<div>Yeah, I follow what you're driving at now. The main thing with using the metal for the skin is following the curve without bending or getting dented. Also, making sure the transition between the strake (I see what you're driving at there...that's kind of what I had in mind) and the panel is flush. I was thinking of doing the strake and then building up some thinkness with fiberglass. Then creating a thinner lip so the panel will then fit into that lip and sit flush with the strake. This will allow me to hide any imperfections in the metal strake and sand it smooth to finish. The panel I was thinking of doing the same way.</div> <div> </div> <div>Time consuming...which is why I thought about waiting until later to do it.</div> <div> </div> <div>Jay<BR><BR><B><I>Gene Buckle <geneb@deltasoft.com></I></B> wrote:</div> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">>
I'm having a hard time picturing what you're talking about with the <BR>> skin. Got any links to something similar that I could look at? I mean, <BR>> hell, if I can do it now, I would rather get it out of the way.<BR><BR>I don't have any links, but I'll try to describe what I mean...<BR><BR>Say for example you're skinning with say .032" material...<BR><BR>You'll create a strip 2" + a little extra to account for the radius you're <BR>going to bend in it.<BR><BR>You'll have to create a few of these unless you've got access to a sheet <BR>metal bender that is as long as your cockpit. :)<BR><BR>Bend the first segment along the center line so it approaches the angle at <BR>the end of the strakes. This will form a "cap" that can be permanently <BR>installed to cover the sharp angle that the strakes create.<BR><BR>Get a length of .062" thick 1/2" aluminum angle bracket and chop it into a <BR>bunch of 1/2" wide bits. If you pre-drill your holes before slicing it <BR>up,
your life will be easier. :)<BR><BR>Attach the L bracket to the edges of the strake, roughly 1/2" from <BR>the edge. You'll need one top and bottom, so you may have to fudge the <BR>placement a bit if it's as tight as it looks. These can be attached using <BR>a standard dome-head pull rivet.<BR><BR>I learned today that there is an edge-clamp Cleco - this will be perfect <BR>for the next step. They're basically a tiny Cleco-plier operated <BR>"standard" clamp. Use them or another small clamp to attach your first <BR>bit of cap strip to the installed L brackets. Using a sharpie, mark the <BR>hole center in the cap through the hole in the L bracket. When those are <BR>all marked, pull it off and drill them on a drill press.<BR><BR>Flip the cap strip over and use a microstop to create countersinks that <BR>match the angle of the #6x.25 screws you bought.<BR><BR>There is a blind nut product called a "PEM fastener". It's basically a<BR>press-in nut that backs a bit of metal. If
you take a peek at the fuel<BR>panel pictures I did you'll see the PEM fasteners that I use to attach the<BR>face of the panel. Install #6 fasteners into the side of your installed L<BR>brackets. If you drill the hole according to the docs (Small Parts shows<BR>what hole size to use in their section on these fasteners), you can press<BR>fit them into place using a pair of vice grips.<BR><BR>Install the cap strip and you're done with that part.<BR><BR>The reason I recommend the cap strip is to avoid having a tiny gap at the <BR>edge of the strake where the top & bottom sheets meet.<BR><BR>You can attach the skins using a similar method - take some 1" angle <BR>bracket and cut gaps in the back side so it'll follow the form of the <BR>station edge better. You can pull rivet these into place as well.<BR><BR>Mark the center lines of the angle bracket on the cap strip and set your <BR>first skin in place. Use the rivet fan to line up a row of rivets based <BR>on that center
line. Mark, drill, cleco, repeat. :)<BR><BR>Does this make sense now?<BR><BR>g.<BR><BR><BR><BR>-- <BR>Proud owner of F-15C 80-0007<BR>http://www.f15sim.com - The only one of its kind.<BR>_______________________________________________<BR>Simpits-tech mailing list<BR>Simpits-tech@simpits.org<BR>http://www.simpits.org/mailman/listinfo/simpits-tech<BR>To unsubscribe, please see the instructions at the bottom of the above page. Thanks!<BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>