[ditch]

Just wondering how "anal" a person has to be when it comes to deburing and sanding on the ribs and such. I understand you should have all filings and rough edges removed from the parts before final assembly but I would like to know just how far a person needs go to make it ready to assemble.. I know someone who used a magnifying glass to do final inspection before assembly but I think it was a little overkill. Never hurts to be that precise but you can waste alot of time doing stuff that really doesn't need to be done. On the edges of the ribs, do you just do light sanding to make it fairly smooth or do you spend alot of time on it? To me, as long as your skin doesn't get scratched when rubbing your finger across it, it should be ok. Any input? I don't want to waste alot of time doing something that really doesn't need to be done. At A&P school they stressed the importance of getting out the pits where cracks can start but never really said that all edges must be totally smooth to avoid stress cracks. Just want to get a feel for what everyone else is doing out there. Thanks.

 

[RScott]

Van's instructions say something like it should be smooth enough that you can run your finger along the edge without drawing blood. I suspect most folks do more than that.

I run my scotchbrite wheel along every edge I can until I get a satin finish; it only takes a little bit longer than just smoothing over the rough spots. There are lots of places where a scotchbrite wheel can't reach. for little notches, I lay the side of a drill bit against it and just tap the trigger of the drill to spin the bit a little, changing lines that go across the surface and could cause a crack, to lines that go parallel to the edge. I have not seen this practice endorsed anywhere, but it seems better than nothing.

FWIW, cracks often run from rivet holes to edges or other rivet holes or from corner notches to rivet holes or whatever.

 

[ArlingtonRV]

I definitely fall on the "anal" side. I start by hitting the edges with a couple of passes with a finer toothed vixen file, then a pass or two with a machette file. I smooth that over with 320 grit paper and then polish it with 600 grit.

Yes, it takes a while, but not onerously so. Yes, it is probably over kill, but I like the finish. The added benefit is that the edges are real smooth so that when your arms and hands get smashed into them during riveting there is no permanent damage done (to your flesh).

Many people really like the scoth brite wheel method and it probably works well for them. I don't like the finish it leaves, it's hard to get long pieces through it evenly, and it can take off a lot of metal quickly if you're not careful.

 

[cytoxin]

wow

polish with 600 now i dont feel so bad.
i hit the file to nock off notches then i sand or scotch brite. i wrap sand paper around a paint stick and sand the little notches..usually 320. i like mine to be like the back side of a butter knife. YMMV