Tip: Mounting the tail light - Page 3

flion · #21 01-01-2008, 09:13 PM

I created a mounting plate from .040 aluminum and tack-glued the nuts that came with the nav light to it with cyanoacrylate. When it was time for the plate to be attached to the fairing, I waxed the screws and screwed them into the nuts just protruding. I used HySol with flox to glue the plate on.

Initially, I broke the light cover when I assembled the light. It turns out that the supplied gasket is too thick and screwing the cover down to meet the mounting plate shattered the cover (so I know the mounting plate can handle more stress than the cover...). I fabricated a new gasket from thinner material and it is now secure and snug.

Kahuna · #22 08-19-2008, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparky

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.

Sparky,
Well Done!
After years of tail light abuse on rough fields and lousy mounting practices (epoxy, flox, blind nuts, and so forth,) your rivet and tap method is the best I have seen. I tried that this weekend and I have never had my light more secure. I did not use epoxy to hold it. I did use a backing washer to take up space of the baffel type rivet. I really like it!

Simple. fast, easy to replace rivets if need be.

vlittle · #23 08-19-2008, 08:25 AM

Sometimes a simple, effective solution like this comes along. Brilliant! I used Tee nuts from my old R/C days, but this is better.

Well done!

Vern

Sparky · #24 08-19-2008, 10:27 AM

Thanks, Kahuna and Vernon for the compliments. I got the idea for using blind rivets when I was installing the standard Van's static ports in the fuselage.

AirbusPilot · #25 08-19-2008, 03:34 PM

I used model airplanes dubro 4-40 blind nut glued with polyester resin

Kahuna · #26 08-19-2008, 04:06 PM

Thats what I used on several RV's. They dont hold up on tail draggers on grass strips. They are a pain to install.

Bugsy · #27 08-19-2008, 07:27 PM

I did the same. Epoxied the nut on with flox. Doesnt look nearly as elegant as the other solutions, but it holds on tight.

carlrai · #28 08-20-2008, 11:51 AM

[quote=Sparky;185452]I thought about all the great ideas on this thread, but in the end decided to do this my way...

Wish I had seen this last week! I riveted nutplates to an aluminum plate in turn riveted on the back of the rudder. Why use only two parts like you did when you can use 9 to accomplish the same job with more weight? Doh...

Great idea!

Carl Raichle
RV 9A
the last bits and pieces before the wings go on permanently.

Chino Tom · #29 08-20-2008, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparky

I thought about all the great ideas on this thread, but in the end decided to do this my way...

Great idea....I think I'll use it. Only variation will be JB weld instead of
5 min epoxy. Thanks.

Noah · #30 02-23-2009, 06:27 PM

I bookmarked this site a while ago until I needed to mount the tail strobe and this sure seemed like a great idea at the time. One of the rivets went in fine and tapped fine. The other spun during tapping, even though it was epoxied with 5 minute epoxy, and it was a PITA to remove. I was dumb enough to try it again. In the end, I had to drill out 4 LP4-3 rivets before giving up on these and going with a cherrymax rivet. That held while tapping no problem, even without epoxy. YMMV.