How do you know you have the correct stock in hand to cut?

Brantel · #1 08-07-2007, 11:11 AM

Working with the wings and emp was a no brainer when it came to deciding what parts were what and the raw stock that was sent to make certain parts was easy to figure out but....

How the heck with the fuse do you know, if you are about to hack up a piece of stock, that it was not meant for something else?

The first things you do on the firewall had me trying to figure this out. The brake line doubler, fuel pump doubler, the little 3x5/8x.063 strips etc. They tell you to make it from .063 sheet and there was only one piece that looked like you could make all this stuff from it so that is what I used. The problem may be that it was meant for something else.

Next was the stiffner that goes below the firewall recess. Looks like this was to be cut from one of the 2ea 6' long pieces of angle but hopefully somewhere else, I do not need a couple 6' long pieces.

I wish vans would list the parts that are to be made from a piece of stock beside the stock description on the shipping list. They do this on some items but not all.

I just hate having to order new stock and pay huge shipping charges on it if I use the wrong stuff.

AltonD · #2 08-07-2007, 11:26 AM

Brian, find the two longest 3/4" X 1/8" angles. Put red flags on these. they are the longerons and are the length of the spar box. (you probably have already seen the large warnings in the instructions).

The rest of the 3/4 .125 and .063 andle is for where-ever called for. I always try to use the smallest piece I have to do the job. Save the big ones for somewhere else.

I guess the best advice is look all of the stock over before you cut a piece up. A lot of times, they will call out something and I find I already have a piece that is the correct dimension in at least one direction.

NOW, if someone can tell what the huge AB3-5/8X1.25X4 blocks are for in the finishing kit, I would be happy. I am almost through with all of the aluminum fabrication and have yet to find where they are called for.

Brantel · #3 08-07-2007, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AltonD

Brian, find the two longest 3/4" X 1/8" angles. Put red flags on these. they are the longerons and are the length of the spar box. (you probably have already seen the large warnings in the instructions).

Thanks, these are resting very safely up between the floor trusses of my basement garage. Not going to cut these....
Can you imagine the shipping charges on those two pieces?

AltonD · #4 08-07-2007, 12:03 PM

Actually I have heard that it is not that bad. I heard $40.

RV7Factory · #5 08-07-2007, 12:04 PM

Brian, you've probably already seen it, but if not see my last post in this thread.

Kevin Horton · #6 08-07-2007, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AltonD

I always try to use the smallest piece I have to do the job. Save the big ones for somewhere else.

This is usually a good rule, but like every rule there are exceptions. I had put the two very long pieces aside, knowing they were for the long longerons. But I hadn't specifically figured out which pieces would be used for the four shorter longerons. One day I needed a longish piece of stock for something, grabbed the shortest piece of angle that was long enough, and made the part. It turned out that I had should have used a longer piece of stock, as now I didn't have enough pieces that were long enough for the longerons that are halfway up the flat part of the rear fuselage. I was able to have another long piece of angle put in another builders wing shipment, so it wasn't a total disaster. As I recall, some of the longeron lengths aren't on the plans, but other builders should be able to tell you how long each of the four shorter longerons is for your model.

I advise that you look at the preview plans (or fuselage plans if you have them), and identify and mark all the pieces that will be needed for all the longerons, just to be safe. You will need to cut pieces off the stock that will make the shorter longerons to make other parts, but be sure to leave enough long pieces for all the longerons.

vmirv8bldr · #7 08-07-2007, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin Horton

This is usually a good rule, but like every rule there are exceptions. I had put the two very long pieces aside, knowing they were for the long longerons. But I hadn't specifically figured out which pieces would be used for the four shorter longerons. One day I needed a longish piece of stock for something, grabbed the shortest piece of angle that was long enough, and made the part. It turned out that I had should have used a longer piece of stock, as now I didn't have enough pieces that were long enough for the longerons that are halfway up the flat part of the rear fuselage. I was able to have another long piece of angle put in another builders wing shipment, so it wasn't a total disaster. As I recall, some of the longeron lengths aren't on the plans, but other builders should be able to tell you how long each of the four shorter longerons is for your model.

I advise that you look at the preview plans (or fuselage plans if you have them), and identify and mark all the pieces that will be needed for all the longerons, just to be safe. You will need to cut pieces off the stock that will make the shorter longerons to make other parts, but be sure to leave enough long pieces for all the longerons.

In the newer -8 fuse kits (shipped post OSH 2006), the lower and mid longerons in the tail are pre-punched pieces with blue plastic, not just plain angle stock. So, no fear here. The lower front longerons are pre-bent, and difficult to confuse with anything else. The aux. longerons have a part of the center milled out, and are also not easily confused with spare angle stock. Only the two main, upper longerons are plain angle stock, and it sounds like you've already identified them. As a rule, if it's think 3/4x3/4 stuff, I use whatever is around. If it's some beefy angle, or if one side is wider than the other, don't use it unless it's specifically called for.

For the scrap pieces of sheet stock, it's usually marked on the stock, like .063 or something. Not a sticker, but the blue ink type printing on the aluminum, under the blue plastic. If the sheet stock piece is too small, you may not be able to see it. This was the case on most of the sheet stock I got with the Emp kit. I have a micrometer I used to measure thicknes, then wrote that thickness on the stock with a sharpie.

Hope that helps.

Bart