Tapering The Stiffeners?

David Paule · #1 10-05-2012, 07:15 PM

How do y'all cut the diagonal taper on the stiffeners?

I can think of several ways but I'd like to learn from your experiences. Even on an RV-3 there's lots of these things.

Thanks!

Dave
RV-3B

N941WR · #2 10-05-2012, 07:19 PM

Marked them with a sharpe
Cut them on the bandsaw
Sanded to final size on the belt sander
Dressed them on de-burring wheel mounted in the drill press

Some guys score them and then just snap 'em off. I have never tried this as the method above worked quickly.

Dbro172 · #3 10-05-2012, 07:30 PM

Aviation Snips (Klein or Wiss) followed by the 6" deburring wheel in the drill press.

Ironflight · #4 10-05-2012, 07:52 PM

Repucci's method - exactly!

Chino Tom · #5 10-05-2012, 08:35 PM

Wow! That takes me back to the 90's and the RV-6. Thanks

LifeofReiley · #6 10-05-2012, 08:59 PM

Bandsaw all the way... still have the same saw purchased for building the RV6 back in 1991.

robertahegy · #7 10-06-2012, 05:38 AM

If you scribe the taper line with a utility knife and a straight edge 3 or 4 times, you can bend and snap the excess off easily and then just clean up the edge on your scotch brite wheel. I had some AL vise jaw protectors that I used as a straight edge. You could used two pieces of AL angle to do the same. Then just clamp the stiffener at the correct angle in your vise between the angles and scribe along the top of the angle that created the scribe line. I did all of the stiffeners for my 7A in about 30 minutes and all were perfectly straight.

I used this method whenever I needed to make straight cuts on AL sheet material. Way better, faster, straighter, and cleaner than any saw will ever do. A few passes with a utility knife creates a stress line and the AL will snap like glass after a few shallow bends. Try it!!!

Roberta

380mxc · #8 10-06-2012, 07:02 AM

Paper shear

aerhed · #9 10-06-2012, 08:54 AM

Sounds like a job for the $80 throatless shear from Harbor Fright. One pull of the handle (2 seconds). Chase them with the scotch-brite wheel if you've got a bunch. If doing one at a time, pull the file out of your back pocket and you'll have it smoothed by the time you walk back to your pile.

rbibb · #10 10-06-2012, 10:21 AM

If you have a table saw you can cut them on that. I used a metal cutting blade in my table say for a lot of things. I remember reading "back in the day" that some folks even used a hollow ground planer blade just for this very thing. YOu have to make a fixture out of wood to hold them at the correct angle for the rip cut you will be doing. File and/or belt sander to finish the edges afterwards...

Richard
RV-4 N144KT