Fixing Pylons to Fuselages or Wings

[Gondor]

On one of the builds I currently have on the go, I have to attach the main underfuselage pylon to the underside of the fuselage. One big problem is that there are no flashed over holes to drill out, nor any open holes. The pylon doesn't even provide any help other than a couple of small lumps on each side, which represent part of the attachment mechanism for the pylon.
I can only think of two options. One: Glue the pylon in place as a butt joint and hope that nothing comes loose. Two: use metal rod as a pin into both the pylon and fuselage. I can't make my mind up and there could be other options.

[Andrew Gorman]

If the pylon is thick enough, can you glue it in place and then add a pin?  Drill a #70 or so hole into the edge and out the top and add a piece of straight pin?  That way the pylon is where you want it and only a small hole to fill.  Otherwise, drill for a pin and make one hole a little larger so you have some wiggle room to place everything where it needs to go.  From bitter personal experience, you need a pin!

[Rick Lowe]

Pinning is always a better option than Glueing and Hoping. 

[sandiego89]

I have good luck with direct glueing with a good superglue that dries is less than a minute.  Usually works well, but can be fragile if knocked

[Gondor]

I have started to fix the pylon in place. I have fitted two pins through the lower fuselage, each has a 90^o bend to allow me to glue each in a way that should stop the pin falling out. I have also drilled two holes into the pylon. Here is a handy tip: check the rod stock against the drill bit you have in your pin vice before making holes in your kit. Guess who didn't     

[Thorvic]

if pining maybe go for a single pin in the middle for the pylon to pivot on. When doing fore and aft pins and have to drill own holes then you can find them occasionally off true so a centre pivot makes for a safer bet,

[Gondor]

if pining maybe go for a single pin in the middle for the pylon to pivot on. When doing fore and aft pins and have to drill own holes then you can find them occasionally off true so a centre pivot makes for a safer bet,

Not a problem this time. There were markings on the fuselage underside where attachment points could be, so I carefully made indentations before drilling out the holes. The fact that the holes were too big for the rod I had was useful due to my drilling one of the holes in the pylon off-centre.

[zenrat]

I have good luck with direct glueing with a good superglue that dries is less than a minute.  Usually works well, but can be fragile if knocked

I prefer epoxy for that reason.  Makes for a less brittle join.
I am prone to clumsiness and tend to knock bits off regularly.

[Gondor]

I am prone to clumsiness and tend to knock bits off regularly.

Were you a cat in a former life?

[zenrat]

 

[PR19_Kit]

Were you a cat in a former life?

But cats do it deliberately.

You can see them eying up the potential irritability that it will cause just before they give the object, whatever it is, a nice neat swipe, and off it goes!

[Rick Lowe]

"But it's a PLANE - it's supposed to fly; I was just giving it an Air Test!"

 

[zenrat]

I was more likely to have been a dog.

"But it's a car.  In real life I try to chase these so it's OK for me to bite down on this model one.  He can't want it, he's turned his back"  (true story).

[Rick Lowe]

Were you a cat in a former life?

But cats do it deliberately.

You can see them eying up the potential irritability that it will cause just before they give the object, whatever it is, a nice neat swipe, and off it goes!

Or a slow push, watching to see that you're watching them and realising you can't reach them in time... 

I was more likely to have been a dog.

"But it's a car.  In real life I try to chase these so it's OK for me to bite down on this model one.  He can't want it, he's turned his back"  (true story).

Much the same with what's on your plate (or the bench)... 

[Gondor]

I thank everyone for their moral support. I am slowly getting it into my head that I should take a bit more time in preparation than I currently am.



This shows how I am fixing the pins in place on the inside of the lower fuselage.



And this shows the fuselage side of the pylon. I have checked, and it does fit, although some of the glue I applied a few days ago still needs to be cleaned up so the pylon will fit snugly.

Next time I need to drill a hole, I will use my pin-in-a-pencil as if it were a centre punch to mark where the hole starts, correctly!