VansAirForceForums  
Home > VansAirForceForums

- POSTING RULES
- Donate yearly (please).
- Advertise in here!
- Today's Posts | Insert Pics


Go Back   VAF Forums > Main > RV Building Tips/Techniques
Reload this Page Tip: Mounting the tail light
Register FAQ Members List Calendar Today's Posts

Reply
Page 2 of 3 < 1 2 3 >
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #11  
Old 11-16-2007, 07:40 PM
Captain Avgas Captain Avgas is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 1,866
Default
Quote:
Originally Posted by N941WR View Post
No, no, no! You are all wrong.

Just kiding there.

I simply epoxied (w/ flox) the nuts that came with the light into the rudder bottom. No problems at all.
Yep, I notice that Dan Checkoway did the same....he used 5 minute epoxy. Certainly the lightest and fastest way to go. If one of the nuts comes loose however (and they have been known to do exactly that) it means drilling out all the pop rivets in the rudder tip in order to get it off to affect a repair.

I note that some builders just fill up inside the light recess with a microfibre mix and then drill and tap straight into the composite. I'd certainly have reservations about that.

I want to stop building when I start flying.
__________________
You’re only as good as your last landing
Bob Barrow
RV7A
Last edited by Captain Avgas : 11-16-2007 at 07:48 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 11-28-2007, 03:58 PM
LettersFromFlyoverCountry's Avatar
LettersFromFlyoverCountry LettersFromFlyoverCountry is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: St. Paul, MN.
Posts: 4,792
Default
Lots of fiberglass stuff has been arriving in the mail the last few days. Cool. Too bad the weather is too.

Anyway, I'm interested in the design where people have made a small doubler and then riveted and/or glassed it in.

When folks glass this doubler in, are they running the fabric into the hole for the light... curling it around to the opposite site? And how many layers?
__________________
Bob Collins
St. Paul, MN.
Blog: Letters From Flyover Country
RV-12iS Powerplant kit
N612EF Builder log (EAA Builder log)
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 11-28-2007, 04:07 PM
Norman CYYJ Norman CYYJ is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Victoria B.C.
Posts: 1,265
Default
I epoxy the nuts that hold the tail light on just on the inside of the fiberglass horn. No problem so far on any. Makes for easy removal.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 11-28-2007, 05:17 PM
LettersFromFlyoverCountry's Avatar
LettersFromFlyoverCountry LettersFromFlyoverCountry is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: St. Paul, MN.
Posts: 4,792
Default
I was thinking of doing that but I've got a weird situation inside my tip. The fiberglass (as sent) is a freakin' mess in there. It's not like I can lay the nut flat on a surface and just epoxy it...there's a layer of fiberglass (or two) in there that looks like it slipped or something during cure and ... well... it's just a mess.

That's why I'm going to plan B..
__________________
Bob Collins
St. Paul, MN.
Blog: Letters From Flyover Country
RV-12iS Powerplant kit
N612EF Builder log (EAA Builder log)
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 11-28-2007, 05:21 PM
Norman CYYJ Norman CYYJ is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Victoria B.C.
Posts: 1,265
Default
Take a dremel tool and grind it out and the e poxy will fill any voids that you remove there is not much stress back there.
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 11-29-2007, 04:10 PM
LettersFromFlyoverCountry's Avatar
LettersFromFlyoverCountry LettersFromFlyoverCountry is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: St. Paul, MN.
Posts: 4,792
Default
It's down at that little point...it's virtually imposible to get a dremel in there. I actually like the doubler plate idea...I just need to see some examples of what people are talking about when they say glass it over. It makes sense to me what they're talking about, but I'm trying to get a good grasp of the lingo and maybe there's various flavors of glassing over this particular part.
__________________
Bob Collins
St. Paul, MN.
Blog: Letters From Flyover Country
RV-12iS Powerplant kit
N612EF Builder log (EAA Builder log)
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 11-29-2007, 05:54 PM
Captain Avgas Captain Avgas is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 1,866
Default
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Collins View Post
It's down at that little point...it's virtually imposible to get a dremel in there. I actually like the doubler plate idea...I just need to see some examples of what people are talking about when they say glass it over. It makes sense to me what they're talking about, but I'm trying to get a good grasp of the lingo and maybe there's various flavors of glassing over this particular part.
Bob, you really don't need to do any glassing at all. Just make the doubler plate and fasten it on with countersunk pop rivets. See post #9 on this thread. I used 6 rivets....it isn't coming off in a million years.

Incidentally I initially had the same problem as you....no way to get a reasonable surface inside the cone to seat the screws and get them properly aligned. Eventually gave up and went with the doubler plate, and glad I did.
__________________
You’re only as good as your last landing
Bob Barrow
RV7A
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 12-01-2007, 10:38 AM
LettersFromFlyoverCountry's Avatar
LettersFromFlyoverCountry LettersFromFlyoverCountry is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: St. Paul, MN.
Posts: 4,792
Default
No significant chance of those pop rivets pulling through?
__________________
Bob Collins
St. Paul, MN.
Blog: Letters From Flyover Country
RV-12iS Powerplant kit
N612EF Builder log (EAA Builder log)
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 12-01-2007, 06:44 PM
Captain Avgas Captain Avgas is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 1,866
Default
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Collins View Post
No significant chance of those pop rivets pulling through?

That tail light has a mass that is three tenths of a poofteenth...and I have 6 x 1/8" rivets holding it. Probably overkill. And I used long rivets so they pulled up into a nice big ball.

If you have any reservations perhaps you could instal little individual washers at the rear of each rivet. Alternatively you could use some epoxy microfibre mix between the fairing and the doubler. Either way I doubt it's life or death stuff.

Actually I just went out to my workshop and tried to wrench the tail light off. The Whelen light mechanism is going to rip apart before that gusset plate comes off.
__________________
You’re only as good as your last landing
Bob Barrow
RV7A
Last edited by Captain Avgas : 12-01-2007 at 11:17 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 01-01-2008, 05:25 PM
Sparky's Avatar
Sparky Sparky is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Perham, MN
Posts: 350
Default Here's Another Way
I thought about all the great ideas on this thread, but in the end decided to do this my way...

1. Drill mounting holes in the rudder bottom fairing to #30
2. Install a couple of LP4-3 blind rivets, using 5-minute epoxy for added strength and to help keep the rivet from rotating
3. Punch out the rivet mandrels
4. Drill the holes in the rivets to #43 for 4-40 screws
5. Tap the holes in the rivets with a 4-40 tap
6. Mount the strobe/tail light using 4-40 screws supplied

This is a very simple, cheap, lightweight solution that seems to work very well.





__________________
Paul Winkels
RV7 Standard Build - First flight 4/16/2016 - Now Flying!
Reply With Quote
Reply
Page 2 of 3 < 1 2 3 >

« Previous Thread | Next Thread »


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:39 PM.
Contact Us - VAFForums Home - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

The VAFForums come to you courtesy Delta Romeo, LLC. By viewing and participating in them you agree to build your plane using standardized methods and practices and to fly it safely and in accordance with the laws governing the country you are located in.