Tip: Do it yourself cowl hinge pin retainers

[rv6rick]

Edit: moved this post from another thread due to numerous 'how to' email replies.

You could easily make your own cowl hinge pin retainer keepers.

You can make your own shape, teardrop, oval, diamond, spade....the sky is the limit. It's just a hunk of aluminum that you cut out of some scrap.

Just take the measurements for your hinges and pins from where ever you put your home made retainer piece.

Plus when you're done you can say that 'you did it'!

Here's a couple pics to show you step by step...I call this one my 'eclipse' model:

Make your design and trace it on the cowls:


Cut out your shape:


Wax up your little ornament and stick in it the hole, tape it in place and lay a nice smooth wad of flox from behind, lay up a couple layers of cloth over that, keep it nice and smooth and even so you can drill it for platenuts. Then pop out your piece a few hours later:


Use a little cut off wheel to split the cowl halves again, then install your platenuts:


Check your fit, don't make it too tight as you need to compensate for paint:


Sand your pieces, start out with 80 grit and work your way up to 2000, then polish:


Whallah...all done:


Stand back and admire your work


No charge for this one.....absolutely FREE!!!!

Have fun and good luck!!

[rv6rick]

Originally Posted by philb

I'm not worthy.... I'm not worthy.....

(wiping the drool from my keyboard!)

Sure you are....I always tell people..."YOU CAN DO IT!" I learned that from my buddy Paul Rosales .

Originally Posted by GusBiz

Rick,

your building again and enjoying your life.

I am so glad. Hows your health? are you struggling or making it OK.

Thanks Gus! Health is improving and I'm 'making it'....big smile! Lots of scars....but what burn victim doesn't have scars! I have about 75% of my right arm/hand and about 50% on my left. My entire head is all new skin from the neck up and I didn't lose my ears and lips like I thought I would. Hey...I'm ALIVE !

Originally Posted by TX7A

Rick,
Very nice! Thanks for the photos & instructions.
Does the forward bent end of the hinge pin just 'float' where it is, or is it attached on the inside of the cowl somehow? I really can't see it going anywhere once the cover is installed.Thanks!

You are most welcome! Yup, I roll the end and use a little 'pic tool' made from piano hinge pin to pull the pin out. It really can't go anywhere as it hits the retainer. I've never had one move but as another poster mentioned you can make a hole for the end of the pin. I like the rolled end but either is OK.

Originally Posted by rhill

Hi Rick, Thank you,I'm Glad you are feeling better.You and your family were in our thoughts and prayers. Are you back to building RV's? Any chance you could post something on the screw-less spinner system? I'm thinking why you are in a good & generous mood I should at least ask. Bob

Thanks SO MUCH! Slowly getting back.

Screwless spinner...ha ha! I can't remember who showed me how to do that but, I showed Mike Stewart and he did a nice write up on his web site. Mike did it a little different than I did but it all comes out in the wash:

http://www.mstewart.net/super8/spinner/index.htm

Originally Posted by miyu1975

looks great...I in the mist of the process now. What thickness is the aluminum you used?

I like mine a little heavy so they don't feel 'cheesy' when I'm working with them. A hunk of aluminum about 1/8" thick will work just fine. Then you can taper it as needed and roll it to fit the forward cowl shape.

Originally Posted by Louise Hose

Dirt cheap, pretty quick, and very nice looking. I'll store that idea for the future. Thanks, Rick. The commercial ones are beautiful, too! Depends on your budget and interest in fabricating.

Thanks Louise. You guys did a nice job on the RV3....can't remember what you did with the hinge pins though? Can't wait to see the new paint!

Remember, this isn't 'rocket science'. You just take a chunk of aluminum and cut out your favorite shape with a hacksaw or your band saw. To fit the curve of your cowl you just beat it with a hammer over a piece of pipe or your vise, just takes a couple whacks. Plus the curve can change as you saw in my pics of my 'eclipse' where I used the James cowl.

For the record....I didn't invent this stuff....folks have been making all sorts of clever retainers for years....I was just showing you one way (there are many) to do it. I like to teach others how to do this stuff so they build confidence in themselves AND build a custom plane that's different from everyone elses. As Louise said, if you want to purchase this kind of stuff that's another option.

Also, I've seen a couple VERY CLEAN installs using just Vans simple little hinge eyelets. If it's done nicely it will look good regardless of the method.

Here's another example....these tear drop retainers helped my F1 Rocket to win the Gold Lindy at Oshkosh....and they took me no more than 20 minutes to make....then another 20 minutes to sand and polish.







Off the topic but these rudder horns are another area where you can add a little 'style' and 'class' to your project. This is just a little foam and some fiberglass:


I'll bet Bob Axsom has these on his super fast RV6A?


One final comment: I got a bunch of emails from this....THANKS! One emailer saw where I wrote 'flox' on the corner of the 'eclipse' cowl pin retainer. He asked me how I built it up where it was a little short. Just grind the inside (or outside) down to about 1/2 thickness and make a 'scarf joint'. Our good friend Dan H. has showed this technique here before....do a search on 'scarf joint' or 'scarf layup' and you'll find it.

You guys can do all this stuff....if you can squeeze a rivet than you can do it! If I can do it then anyone can .

[Michael White]

Absolutely gorgeous Rocket, Rick! Thanks for the tips, and glad you're doing better. Hang in there!

[Sig600]

Wow, Rick those rudder horns are gorgeous. That is some serious creativity and craftsmanship!