August 31, 1999
Purpose: To assemble an F1 rear wing so that it is square.
Note: When I was asked to describe this process I though this was a simple question to answer. However after going through the process I realised that there was a bit more to it than I thought. I guess since I am used to this process I don't give it a second thought.
1. Here are the main elements of the rear wing of the Tamiya MP4/13. Behind it is the glue I will be using (testors). This glue bottle has a syringe type applicator which makes applying glue more precise. You want this to prevent getting glue onto the surface of the wing and possibly damaging it.
Underneath is the cutting pad with a grid pattern I will be using to square up the wing. The cutting mat is slightly flexible so make sure it is on a hard flat surface so that your wing will also be flat.
2. Apply very little glue to the inside wing or else the excess may spill out and possibly damage your part.
3. Attach one of the wing elements and position it on the grid pattern to make sure it is square. Since this glue is not fast acting you do have a bit of time to move the parts around to make sure they are square. It is best to leave this assembly alone for a while to let the glue set in. Also be aware that the wing endplate does not come off at the top. This can happen if you have too much glue or not enough glue to hold it on.
4. Attach the other wing end plate again using the grid to make sure everything is squared up.
The grid will make sure that the back edges of your wing endplates are parallel while the grid pattern will make sure they are parallel when viewed from the front.
Note on the second picture that the pin ejection marks have been filled in. It is also coincidence that the width of the grids is the same width as the wing itself.
5. The last part to be added here is the lower wing element. Gently slip the element in and if done properly it should be held together by the endplates.
For glue you can do two different things.
You can use the same glue as before and put the glue in before adding the part.
I have chosen to put the part in and then add glue. I am using free flowing glue by MBS. This is very similar to others such as Tenex 7. These glues flow like water and set up relatively quickly.
You can add the glue with a brush but here I have a bottle that has a fine syringe on the end. This allows more control of glue placement. With the applicator I add a bit of glue to the underside and let capillary action suck it into the entire joint.
This assembly is then placed on the grid to make sure it is still square and left to dry.
Final Notes:
On this wing the assembly was relatively easy due to the tight tolerances in the kit. This method may be more helpful on other kits where the fit isn't as good.
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