-
Re: First, Build a Shed
Carl,
My kit was delivered just before yours I think and it had a small bottle (maybe 1-2oz) of touch up paint as well. I also have used Stewart System primer/paint and it matches really well. I can send you the colors or a picture/part# of the touch up paint if you need it.
Brett,
Building SS7
mykitlog.com/bholland/
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
The Kitfox touch up paint was back ordered when the initial kit was delivered. I had forgotten and Debra is sending a bottle with the Firewall Forward Kit.
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: First, Build a Shed
Fokker Red Oratex. Fabric has been initially attached to the bottom side of the elevator. After heat activation, the glue requires several hours to completely bond. At that point, a heat gun or iron is used to shrink the fabric. Glue is drying on horizontal stabilizer pieces in the foreground.
There is absolutely no odor, even sticking your nose right up to the bottle of glue. The glue applies beautifully with sponge brushes and, for quick jobs, brush can be cleaned with water.
I know the Oratex fabric doesn't appeal to everyone. But I have no experience with a spray rig and appreciate the time savings of this covering system.
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
Really like the red you've chosen Carl. I think there are pro's and con's for whatever covering system you use. Whatever suits the builder is good.
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
Hey Carl, I found a reasonably priced 6AWG crimper on Amazon. Pro'sKit CP-251B Ratcheted Crimper for Non-Insulated Terminals, AWG 22-6. There is one costing slight less even.
Eddie
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
When I needed to crimp connectors on my heavy battery and starter cables I just cut them all to length and strpped the insulation and then took the whole mess of them to my local battery/electrical auto shop and they crimped the connectors on for very few dollars.
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
I considered that too but inevitably Im bound to come across some other cable that I was not aware of. I like tools too.
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
The local Interstate battery store was what I had in mind. But this is a small town and "building an airplane" is an interesting story. Meant to mention this approach on the "Root Plugs" thread.
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: First, Build a Shed
Milestone today - the vertical stabilizer covering is completed. The elevator was finished a few days ago. But finishing the stabilizer has been a goal since Gary posted a photo of a red stabilizer on his "Turtle Build" thread. "EFWD Build" and "John's Build" also have nice photos of Oratex work.
I get a chuckle out of the "Cover a Rudder in 90 Minutes" video Oratex has on YouTube. It does show the process but completely ignores the recommended glue dry times between steps. Working on the elevator and stabilizer in parallel gave me enough "fabric time" and planning the electrical system filled in project time.
Rudder next then, after dealing with curves, I suspect the long wing panels will seem simple.
Brett Holland, a forum member, and his wife Cathy were in the area and dropped by for a visit. Really nice to compare projects with him.
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: First, Build a Shed
The kits change over the years and my "June 2016" model has a couple of fairly new touches. The welded tab for mounting the trim indicator was mentioned in an earlier post. I recently learned this "Hmmm, seems like a great place to mount an ELT" is fairly new as well. You can see the tip of the ELT antenna peeking up behind the radio. There is a pre-drilled antenna mounting plate in just the right spot.
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
Looking real nice Carl. And it must be really sweet to have all that working space that I see in your photo.
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
Looking great Carl. Hmm I don't have those things and I only purchased 6 months before you. Things Change. We didn't have the STOL wing option either. :)
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
There would be more room if my wife wasn't determined to keep 1/3 of the garage as a parking space. I get revenge when she backs out of the air conditioned garage and her windows fog over! I keep encroaching and won't be surprised when "Do Not Cross" tape finally appears on the floor.
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
Your progress is really good Carl and that red is gonna make your airplane look very smart. Keep up the good work.
Maybe you need to build a second shed for the car ..... !
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: First, Build a Shed
Horizontal stabilizer, elevator and rudder are covered and tucked safely out of the way. Now the wings are being prepped for covering, spending lots of time filling and sanding for a smooth surface.
We live in a small, friendly neighborhood and this garage window faces the street. A few friends are keeping track of the build - interested husbands and bemused wives. The red tail feathers on display will stir attention.
