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Did I make scrap metal?

MekMouse

Active Member
Getting into my -10 build. Working on the rudder with everything going smooth... until the part about a slight bend to the trailing edge.

Making use of the vise grip style edge breaking tool and I'm concerned with the results. I feel like the material was stretched as it's now wavy with sections barely broken over (as expected) and others very broken.

unfortunately it's hard to get a pic of both sections
 

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Getting into my -10 build. Working on the rudder with everything going smooth... until the part about a slight bend to the trailing edge.

Making use of the vise grip style edge breaking tool and I'm concerned with the results. I feel like the material was stretched as it's now wavy with sections barely broken over (as expected) and others very broken.

unfortunately it's hard to get a pic of both sections
Yeah, with that you might not get a nice and straight trailing edge which is important.
 
It's hard to tell from the picture if you need to be concerned about it.
I agree, it appears that the trailing edges are a bit overdone.
You won't know for sure until you cleco both halves together and see what it looks like. You may very well end up with a very tight and straight trailing edge.
Breaking and edge is a bit of an art that you will learn as you go. Different methods may work better in some applications and not as well in others.
My favorite edge break is a piece if hardwood (1"x2") and about 6 inches long.
A saw kerf about 3/8" deep is enough to break most edges.
This method takes a bit more elbow grease, running the piece of wood down the edge several times until you are happy with the results.
I own all those commercial edge break tools and none of them makes as nice an edge as my homemade piece of hardwood.
 
Cleko it to the trailing edge wedge & see what it looks like. May currently look worse than it actually is.

When using the vice grip edge roller, it should be adjusted so you can barely detect a bend crease.
 
good advice

Breaking and edge is a bit of an art that you will learn as you go. Different methods may work better in some applications and not as well in others.
My favorite edge break is a piece if hardwood (1"x2") and about 6 inches long.
A saw kerf about 3/8" deep is enough to break most edges.
This method takes a bit more elbow grease, running the piece of wood down the edge several times until you are happy with the results.
I own all those commercial edge break tools and none of them makes as nice an edge as my homemade piece of hardwood.

For the Kerf, obviously a tablesaw blade would be to wide, but would a bandsaw or hand rip-saw be the better option?

Cleko it to the trailing edge wedge & see what it looks like. May currently look worse than it actually is.

When using the vice grip edge roller, it should be adjusted so you can barely detect a bend crease.

Oh yes, the other expected part of this new activity, learning the nuanced use of these specialized tools.
do you think the best setting for the vise-grip style would be to close it loosely over the edge then tighten the adjustment screw to firm contact?

Going to meet with my local tech counselor tomorrow for his opinion but I will cleco on the wedge to see how it looks in the mean time.
 
Edge break tool

As mentioned. Adjust the tool on scrap so it barely makes a bend. I prefer walking it with my thumb. It gives me better control. It's too easy for the tool to wander and make an inconsistent line.
 
pics

The saw kerf is best made with a hack saw blade, most others are too wide.
It also helps to squirt a little oil on it. You need to run the wood piece the entire length with ever more tension until you are happy with the results.
It is not meant to bend one width at a time, pull it along the edge several times.
Remember, all you want is a little tension too keep the two surfaces from resisting the tendency to "tulip" or expand upward after riveting.
 

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Having to reorder a few parts, especially in the beginning, is totally normal and the price of the education your about to get. You want a nice trailing edge, perhaps order a replacement and use that as practice.
 
After clecoing on the trailing edge wedge things looked almost all the way, not better.
Worst case, I have more practice material.

Wonder how much these $50 parts are really going to cost me:eek:
 

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Before you reorder

Take another picture so we can see the side or top in your picture.
Put all the clecos in for a short section and see what it looks like.
The trailing edge seem to pull nicely together.
let's see what you have before you order more "practice" material.
 
Maybe not so horrid

Take another picture so we can see the side or top in your picture.
Put all the clecos in for a short section and see what it looks like.
The trailing edge seem to pull nicely together.
let's see what you have before you order more "practice" material.

Following your advice, the second pic is one of the bad sections of creasing?
then things didn't look much better with half the clecos in the whole length. but with all the clecos in the over bent sections... it's close :confused:
 

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Trailing edge

That looks salvageable to me. If it were mine, I would do it this way.
1. Buy two sections of 2x2 aluminum angle from a nearvy aviation box store like Home Depot.
2. Mark and drill them to match the trailing edge. Make sure to leave enough so they don't hit each other.
3. Use proseal to bond the the trailing edge parts then cleko or clamp the two angles to hold the assembly.
4. Walk away for a couple weeks to cure.
5. Rivet. There's a trick to riveting. Search. Staggered pattern each pass till fully set.
 
Agree with wirejock

Not too bad but I still can't see what I want to see.
We need to be able to see the finished "outside" part of the rudder with the clecos inserted, one cleco up, one cleco down, all the holes to get an idea what the riveted structure will look like. Then take a picture again from left and right and trailing edge.
Only then can we see if there is a visible over crease or an actual break rather than a bend on the edge.
I think it will turn out ok.
 
This is looking better.
After showing to my local Tech counselor at the chapter Burger Burn he claims the Teen Flight crews tend to get much worse results and come out fine. Just need to use sealant not the double sided tape.

Will be following Wirejocks recommendations just need to order some sealant.
 

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Break

Yea, once the metal is stretched it cannot be brought back.
The tool, no matter which you use needs to have tension only in the vertical plane
Any twisting in the horizontal plane as you pull it along will have the same negative result.
Practice on scrap until you can put in a very shuttle shadow of a crease.
 
Trailing Edge Jig

I’m wondering if making an easy jig out of some angle aluminum would help? Cleco it all together and weight it down while the adhesive sets up. I also used some silicone paste between the jig and the skin so if any of the adhesive squished through a rivet hole it wouldn’t stick to the jig. I do agree that the vicegrip style edge bender takes a lot of practice.
 

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This is looking better.
After showing to my local Tech counselor at the chapter Burger Burn he claims the Teen Flight crews tend to get much worse results and come out fine. Just need to use sealant not the double sided tape.

Will be following Wirejocks recommendations just need to order some sealant.

I wouldn't completely discount the use of the tape. It's worked fine for me and many others. The one time I had trouble with a trailing edge was with my very first one, and looking back, I can't really blame that on the tape. I've used tape on all subsequent trailing edges and they've come out great, with no proseal mess to deal with. I think proseal probably works better in a scenario like yours where the skins aren't really laying down very well and you need a stronger adhesive to hold it all while you rivet, but for most cases the tape does the job it needs to do.
 
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