[Adam]

What is the best way to epoxy the hinging to the cowl? Is it better to use epoxy with glass filler and make a paste or set the hinge in a bed of fiberglass strips let harden and then rivet together.

Thanks

Adam
Finnish 8-

 

[f1rocket]

There are a number of ways to do this. Drill all your holes in the cowl and hinge and be ready to rivet it in place. Sand the cowl in the area where the hinge is to be placed, and sand the mounting surface of the hinge with some 80 grit sandpaper. Mix up a batch of flox, which is epoxy mixed with cotton strands. DO NOT use microballons for this. Apply a thin coat of flox to the hinge and cowl, cleco the hinge in place, and then go ahead and rivet it in place while the flox is wet. Once finished, wipe off the excess flox that has squeezed out and invariably, gotten all over your tools, hands, clothes, etc. Be sure to clean the flox out of the hinge eyes and between the eyes. Once this stuff hardens, it is very difficult to sand.

Just take your time and try to be neat and it will work out fine. Also, be sure to insert your hinge pin into the hinge before setting the rivets. It will help to hold the eyes in alignment.

 

[sf3543]

I would do as Randy said, but I have had much better luck riveting after the epoxy has cured.
After you epoxy all the hinges to the cowl using clecos to hold everything together, put the cowl back on the plane, hinge pins and all and let it set up. After it has all cured, then you can counter sink and rivet at any time.
Doing it this way, you will find that the hinge pins go in and out much easier and will have a much smoother rivet line. I have used both methods and this is MUCH better.

 

[Bob Brown]

put the cowl on and let it set

I agree with everything said previously, but I had no problem at all doing the riveting immediately after glassing the hinge piece on. I think it's very important to stress that the cowl will take a set as the epoxy/flox cures, which makes it important to install the hinge pins when you're done rieveting.