Duckworks and leading edges

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 2:50 pm

It has been a busy Saturday. Everyone else is "wooo-hoooing" it up out on the pond and I have been slaving away on my leading edges. What makes things more difficult is the boat is working perfectly, sits right outside the garage window and has a full tank of gas! Oh well, I am making a plane instead on this fine Labor Day weekend Saturday afternoon!

Last night I cut out the Duckworks lights in both wings and today I deburred, dimpled and primed the skin and ribs. On the surface that doesn't sound like much work, but lemme tells ya... IT IS! I am BEAT!

I thought I would be riveting by now, but there is ALOTTA work between this:

and this...

After I make some dinner I will start assembling it. Mebbe I can finish it today?

CJ

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 4:13 pm

SWEET!!!!!!

those are lookin' great!

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 8:09 pm

Well, it WAS looking great... until I dropped the _ucking Bar inside the work!

Dammit all!

I am beside myself and don't know what to do? Can ya fix this stuff?

What can I do?

CJ

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 9:00 pm

ooooooooooohhhh man!

i think i'm rubbing off on you. i dented my rudder skin the other day.

not quite that deep, but i still don't like it. you'll have to get some advise from someone other than me. that's a sickening feeling...sorry.

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 9:01 pm

is it on the top or bottom??

4kilo · Post by **4kilo** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 9:14 pm

CJ,

If it were me, I would fashion a block of wood to fit as closely as possible to the inside contour of the skin. Then, holding the block firmly to the skin, use a small ball-peen hammer to VERY CAREFULLY peen the skin down to the contour of the block. You won't be able to make the dent completely unnoticeable to you, but you can make it so someone would have to look very carefully to find it.

Pat

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 9:23 pm

It is right on the nose, Chad. Mid-wing to boot!

Dan says beat it too, Pat.

I am wondering if, while it is open... bring it to the Auto Body Shop at school and have the instructor there do it with a dolly and body hammer?

Hmmmm, do I trust them? Perhaps I will do it myself and ask their advice?

I am going to bed now. I have screwed up enough for one day. Up until that pint it WAS a productive day!

CJ

Wicked Stick · Post by **Wicked Stick** » Sun Sep 04, 2005 6:04 pm

John,

You could try and have them fix it at the body shop at school.

You might also want to consider finding out how much a replacement skin would cost, and then you could decide whether or not to replace it if the fix doesn't come out good enough to your liking.

Perhaps you might also want to call van's and see what they say.

It's your airplane, but if it were me, I'd buy a new skin.

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Sun Sep 04, 2005 6:49 pm

Hmmmm, Dave... your opinion means much to me!

I am going to see what we can do with it at school.

Gimme a call sometime tomorrow. I would like to catch up before the weekend. We have room in the Cherokee Six for Oswego if you care to join us.

CJ

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 7:29 pm

Hey All,

While we were at KPYM today for the Ed Hicks Photo shoot I had the chance to run my dilemma past my ABDAR, Joe Gauthier.

His resolution, and the one I will use is to make a reinforcement plate for the damaged area.

First, I need to tap it back into shape and stop drill it with a 3/32" bit. Next I will cut a section from the leftover material I have on hand from doing the Duckworks lights. I match drill it to the skin, dimple, prime, PROSEAL and rivet it into place.

It seems that I am not the first person in the world to do this, as the details are outlined in AC43.13!

http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_an ... r%2004.pdf

I am going to paint this plane anyways so filling the patch won't be an issue.

I suppose I should count this as a learning experience. This is the reason I am doing my leading edges before the tanks.

CJ

"Putting the Amateur in Amateur Built!"

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 7:51 pm

glad you found your solution! when all else fails, ask the DAR! if paint will cover those pesky little mistakes, then by all means, fix it and move on!

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 8:00 pm

Yeah, I am thrilled that there is an easy way out. I was sooooo close to having Van stuff a new W-701-L in my fuse crate!

Considering it is all match drilled to the spar and all, this is best. Often times, the more you work with something the worse it gets. I was also considering new ribs and joint plate as well!

The only thing that would be better is to go back in time and NOT drop the bar!

CJ

Dan A · Post by **Dan A** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 9:38 pm

Hey CJ, If you ever get the chance to look at my airplane, DON'T look at the bottom of the fuselage.

Dan

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 9:44 pm

you're not the first, and certainly won't be the last.

my biggest fear with building the wings, is getting them all finished and then having a car door open into one in the garage.

i know i shouldn't have said that!!

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 5:42 am

Thanks for the vote of confidence guys!

Yesterday, I found myself looking the planes over for dings and whatnot.

It is AMAZING what a coat of paint can do!

Chad, I have NIGHTMARES about traffic in my garage! ...and I am the only one driving in it!

CJ

jimrobinette · Post by **jimrobinette** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 6:12 am

Chad,

Funny you should say that. The other night I was taking something from the shop through the garage and out. It was big and bulky, and I looked at my wife and said, "Which do I not want to ding the most in case I fall"!

In my garage it is (from left to right) QB wings, QB fuse, CBR600RR, 350Z.

Take care,

Jim

cjensen wrote: my biggest fear with building the wings, is getting them all finished and then having a car door open into one in the garage. i know i shouldn't have said that!!

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 8:52 am

eeewww...tough call. no blood sweat and tears involved in the bike or car though!!

how do you like that Z? dumb question, i know...

keep the airplane parts safe!

Thermos · Post by **Thermos** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 8:57 am

Captain_John wrote:It is AMAZING what a coat of paint can do!

As an A&P friend of mine says, "putty and paint make a mechanic what he ain't!"

Thousands of airplanes flew in WWII, Korea etc with battle damage patched just as you're gonna do. There are even B-52s flying around today with patched bullet holes.

Just tell everybody that you took some ground fire from those militants in Rhode Island...

Dave

jimrobinette · Post by **jimrobinette** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 9:00 am

Chad,

You are correct, it is much easier to get the car or bike repaired than the QB parts.

Love the Z. Just got it this spring. I used to have an '86 300Z that was great for driving from MD to OK to see my then fiance/now wife on long weekends and school vacations. Loved the way it drove on the open road. After driving the same Acura for over 12 years, I decided to go back to a Z this past spring. Bought the Touring version, and in four months put 8500 miles on it! Trips to Canada and Osh add up quick. Just like the pneumatic squeezer, once you have a built in GPS, you will never go back to the old way of naving a car! It actually gets better mileage than our Xterra, so we now drive the Z everywhere we go, as long as the dog isn't with us! Really like the touring for the long road trips.

Take care,

Jim

cjensen wrote:eeewww...tough call. no blood sweat and tears involved in the bike or car though!!

how do you like that Z? dumb question, i know...

keep the airplane parts safe!

Thermos · Post by **Thermos** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 9:04 am

CJ,

Did you go with the round or rectangular Duckworks lights?

Dave