Hey guys,
I know many times we need to make a hole in foam for various applications such as carbon rod reinforcement, routing, or addons. While a drill will do, it is messy & maintaining straightness can be an issue if it's a long hole. I needed to make a 72Mhz antenna wire hole from the canopy area thru the length of a fuselage to exit at the rear bottom of the fuse. Since the antenna wire is quite small in dia., & the distance to the lower rear fuse was 16", I decided to try using a length of my .045 TIG wire. I made a point on my belt sander, heated the tip till glowing red with my propane torch, & carefully pushed it thru the fuse watching my direction/alignment. It was easy & fast & made a perfect hole. When the tip was inside the canopy area, I wrapped a cold wet cloth to cool. I then taped the end of the antenna wire to the rod & pulled the antenna thru the new hole to the outside of the bottom rear of the fuse.....WALLA!
Next project was my new Pilatus Porter PC-6 that I felt needed some reinforcing of the vert. stab. for more strength & rigidity. I had a piece of 1/8" round CF that would be perfect. I took another TIG rod, .092, made a point, heated till red, & pushed it down thru the vert. stab. carefully maintaining straightness. The heated .092" made a perfect 1/8" hole & I pressed the rod down to the bottom & a drop of CA on the top to seal. The nice thing with this method is that there is no mess & the heated rod melts & fuses the foam that also aids in rigidity. Pics are the rod, & the vert. stab. with the light behind so you can see the CF rod shadow. Try it...you'll like it.
Denny
I know many times we need to make a hole in foam for various applications such as carbon rod reinforcement, routing, or addons. While a drill will do, it is messy & maintaining straightness can be an issue if it's a long hole. I needed to make a 72Mhz antenna wire hole from the canopy area thru the length of a fuselage to exit at the rear bottom of the fuse. Since the antenna wire is quite small in dia., & the distance to the lower rear fuse was 16", I decided to try using a length of my .045 TIG wire. I made a point on my belt sander, heated the tip till glowing red with my propane torch, & carefully pushed it thru the fuse watching my direction/alignment. It was easy & fast & made a perfect hole. When the tip was inside the canopy area, I wrapped a cold wet cloth to cool. I then taped the end of the antenna wire to the rod & pulled the antenna thru the new hole to the outside of the bottom rear of the fuse.....WALLA!
Next project was my new Pilatus Porter PC-6 that I felt needed some reinforcing of the vert. stab. for more strength & rigidity. I had a piece of 1/8" round CF that would be perfect. I took another TIG rod, .092, made a point, heated till red, & pushed it down thru the vert. stab. carefully maintaining straightness. The heated .092" made a perfect 1/8" hole & I pressed the rod down to the bottom & a drop of CA on the top to seal. The nice thing with this method is that there is no mess & the heated rod melts & fuses the foam that also aids in rigidity. Pics are the rod, & the vert. stab. with the light behind so you can see the CF rod shadow. Try it...you'll like it.
Denny
Attached Files