Removing surface dents from molded wing

[ClayH]

I just picked up a Faser that arrived with a couple of dings in the upper surface caused by the bubble on the other panel's servo cover. I know the technique for removing dents from a foam core wing, but not sure what to do here since the wing is glass over balsa where the dents are. The 2 dents are about the size and depth of a dime. Ideas?

Clay

[mlee8249]

Hi Clay,

I have found that you can steam some of those dents out. You need your MonoKote iron and a wet paper towel. Take the paper towel and wring out most of the water and then fold it over so that there are three to four layers thick. Place the towel on the dent and apply the heating iron on the towel over the dent. The heat setting should be about 300 degrees. You should hear the towel begin to boil almost immediately and generating lots of steam. As long as there is steam, you won't burn the skin of the wing. This should remove the dent. Now, you might also find the skin gets just a bit rough where the iron heated it, but the dent should pop out. Do this slowly so you get a feel for what you're doing without going to far. It worked for me on my bagged wings and on my Fazer, which suffered the same denting you have from exactly the same cause. Hate it when that happens! But there you go. (Thanks to Phil Barnes for that technique).

Mike Lee

[ClayH]

Thanks Mike,

That's how I've removed dents from DLG wings, but when I've tried it on a molded glass/balsa wing it seems that the heating process would transfer the pattern of the paper towel to the wing surface, and you'd lose that nice glossy finish in that spot. It's as if you need a wetted material that would be smooth, able to absorb a water and tranfer heat, that wouldn't draw the finish off the wing.

[F3X]

Put a cool sticker over the spot and fly the pants off it. :D

[mlee8249]

Say, don't you have a F3X sticker he can use for that? Why don't you zap him one?

Mike Lee

[ClayH]

Miike Lee says:

Say, don't you have a F3X sticker he can use for that? Why don't you zap him one?



Especially considering my licence plate.

Clay