What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Fat fingers... tiny washers

Palamedes

Palamedes

Well Known Member
Howdy all.. I'm on Empennage Page 11-6 step 5 (page 86 of the PDF) where you have to install the elevator push rod into the tail of the empennage and put a single bolt through the push rood and the elevator horns with washers in between.

Holy cow! How did you guys do this?

Specifically the washers between the pushrod and the horns.. it shows you need 2 per side (thickness will vary based on room)... but I'm not sure how to get those suckers in there..

My fingers / hands aren't by any stretch of the meaning "petite" so it's a bit tough. Even my wife looked at it (she does have petite hands) and said, "mmm.. no."

I thought about using double sided tape and taping them to the pushrod before installing it, but that might not be the best route forward.

looking for advice here.. =) thanks!

I can provide pictures if needed.
 
Darnit Jason! You're pulling ahead! I'm just starting to rivet the tailcone skins this weekend!
 
Just posted my video on the tailcone riveting actually;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4CKS6nAv-8

:D I'll slow down though.. I haven't ordered the wings yet.. =/ In the process of refinancing the house so I have to wait until the whole thing is done before I can make the purchase.. :( "She who makes decisions" wont let me.. :p

...but once that is done I'll speed back up!!!! You'll beat me in the end though.. you're doing quickbuilds.. I'm slowbuilding the whole thing to get the full experience..
 
I couldn't have built my plane without super glue and scotch tape. When u need two washers, glue them together and lower them in place on a long piece of scotch tape.
 
Find the correct washer stackup by using a set of calipers to measure the gap between the horns, then thread a piece of dental floss through one of the horns, stack the washers and the pushrod end onto the dental floss, then run the dental floss through the other horn. Tie off one end of the floss to something, and pull the floss tight as you work the hardware into place.

An awl will come in handy to get things aligned up.
 
Last edited:
Ditto on the washer wrenches. Depending on the available space and angle I've also used very sharp point tweezers, a slightly magnetized screwdriver, a little tape and judicious amounts of muttered profanity.
 
Put a magnet on the bolt head. Slide the bolt halfway in. Hang 2 washers on the bolt. Back the bolt out until the washers barely hang (magnet still on). Slide in rod end and stab bolt through. Back it out just enough to slide washer 3 in and stab it with bolt. Repeat for washer 4, may need small flat screwdriver for prying/prodding washer 4. I've done hundreds of these stacks.
 
The tape idea have used before but in this case it's tough to do.
The magnet idea I hadn't thought of..
The dental floss idea is clever, I like it..
and yeah.. the wrenches are going to be purchased..
 
I'm surprised this hasn't come up yet. The elevators move independently until bolted together. Figure out the number of washers needed. Put one elevator up and one down, slip the bolt in one horn, half the washers, the pushrod rod end, the other half of the washers, back the bolt out so it is flush with the end of the washers, rotate the other elevator so the horn lines up, push the bolt the rest of the way through. No special tools needed. Extremely simple.
 
ha! Well.. dang you're right.. I have to loosen the bolt that is through the two horns and the hinge as right now it is tight enough that the elevators move together right now..

It didn't even occur to me to loosen it.. *shakes head*
 
You can buy washer wrenches but they are easy to make from popsicle sticks. Look at the pictures of the metal ones in a catalog and duplicate it from a tounge depressor or popsicle stick. Idea is to make something thin that will hold a washer and slide it in a narrow space.
 
The elevators are pretty easy attacking them one at a time, but there are other places where that won't work, like the bellcranks. For those the dental floss method works well. No dental floss handy? I've had good luck with .020 safety wire. Another trick is to line everything up roughly with a drill bit, say #40. Then push the bit out with the bolt as you get everything in final alignment.
 
Dental picks

I used dental picks (the 'curved' ones). I think they work in similar fashion to the washer tools. You can pick them up cheap at Harbor Freight.

David
 
+1 washer wrenches. $35 seems like a lot until you drop that 5th an3L washer into the bowels of the fuselage. Then it will seem like pocket change. You can have mine when you pry them from my cold dead hands!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top