[simpits-tech] [x-plane-tech] Project update - RIVETS!

[Gene Buckle]

On Mon, 24 Nov 2008, Roy Coates wrote:

> On Thu, 20 Nov 2008, Gene Buckle wrote:
>
>
> Very smart Gene !
>
> What you need for these though is my foam bucking block at only $29.99 ;-)
>
Hehehe.
>
> The rivets are a really sweet detail that'll enhance any pit.
>

Unfortunately as it turns out, they're really not as suitable as I'd 
hoped.  The repeated impact from the hammering was doing damage to the 
stringers. The job really requires two people, with one person holding a 
heavy weight against the back of the stringer to prevent it from bouncing 
apart.

I ended up using #8 5/8" flat head screws to finish out the right side. 
I'll be posting pictures and video of it this week.  I completely stripped 
my local Ace hardware of literally every #8 5/8" flat head screw they had. 
I've got 500 more on order.  The whole right side will take about 275 
screws.  That sounds like a lot, but it's not that bad once you get into a 
rythm of pilot drill, countersink, place screw.  I used my air drill to 
run 7/64" pilot holes followed by using a 100 degree countersink in a 
micro-stop.  I need to get an 82 degree countersink though - standard wood 
screws use that angle, while 100 is more common to rivets.

I found that placing screws into the ribs (edge on) tended to strip quite 
easily with a 5/8" screw.  I found that going to a 3/4" screw pretty much 
eliminated the problem as long as you don't try to over-torque the screw.

Yesterday I finished the skinning work I'd started on Saturday (ran out of 
screws!) so now the whole right side of the cockpit has been skinned.  It 
looks ok - the screws stand a bit proud of the service for about half of 
the run.  I was experimenting with various micro-stop depths.

I got the part set for the "alternate" non-radiused aft upper section cut 
yesterday, as well as the parts that will be the end frames for the 
canopy that will go along with the windscreen frame.

I've really tried hard to make this thing as easy to build as possible, 
but the windscreen/canopy option is really going to require a table saw of 
some kind.  The reason for this is that the various parts must have angle 
cuts made in them in order for everthing to fit together properly.  I may 
offer a special order part set if demand is high enough from those that 
can't make the parts themselves.


g.

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