I think the gentle curves of the stabilizer made it easiest to cover. The sharper curves of the elevator makes the perimeter finishing tape more of a challenge. The rudder presents the interesting problems of how to cover around the three "pipes" at the bottom, blend in the flat area in front of the cable horns and, finally, do a neat job with finishing tapes. That is the order I would recommend.
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: First, Build a Shed
Starting to be a lot of red in the garage. Took just over a week of steady work to get the fabric glued and tightened. Now I have to burn holes in the fabric that I've tried to handle oh so carefully. Then comes the reputedly calming job of rib lacing followed by yards and yards of finishing tape. Or, this being Oratex, should I say meters?
Just as with a couple of earlier tasks, a nagging, "This is a big deal, don't screw it up", kept repeating in my head. But, all in all, it wasn't terribly difficult and I really like the red. Thinking of flat black on the painted surfaces to match the powder coating.
Working on covering gave the same feeling the first cleco job did. "Hey, now I'm really building an airplane!"
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
Hey Carl
Have you decided on the type of lacing? Round or flat, dewaxed?
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
Despite having purchased the round Oratex unwaxed, I going to use the kit supplied flat waxed. As others have done, I'll run the thread through a clean cloth before lacing then clean the surface area with alcohol or some other solvent to get rid of wax residue. After the lacing is complete, I'll run blue painters tape along either side and brush glue before applying finishing tape - paying attention to drench each lacing cord. I haven't had any trouble with the blue tape and always pull it while the glue is still wet.
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
I attempted to video my technique on achieving the tight starter knot using the round. If you are using the waxed type you may not have the same difficulty of achieving the tight starter Knot. If you do have difficulty I will send the video..
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
Thanks Eddie. I need to spend some time watching videos and practicing on exposed ribs.
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: First, Build a Shed
It seemed pointless to repeatedly post, "covering wing", but today the first wing is completed and that's worth a post.
Rib lacing was done with flat waxed, running it through an alcohol damped rag. Little if any wax residue while lacing. Paid attention to drenching each lace while gluing before the reinforcing tapes covered the job. Got carried away and ran a thumbnail along the sides of the 1" anti-chafe tape and the laces to make crisp lines. You can spend a lot of time fussing with stuff like that.
One of my two primary instructors, auto-tow at the Fault Line Flyers Club in the Austin area, was Eddie Ross. This club died and was rejuvenated a couple of times and I happened to join just as it was coming back from the dead. Before the start of the organization meeting there were a handful of past members, me and two other snotty nosed kids in our early 20s sitting around when this older guy and his wife came in the room. My thought was how neat it was this old guy was interested enough to watch us fly gliders. Over the next few months I became friends with this giant of aviation history. After a couple of beers he would tell stories of barnstorming, flying cross-country at night and dropping flares to find the runway, his shock that the government thought pilots needed pieces of paper, and on and on. Eddie was Waldo Pepper come to life! His license took several pages and we got used to him being whisked away to give instruction to various companies new pilots. He was one of my primary instructors and, after becoming an instructor, I had the honor of endorsing his grandson so Eddie could do his check ride. Every year a beautiful Staggerwing Beech would drop out of the sky, pick up Eddie and his wife, and fly them to the annual gathering of Staggerwings. Years back, he had taken delivery of the first Staggerwing and Beech made several changes to the design based on feedback from his flying experiences and honored him at these gatherings. The Beech Staggerwing Museum houses the "Eddie Ross Restoration Center". What on earth does this have to do with covering a wing? With that background, I used the "Staggerwing Knot" in my lacing.
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
Nice work Carl! From this distance I can't even see your laces. I bet you can see mine from Texas.
Eddie
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: First, Build a Shed
This little jewel is the Garmin GMU 11 Magnetometer, weighing all of 2.5 oz. Before covering the second wing, I want to make certain the electrical noise from the MicroSun Landing and Nav / Strobe LEDs aren't a problem. The Garmin system will test the interference but first there's a bit of wiring to do.
