The inside of the oven.	The oven and the table with the jigs screwed down.	One side secured, partially through the other.
Adding the last holding block.	Curing in the oven.	A multimeter showing the internal oven temperature

Entry #: 16
Postdate: 2004-11-30

Since my last entry, quite a bit progress has been made:

First, I added the doublers to the already laminated longerons and floxed them in place per plans. A note of interest here: The plans say to use small nails to hold the doublers in place while the flox is curing, and to use a pair of pliers to remove the nails after cure. Some of the nails came right out, and others simply wouldn't come out no matter how red-faced I became while yanking and twisting. A solution was needed. I found that the ever-useful mixing stick placed next to the nail makes a wonderful platform to rest a claw-hammer on, without damaging the doubler. I let that cure for a couple of days.

Next, I removed the jigs from the table in preparation for mounting them vertically, which is needed for crafting the actual fuselage sides. Since I didn't want to take the plans approach of using bondo to affix them to the table, I decided to take Wayne Hicks' approach of making some "Jig boxes". I then cut some 2.5" blocks on the bandsaw and scewed them to the table between the two jig boxes, and used the holding blocks from the longeron lamination step to hold the outsides. Seems to work well.

I should have read the Chapter 5 FAQ "Tips and Tricks" section before hand, because I would have put the jig boxes aside while doing other things. Instead, I ended up setting back up an old work table outside to do quite alot of work.

I took the masonite pieces (which I had to cut up at David Pierce's house in order to get them in my car), and 5-minute epoxied them back together. I then joined multiple pieces of foam together using 5-minute epoxy and layed them over the masonite. (Note here: The materials list calls for three pieces of 3/8" PVC foam. According to the foam cutting diagram at the end of Chapter 2, you actually need four. Luckily, you will have enough scrap to make up the last 7.5" or so with just three pieces) Using some finishing nails, I tacked the foam down to the masonite so it wouldn't move around. I then took my Multimaster and a flush-cut blade and cut the PVC foam flush to the masonite. Having pulled the nails, I then relocated the foam and masonite to the lanai where the jigs boxes were set up.

Following this, I embarked upon making the "spacers" that border the top, bottom, and aft edges of the sides. Where possible, I used my bandsaw to cut the slopes. Takes a little time to get the saw dialed in exactly right, but definetely worth the effort because there's only a few seconds of "detail sanding" to do once the slopes are cut. Plus, you generate far less dust this way.

The slopes on the top-front piece and the rear pieces had to be done by hand. I found the I could "rough cut" the slopes on these pieces with a large box cutter. The rear pieces took a bit of effort. I had to take the masonite pieces back outside and place them on the bench. I then cut two large 21"x20" pieces of foam for the rear. Again, I used my Multimaster to flush cut the foam to the masonite. I then took the two pieces into the shop, and proceeded to draw all of the necessary cut and slope lines. After rough cutting the slope with a box cutter, I sanded everything to shape. I then cut out the electrical channel per plans. Since I couldn't come up a reasonable way to make the slope inside the electrical channel, I decided to simply cut the whole thing out, slope the scrap piece, and then micro it back in place.

All of this generated about 4.5 metric tons of foam dust. I exaggerate a bit, but I think my shop vac is now full. One thing: Foam dust in your eyes is VERY unpleasant. Goggles and a dust mask are a very good idea when sanding this stuff.

PVC foam joined and cut flush to the masonite.	The jig boxes prior to nailing down the masonite.	Cutting ths slope on the lower spacers.
An aft spacer prior to generating dust.

 

 

 

Entry #: 17
Postdate: 2004-12-13

I've managed some time on the project over the last couple of weeks. After nailing the masonite down to the jigs, I called Dave Pierce to ask about the "sticky tape" that was on the masonite pieces he gave me. He said that I should go to K=mart and pick up some "carpet tape". It's ultra-thin, double sided, extremely sticky stuff. After applying it to the masonite in the jigs, I enlisted the help of Susan and a friend to help lay the foam down.

Now it's time to contour. I am lucky enough to have access to a laser table at my office, on which was cut an 8" x 1/4" disc made out of acrylic (plexiglass). I brought this home and added two handles made out of dowel. I then affixed a piece of 60 grit sandpapaer to the opposite side and trimmed it flush. I then screwed it down to the side in the appropriate position, and sanded the control stick deperession. After having done both sides, I decided that 36-grit would have been better, at least to do the majority of the work.

Today, I dished the sight-gauge areas, masked off everything not to be micro'ed, and then micro'ed the spacers to the foam. It's curing in the "oven" now.

 

My creation for making the control stick depressions	The control stick depression.	Sight guage depression.
The aft end.	The sides ready for glassing.

 

 

Entry #: 18
Postdate: 2005-01-20

Wow, I've been a slacker about updating my website.

I took the last week in December off, and glassed the fuselage sides. Don't let the sentence in the plans that says "This step should take you 3 to 4 hours" fool you. I had help both in micro'ing the foam AND in laying up the 2nd layer of UNI and peel ply, and it still took me 9.5 hours. My back hurt for three days afterward from bending over the worktable stippling.

The result was good. I had a couple of air bubbles around the control stick depressions. I drilled holes in each end of the bubbles and syringed some epoxy into them. No bubbles big enough to worry about sanding snd re-glassing.

A few days later, I embarked upon the layup which captures the upper longerons. After another 6 hours of laying up glass and a final layer of peel ply, I decided to call it quits for the night. I swear that air-bubbles are actually sentient beings whose sole purpose in the universe is to creep into fiberglass layups while nobody is looking. I have a 6" long air bubble at the aft portion of the right side that'll need to be sanded out and repaired.

Such is life.

My business is keeping me QUITE busy at the moment. I don't expect an opportunity to work on the bird again until the end of February.

I've got a few more pictures for this section to be uploaded yet.

 

Glassing around the control stick depression.	And more stippling.	Jordon showed up to help around the second glass ply.
Getting the upper lonergons ready to be captured into place.	Hurricaine supplies come in handy here.	Curring the flox that holds the upper longerons in place.