Strengthen Your Scratch Builds With Zip-Ties!

by mitchellcook5 | November 18, 2014 | (22) Posted in Tips

OK, this is a super simple way to strengthen your scratch builds or any foam plane for that matter.  Simply cut the head off of a zip tie and hot glue it onto the leading edge, the nose, and around the bottom of the fuselage of the plane.  If you smack it into the ground or a tree it's not going to crinkle the paper and foam nearly as bad.  I used this in my FT mini Speedster speedbuild kit and I smacket the wing right into a tree trunk and it didn't damage it at all.  I was so impressed with the strength with adding sutch little weight.  Awesome little hack for all your planes!

Have fun flying tough!

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COMMENTS

fl_rider on November 18, 2014
That's a great idea!!
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mitchellcook5 on November 18, 2014
Thank you!
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#3 on November 18, 2014
5 stars for a great idea thanks for sharing
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mitchellcook5 on November 18, 2014
Thanks!

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ab4j on November 21, 2014
great idea just finished my first plane Old Fogey and will add a little extra strenght to it as it may bite the dust a few times
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oneiwily on November 19, 2014
works the same with barbecue skewer, just way less flexible .. real nice the way you placed it in the front and bottom of the air-frame
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Gsimpson2g on November 19, 2014
Love the idea!
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solarflash on November 19, 2014
Great idea, thanks. Has anyone tried weed-eater line? I'm going to try it out and see how it hot glues to the edge of foam.
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NoUsername on November 19, 2014
Nothing more to be said but great job and thanx for sharing.
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Flying Fox on November 19, 2014
Good Idea
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808aerosquadron on November 19, 2014
Brilliant, simple and inexpensive. Thank you for sharing this.
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eball on November 19, 2014
Neat idea finally something to do with all those zip tie cut offs
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Paulshort on November 19, 2014
What motor is that?

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mitchellcook5 on November 20, 2014
It's so cheap, $10 I was surprised how much power it had with a 2s and a 5x3 prop, if you get it just make sure you get a 3mm prop collet, or prop saver.

Link: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=57422
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Leo82 on November 20, 2014
This motor is great for all small rc planes, used many of them. I have one in a 50mm edf L-39. I took out and reglued magnets to get 5000kv still has pretty nice power and did make the plane very light :D
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JohnEde on November 21, 2014
Cool bit doesn't look as cute as it would without zipties
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mitchellcook5 on November 21, 2014
Just use white zipties
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danield on November 21, 2014
Orange or green, or blue. they're all cheap.
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Balu on November 25, 2014
Finally a use for the already cut long ends of zip-ties - instead of throwing them away :).
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tccanoe on March 24, 2015
Zip ties, Duck Tape, Hot Glue, Google, Youtube University. That's about it.
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mitchellcook5

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Strengthen Your Scratch Builds With Zip-Ties!