point! Tim

[@MrGaborseres]

Hey Tim....my long term observation of milk jugs is that they brake down and become brittle. Water bottle or other beverage containers would be my best bet. But most of the time I kill my airplanes before the hinges would ever have time to fail lol 😉

[@TimMcKay56]

Very good insight, thanks! Tim

[@mikedunn7795]

I have never built an R/C model,but plain cloth sounds like a good material for hinges,as is just as available for free. Milk bottle plastic may be strong and cheap,but constant flexing seems to me like a good way to get fatigue cracks in a plastic hinge. BTW, we buy our milk in plastic coated cardboard cartons.

[@TimMcKay56]

Great point! Tim

[@TimMcKay56]

Thanks for the tips!

[@dradden1556]

I used the milk jug hinges to put flaps and rudders on my Eflite f15 eagle. They do work great. Thanks

[@TimMcKay56]

Good to know!

[@kenkingsflyingmachines2382]

This is a very timely video for me. I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do for hinges on my current project, which is a 48" cabin rubber job I built about 25 years ago and converting to electric RC. I like the idea , but I'm concerned they won't be flexible enough. I'll try it and find out. I see you have been making model airplane videos for a LONG time, and I've enjoyed going through your back catalog. Thanks for posting!

[@TimMcKay56]

Ken: Good luck and thanks for checking in! Tim

[@lamarw7757]

If you care about your models, use regular hinges. Milk jug plastic will fail due to UV light making them brittle.

[@Thom-d7r]

Boy, that's a great idea.

[@TimMcKay56]

Thanks! Tim

[@karlschwab6437]

Remember using needle and thead and sewing in hinges?

[@TimMcKay56]

Yup! 😊

[@MrKyle700]

wow, great idea!! I just use tape and its been a pain in the ass

[@TimMcKay56]

Thanks! Tim

[@Itstoolateohhwell]

This is a great idea. Thanks

[@TimMcKay56]

Thanks for checking in! Tim

[@alduff229]

I've used plastic bag packaging material and it wotked fine

[@TimMcKay56]

Very good! Tim

[@124MPH]

very good idea!

[@TimMcKay56]

Thanks! Tim

[@edsherrod5216]

Great video Tim - I never considered using a plastic milk carton for hinges. Have you tried these "milk carton" hinges in balsa? I'd think that would work but am curious. Thank you.

[@TimMcKay56]

Have not tried in balsa yet. Tim

[@bobflyman]

I use little bits of old 35 mm film cut in to a small hinge size

[@TimMcKay56]

Good technique! Tim

[@ohiowalnut]

Milk jugs also make great "Cow"lings...😊

[@TimMcKay56]

Yes they do! Tim

[@airwaffle]

i have a question, can i also extend the cable from the esc to my reciever with a servo extension cable? or will this impact my BEC. thankyou

[@TimMcKay56]

See my video on how to extend ESC lines: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iXypiZ2emb6XiZY

[@Emiliocab47]

Recycling 😊

[@TimMcKay56]

😊👍🏻 Tim

[@theoztreecrasher2647]

Milk bottle plastic will work (if a bit thick and stiff) with CA/Epoxy for EPS/EPO planes. For EPP a thin smear of Rubber Cement works better. Tough and sticks like the proverbial to a blanket plus remains very flexible. DON'T put anything containing the Toluene-type solvents in rubber/contact cements ANYWHERE near EPS or EPS/EPO blends though! 😉😊

[@TimMcKay56]

Great inputs, thanks! Tim

[@fredliperson9171]

Not only sand the ends of the hinge put a small hole in it that really locks them in..

[@TimMcKay56]

Great point, thanks! Tim

[@tokairic3925]

I used to have a model shop - I have seen some tight modellers in my time, but this takes the biscuit. The danger is that some modellers will used cheap methods on larger, faster models. This could be very dangerous. I have seen basic 3kg plastic geared servos used on 84" wingspan 3D models with 1.80cu in engines, and some modellers see this as 'thrift'. It is irresponsible. Aeromodeller for over 35 years, I wouldn't even use Mylar for hinges - just seen too many split on the hinge line or simply pull out of the control surface.

[@TimMcKay56]

Good points, thanks! Tim

[@lamarw7757]

Milk jugs are degraded by sunlight, and they get brittle pretty fast. This might be good for indoor models. No way I would use this for outdoor models.

[@TimMcKay56]

Very good point . . . Tim

[@Bellairvideo]

G’day Tim, many thanks for your info on Flaperons . I have a new XFly Twinliner commercial jet model but no flaps to slow down on its ‘hot’ landings. I will try it out as i use on board cameras & hopefully record the results for my youtube channel.🇦🇺🪃🦘

[@TimMcKay56]

No worries, best of luck! Tim