Tissue tubes

[Bitconnect]

I would just like some clarification on how to make tissue tubes. I'm making a plane that uses 1/16" square sticks as wing and stab posts and was thinking of making some tissue tubes for the posts. Do you just roll some paper tightly over your post and rub glue onto the paper so when it dries it stays in the shape of the post?

[klastyioer]

I would just like some clarification on how to make tissue tubes. I'm making a plane that uses 1/16" square sticks as wing and stab posts and was thinking of making some tissue tubes for the posts. Do you just roll some paper tightly over your post and rub glue onto the paper so when it dries it stays in the shape of the post?

i mean kinda not really. what i like to do is i take a metal rod thats a bit smaller or just right for your piece of wood. then i take some vasaline and smudge it on the tiny rectangle of tissue paper that i have. remember, the width of the rectangle is the height of your motor stick, the length however isnt very long. just estimate and adjust as you get better at doing it. rub the vas. to halfway up the rectangle. tightly start rolling on the rod. keep it tight! once you have a little flap like around .5-1 cm left of space, put the tiniest amount of ca glue on there and roll the rest. let it dry on the rod and take it off after at least 2 minutes. when cutting, use a sharp knife or blade, dont use scissors, avoid cutting if at all possible. good luck, let me know how it goes!

[Bitconnect]

Yeah, I did what u said and it made really flimy tubes of tissue. I rubbed ca over it but its still kinda weak. Is the tube supposed to be stiff?

[torqueburner]

Yeah, I did what u said and it made really flimy tubes of tissue. I rubbed ca over it but its still kinda weak. Is the tube supposed to be stiff?

For many years, we used tissue tubes rolled around a 1/16" brass rod. (our wing and stab posts are 1/16" basswood with the corners rounded where they fit into the tube) First, the rod was coated with wax from a candle so the tissue wouldn't stick. We used thinned Ambroid cement instead of CA - Duco would work just as well. The entire length of the tissue is saturated with glue. Tubes made in this way are fairly stiff, but still have some give so that they conform to the shape of the post. They cut easily with a sharp razor blade as you roll the tube along your work surface.

However, they are a bit of a pain to roll, and we looked for plastic tubing as an alternative. The best thing we have found thus far is 1/8" polystyrene tubing by Evergreen scale models, item #224. This has an i.d. of 1/16", and if you just shove the end of the post into the tube, it rounds off quite nicely. Then you might add a little re-positionable glue stick to snug up the fit. This tubing cuts nicely with a razor saw, and is compatible with Ambroid or Duco cement, unlike some other options we tried, like little plastic straws. They are a bit heavier than tissue tubes, but with an 8 g minimum, that hardly matters. Since we started doing it this way, we will never roll another tissue tube. Evergreen tubing may be available at a hobby store, if you have one nearby, or on eBay.

[klastyioer]

Yeah, I did what u said and it made really flimy tubes of tissue. I rubbed ca over it but its still kinda weak. Is the tube supposed to be stiff?

theyre supposed to be stiff, it mightve been flimsy because you didnt roll tight enough, put too little paper, or ddidnt wait for the glue to dry completely, maybe try private messaging me a video of you doing it?

[Bitconnect]

Nevermind, I put them on my plane and they are stiff enough. I was just expecting them to be similar to the yellow tubing I've seen before. Next time ill wrap a few more times.

[klastyioer]

Nevermind, I put them on my plane and they are stiff enough. I was just expecting them to be similar to the yellow tubing I've seen before. Next time ill wrap a few more times.

yeah try that. also make sure you wait at least 10 minutes for them to dry. they will never be as stiff as plastic since theyre made from paper, but yeah they should be stiff enough to work. what paper are you using?

[Bitconnect]

Esaki tissue, I was gonna use regular kleenex but that looked really weak. Printer paper seemed too stiff and thick to roll well.

[klastyioer]

Esaki tissue, I was gonna use regular kleenex but that looked really weak. Printer paper seemed too stiff and thick to roll well.

good process of elimination. that is actually the perfect tissue for this kind of operation, just try to avoid any of the ones with coatings, gritty feelings, or extremely thin sheets of paper.

[jander14indoor]

Wow, lots of work to make the tube not stick that isn't really needed. If you use solvent based glues like Duco, Testor's Wood Cement, etc it will dissolve the connection to your wire form automatically.

Here's how I do it. For 1/16 posts I take a piece of 0.063 hard music wire from the hobby shop cut to convenient length to handle. 4-6 inches. I round the ends with a file so no sharp burrs.
Now, I cut a piece of good aircraft tissue, could be domestic or Esaki, or I've even used gift tissue. I cut a one inch wide strip about 6 inches long. Length not critical, just convenient for handling. Cut one end square.
Now, here's what I've found to be the critical step. Use a thin bead of your favorite solvent based glue (I use Testors green tube wood cement) to glue that square end of your tissue strip to on end of the wire, like a flag. Make sure it is smoothed down nicely, only need to glue down a short strip the full width of the end. It shouldn't go more than say half way around the wire. Wipe off excess glue and rub it in place till ti actually dries and sticks. You should be able to tug on it gently without it coming off the wire.
Note on hands used for the next couple of instructions. I'm right hand dominant, you probably want to switch this for left handed.
I hold the wire in my left hand with the tissue flag up and the V formed between the tissue and wire where I can see it. Squeeze in a generous bead of glue, I don't thin it. Now, holding the end of the strip in my right hand to apply some tension I start rolling the wire so the glue is squeezed between the wire and the tissue as the tissue wraps tightly and smoothly around the wire. You should see glue squeezing through the tissue on the side opposite that bead. As you roll, make sure the bead is distributed along the width of the tissue staying in that V. Roll 3-6 layers around the form, cut off the excess.
Now, continue rolling the wire in your left hand, same direction as you gently squeeze the tissue tube between your thumb and index finger. This sticks down the end of the tissue strip, tightens the tissue and squeezes the glue so it thoroughly saturates the tissue, but all excess is squeezed out. You'll have excess glue, wipe it off with your fingers and either wipe your fingers off, or just rub them together to dry the glue.
In just a few moments you'll feel the outer layer of the tube drying off.
Now, here's the magic. Continue to spin the wire, but gently pinch/grip the tube so it stops spinning. The solvent in the glue between the layers will redissolve the glue at the wire freeing it. Keep the wire spinning with the tube stopped, slowly pull wire out of tube. Careful to move down your pinch so it is only on supported part of the tube. I just use my finger nails to push off the last 1/4 inch or so of tube. Let it drop somewhere you don't have to disturb it (it is pretty fragile at this point), let it dry overnight at least.

I can do all this in FAR less time than it took to write up, and with a little practice, so can you. In 15 minutes or so I can make up a bunch of tubes to be used later.
Cut to length as already mentioned by slipping back on form and rolling knife over tube, use an old dull one because it will be after anyway.

Final step, peel glue off fingers to restore sense of touch.

Jeff Anderson
Livonia, MI