a couple printed widgets

[A2022]

I haven't made these in a while, but they have worked for me for the past 5 years to keep the rain out of the fuel caps. these have some nibs so I need to adjust my printing style. put them together and place them on a screw somewhere and they are stored.

[A2022]

Caution... if you print something for the general public you could be in for trouble. friends and relatives asking for more, so be careful what you print. is printing the same thing over and over again fun, no.

[A2022]

nylon / glass fiber elevator gust locks. these are thinnest web version I make at advertised .068 inch. however, the new nylon / glass fiber material measures .076 inch after print. after a light sanding, they measure .069 inch and feel smooth. so, I think this is a good prognosis for this tough new material for this application. especially for the thin .068 inch web version.

these are unique since the application is for an aircraft with a small fwd fairing and large (glassed in) elevator horn. you can see the step up in the profile.

some photos

[A2022]

upgraded this tool head from a "B" grade to an "A" by a simple nozzle change. these days you can have all kinds of nozzle materials: brass, brass coated with a wear coating, steel, hardened steel, uprated copper with a hardened steel tip, ruby tipped, tri-flow, etc. remember, not all materials conduct heat the same way. some are more or less conductive. this makes a difference in how much heat you can deliver to the tip at any given flow rate. flow rate is the key.

I am happy with this one now.

[A2022]

had a request to make the wire guide much bigger than 0.25 inch so I'll take a look. the wire is held by zip tie.




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0.5, 0.75, 1.0 inch diameter

[A2022]

I ran out of 8.5mm spark plugs lead grommets so I worked over the weekend to print some more. hey, I am always working, pushing buttons and drinking beer... it's not a bad life. Chinese injection mfg always emailing me. screw that. all my stuff coming from North Dakota and Michigan. no Chinese bambu printers.

[A2022]

RVPlasticParts visitor locations... seems this business is worldwide. a lot of people like aviation and RV's. some buy stuff, some look for ideas that they can copy and print on their own. I'm OK with that. you can be sure that if these designs are printed correctly, they work!

[A2022]

pretty parts. elevator gust lock ends for metal web version. good if the gap is small. the user makes the .032 metal piece.

heavier and clunkier than the plastic web version. very strong.



will look like this when completed....

[A2022]

soon to be crossing the 2-1/2 year mark for the 3M Dual Lock test.... I am amazed. dog stake = 1.1 lb. the dual lock was fresh (1 yr old) and plastic scuffed lightly. it gets some vibration from the air compressor.

[A2022]

I recently shipped one of these gust lock rope links with the pin installed backwards. it should look like this. customer notified. turn it around.

these links have been used for years. faster than tying.

[A2022]

not RV related unless you are on the way to the airport.

I always wondered what it would be like to have a phone mount directly in front of you, while driving. it seems to be OK just sitting there. time will tell during operation. easy in and out. note: I drive with the steering wheel tilt adjusted as low as possible.

something quick for me to try this AM. if it works well, I'll print one for my daughter, so it is easier to keep the eyes on the road.









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edit: this is working well for me because my vision still sees the road even when looking at the map.

[A2022]

thinking of a hand grip to aid pull up on to the wing for entry. to be attached with 3M dual lock. after a long bike ride, I am tired and sometimes it is wet. loading the bike with an extra 20 lbs on my shoulder can be a challenge. so, any aid will be beneficial and could prevent a slip as I get older. the grip will attach to the backside of the tip up canopy roll bar. I'll make a prototype to understand it there is any benefit.

[A2022]

I am not sure if this is the best approach or if I can even install it. it is a prototype. set at the 45 deg but can be easily moved in the design to another angle. may not need as much 3M dual lock land as shown.

[A2022]

seat belt retainers.... I wanted 1/2 inch more length for both the belt side and the bonding side. I really like these for loading big stuff, like a bike. contoured to fit the skin between screws 6 and 7.

OLD


NEW

[A2022]

hand grip for tip up.... I installed this and really liked it. rock solid in the pull direction. I was swinging around like a monkey, thinking this is too good to be true, and it was. when I checked the clearance for closure, it did not meet 0.1 inch. in fact, it had a slight interference. I need to fix that because it was really good. it was easy enough to put on and take off 10 times.

[A2022]

hand grip for tip up.... worked the geometry for this and basically moved the grip upwards to clear. added a tang at the bonding side for easy installation and removal. grooved the underside radius to clear any protruding rivets. made slight adjustments to thicknesses. I'll print one and see if it works. if you are designing these at home and printing, I print these on edge for maximum strength in the pull direction.



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looks OK. I'll test fit for function and clearance to understand if my geometry was correct and if I can swing on it like a monkey. fun stuff!

[A2022]

I threaded the needle on the geometry and the clearances are good. the grip is very secure, and I can swing on it like a monkey. the recess for the rivets allows the fillet to contact. I think it will be beneficial for stepping up with a bike bag on my shoulder. I'll test it for a couple years.

[A2022]

hand grip.... I was curious if the contact contour matched the roll bar thru the entire arc length. I had a scrap piece, so I cut a notch. the contour seems to match well.

[A2022]

canopy hinge for 7...

I am trying to help a guy that is following the Van's instructions to cut the canopy hinge slots for an RV7. I didn't know Van's had changed the plans to add slots to aid jettisoning the canopy. perhaps because some became trapped in a flip over. the guy asked if the RV14 hinge cover would work for a 7 and I told him no, but he went ahead and seems to be making something work. I reduced the size of the nuts to be as small as possible. maybe it will help.

food for thought to canopy jettison for a RV7 or RV9. it could be beneficial and makes sense to me.

my drawings are old so I cannot confirm the change for the hinge slot cutout.

[A2022]

day and night vision motion detection security CAM to be high on the tail, 120 deg vision. cobbling together some type of mount. I don't have the best approach yet, just kicking it around. I purchased this camera for $30 and it had good reviews. I don't know if it's any good. if it is missing when you return, you know to check your aft facing camera and talk to airport security to review their camera footage. how to get it up there and mounted?

AC/DC - Shoot To Thrill, time to Rock and Roll
https://youtu.be/xRQnJyP77tY?si=GsGSGeSc2XInn13v