Still dreaming about the trim, but it can become a nightmare soon... - Page 2

WVM · #11 01-20-2015, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wirejock

Take the rod out and squeeze it. You want to creep on it till the edges touch the forward spar at rest. Take your time. Squeeze, check, lather, rinse, repeat, drink beer.

So basically the skin should be closed so that the spar just fit in without any cleos?

wirejock · #12 01-20-2015, 03:43 PM

Yes, it's mentioned in the manual when squeezing the elevators and ailerons. If it's not squeezed enough, the skin will bulge because it's trying to spring back. Squeeze too much and it goes inward. Creep up on it. Skin should barely touch the spar flange.

WVM · #13 01-20-2015, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wirejock

Yes, it's mentioned in the manual when squeezing the elevators and ailerons. If it's not squeezed enough, the skin will bulge because it's trying to spring back. Squeeze too much and it goes inward. Creep up on it. Skin should barely touch the spar flange.

Yes, but I think that this is the point where the trouble starts. When your bend is getting nearly fully closed, it tends to close (and crack). That is the reason that I am not keen to remove the rod. But I guess I have to do it anyway... maybe with a smaller rod?

Note: The reason that I am not really keen to do so is because this skin may be very light but when they have to send me a replacement part it will be costly on the shipping. I once asked for a replacement of a skin and it was over 300$ shipping only, while the skin was not a fraction of that amount.

Thanks!

wirejock · #14 01-20-2015, 06:22 PM

Wim
I might consider calling it good at those shipping costs.

Other ideas...
Smaller dowell rod.
A bead of proseal along the trailing edge. Let it cure good then squeeze.
YMMV

rv8gibbo · #15 01-21-2015, 01:55 AM

This is how I done mine once clamped I knocked the ends up with a rubber mallet then a hard block to tighten the bend! It worked out perfect.

Gibbo

nzrv8 · #16 01-21-2015, 02:19 AM

The Van's method was too complicated for my simple brain, and left too much room for error with bits of wood slipping around all over the place etc.
I used two peices of 80mm x 200mm x 8mm thick steel with 1 bolt at the outside as a clamp, and a conventional clamp inside the skin. Overkill maybe, but zero slip while bending, and nice clean bends.

Good luck - not that you will need it!

http://s1136.photobucket.com/user/hu...tml?sort=3&o=1

http://s1136.photobucket.com/user/hu...tml?sort=3&o=0

WVM · #17 01-21-2015, 04:10 PM

I am almost over the first milestone... I think

Should I really have it flat straight all over? The manual seems to advice to use two wooden blocks and compress it with a pliers. Tips and tricks?

LifeofReiley · #18 01-21-2015, 06:38 PM

You are not even close... ditch the dowel and bend the trim tab almost flat.

60av8tor · #19 01-21-2015, 06:47 PM

Wim,

This is definitely one of the areas that is potentially frustrating. I'm a bit OCD, but I did one side 3 times, the other twice until I was happy

. Bending the ends gave me fits. I used scrap wood and painters tape initially; results were ok, but I decided to try again using a hard wood wedge and carpet tape as called for in the plans - that was actually worse!! I finally bent the ends around my back rivet plate held in my table vice - worked nicely. Like Riley said, keep going. Just snapped a similar pic for comparison:

I did the starting bend with the brake as Van's suggests in the plans, but I wasn't happy with using the brake. I actually fine tuned the bend using seaming pliers - bending little by little down the length of the tab.

My pile of shame filled with trim tabs!

WVM · #20 01-21-2015, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 60av8tor

Wim,

This is definitely one of the areas that is potentially frustrating. I'm a bit OCD, but I did one side 3 times, the other twice until I was happy

. Bending the ends gave me fits. I used scrap wood and painters tape initially; results were ok, but I decided to try again using a hard wood wedge and carpet tape as called for in the plans - that was actually worse!! I finally bent the ends around my back rivet plate held in my table vice - worked nicely. Like Riley said, keep going. Just snapped a similar pic for comparison:

I did the starting bend with the brake as Van's suggests in the plans, but I wasn't happy with using the brake. I actually fine tuned the bend using seaming pliers - bending little by little down the length of the tab.

My pile of shame filled with trim tabs!

Hi Jon,

So basically you suggest to stop bending with the brake and switch over to the method VAN's explaining with the pliers? I guess it is 'just' putting the edge in between the blocks and compress it with the pliers. Or did I get it wrong?

LifeofReiley, the rod is already ditched...

Thanks