"Oh, the knee bone connects to the thigh bone..."
Err, "The GMU 11 connects to the GSU 25..."
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
Speaking of you visiting Texas to admire the Spring Bluebonnets. I have these rough cowling parts sitting in the spare room and an engine mount that needs wrestling...
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
Im in the garage today tackling the little tear drop shape bumps on the top cowl. I wish I had taken the composites sport air workshop. Its the only one I have not taken and I am enjoying this cowling install If I may say so. I think this time I will go get some fiberglass and fix it into the cowl that way instead of hysol. We'll see how that goes. After I go cut these holes I will be doing the cam locks on the perimeter of the cowls.:D
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
Hi Eddie - great progress with the cowl. Are you fitting the bumps because you need the clearance or just for the look of them? I didn't need the clearance so didnt bother with them. It will be interesting to see how they look.
cheers
r
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
It does look very nice, Carl! FWIW, I too did the Staggerwing knot, and also ran my fingernail down the sides of the lacing.
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
Of course you did, John. :p
I used the I-think-it's-right-knot that got tight and held, so it must be good enough technique. :o
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
With all that red Carl, I think we should start calling you "The Red Baron" !!. Wing covering looks really good. And the Story of "Waldo Pepper Eddie" is a nice little ditty, and well written.
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
High praise for Garmin's Experimental Aviation Support Group!
I decided on a Garmin G3X single screen avionics package with the usual Comm, Transponder, etc. SteinAir, a sponsor, knows these systems inside and out and they made it painless to select components to build the system I wanted. Then came wading through the online G3X Installation manual to learn how all of the boxes plugged together. This is a very thorough manual!
Printing out the sections for my components, including the pin assignments for the wiring connectors, made it easier to understand how the various boxes needed to plug together but there still were questions. Such as, why do these two boxes share both a CAN Bus and RS-232 connection? Garmin's Experimental Aviation Support Group is just an email away and answers to questions were usually returned in a day.
One of the forum regulars, who will remain nameless in his role of innocent bystander, kindly emailed me drawings of his electrical circuits which included a different collection of Garmin components. These were beautifully drawn using the free Draftsight 2D CAD program and inspired me to put aside my yellow pad, covered with wavy lines, and do a more professional job. Garmin's support group had encouraged me to send drawings for their review, so off went five pages of documentation. In a day, a return email said everything look good excepting one change requiring a swap of two RS-232 ports.
While working on the design I exchanged three or four emails with the Garmin Experimental Group. Various staff responded but they were always helpful and their answers were more friendly explainations than curt "yes or no." I was very impressed and wanted to take a minute to praise this group.
They can be reached at g3xpert@garmin.com and you might have seen them post on the Rans forum under the user name G3XPERT.
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
Great to know Carl. Thanks for the contact. It won't be long before Im head over heals trying to make sense of all that.
Eddie
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: First, Build a Shed
Seems like I've been planning wiring and laying out the console forever. Part of the slow down is the Fall like weather that brought out the "Honey Do" list for outside projects. One of those tasks was to finally paint the shed that was Step 1 of this project.
The console layout is based on a 10" Garmin G3X with a Comm radio and a 9.7" iPad Pro slaved to the Garmin. Decided to mount the iPad with the RAM Ball system. It will just fit as a flush mounted unit but I wanted to first try this approach. Cooling and adjusting to avoid glare were some of the considerations. The unusual unit next to the row of breakers is a CAV-13 912iS Engine Monitor. Transponder is Garmin's remote mounted unit and Auto Pilot functions will be through the G3X Display. Thought the Scotch Brite "brushed aluminum" looked nice till I took it outside and it turned into a mirror in bright sunlight. After all of the holes are drilled, it will be powdered coated flat black.
Have started string CAN Bus, power and other connections to the various components. Plan to complete wiring and install the console before covering the left wing and fuselage.
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
Nice Job Carl
Just dropped off my panel at the powder coat company today.
I can appreciate the time you spent away from doing fabric. By time I was finishing the last wing I was pretty tired of taping.
Eddie
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
Yeah... you're doing the fun stuff now, Carl. Be careful - you won't want to go back to messing with that Oratex! ;)
It's gonna' be nice, and I think that you and Eddie have the right idea in doing the powder coating.
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
Couldn't agree more John. Happy wiring Carl and hopefully all the electrons do what they're supposed to !.
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
Haha, glad I'm not the only one who saw the advantages of the iS status monitor. I can't wait to eventually get mine going, although I did have a play with one in June.
I don't know how the Garmin stuff links together with the CAN bus, power, ground etc but maybe have a look at this chap's blog:
http://elder.ninja/blog/p/3521
I think he's come up with a very elegant 'daisy chain' design and it's one that I'll be using on my MGL gear.
Of course, if you've already cut the cables.......:D
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
The guy Paul linked to had the interesting idea to build a collection of short "Y" connectors to wire his CAN Bus. A "Y" was made up of two 4-pin Molex connectors with DB9 in the middle. The longer CAN Bus wires were basically extension cords with the opposite sex 4-pin Molex plugs to string everything together. Apparently his MGL Avionics manages to communicate everything with the two Hi & Lo signals along with +12V and ground. And they have cleverly made the DB9 pin assignments identical between devices. The idea was to have the flexibility of adding additional CAN Bus devices by simply plugging in new jumpers.
A couple of the Garmin devices have identical DB9 pin assignments (the GSA 24 Roll Servo and the GMU 11 Magnetometer oddly enough) but that commonality falls apart quickly. For instance, the GSA 24 Pitch Servo adds a jumper between pins 5 & 6 to specify it as the "pitch" servo. And other units have multiple unique pins.
My plan is to neatly bundle multiple cables to each device. As example, the GEA 24 Engine interface will have three cables: shielded pair for CAN Bus, shielded 3-strand for RS232 communications, 3-strand for Power 1, Power 2 (stabilized during engine starts) and Power Ground. Bundles will be tied with the traditional wire cord rather than zip ties.
-
2 Attachment(s)
Re: First, Build a Shed
Major holes cut and drilled in panel. Still have a the keyholes for the round switches and a couple of LEDs.
Agonized on how to cut the larger circles for the two vents and the CAV-13 engine monitor. After reading almost universally poor reviews on affordable tools, I bought this very cheap cutter from Harbor Freight. Practiced on scrap aluminum sheet using only one knife and the drill press on it's slowest speed. Carefully set the cut radius with calipers and did test cuts on scrap wood to double check setting. Used high school geometry and a compass to find the mid point of the desired circle. Clamped the panel to 2 x 4 that were clamped to the press table and, with frequent shots of WD-40 for cooling, slowly cut the circles. Despite being rated for wood and other soft material, the tool did a great job.
The 3/4" switch holes were pilot drilled then finished with a step bit, again in the press. Lots of clamping and making sure 2 x 4 pieces were providing support before drilling. Started by laying out the center points then used a socket as template to draw the circle. It wasn't too important to have the socket centered perfectly as the drawn circle was just a reference to insure I didn't take an extra step on the drill. After all of the holes were drilled, the step bit was used to deburr the reverse side.
Rectangular holes were made using Dremel knock-offs - Black & Decker ("pop" then smoke") and a $17 Wen with a collet that fits Dremel tools. Tossed the B&D in the trash and ordered two more Wens to have backups. Used a clamped strip of aluminum as guide to cut just inside the lay out lines. A hand held hacksaw blade was used near the corners. Then a couple of metal files to smooth and size for final fit.
The panel goes to the powdercoating shop tomorrow.
-
Re: First, Build a Shed
Looks really nice Carl. I looked all over my garage for that tool and could not find it. The first thing I noticed was the very uniform edges on your holes. I knew right away you must have used the drill press. I free handed mine and you can tell the difference. Luckily for me the switch bevel conceals it.
Eddie