S

Steve Emmett

Member
I am starting to install the external steps. The lower aft portion of the flange does not fit the contour of the fuselage. It either needs to be bent or cut off or a combination of the two. Any suggestions? Also a picture would sure help.
Should the flange be counter sunk for 426 rivets or should 470 rivets be used as per plans?
Thanks
 
cut and bent,

I did the bend thing and wished I would have trimmed the corner off more
I used the per plans on the rivets, I felt this was an important part to
not deviate from the plans.. either way its pretty strong..

Danny..



Steve Emmett said:
I am starting to install the external steps. The lower aft portion of the flange does not fit the contour of the fuselage. It either needs to be bent or cut off or a combination of the two. Any suggestions? Also a picture would sure help.
Should the flange be counter sunk for 426 rivets or should 470 rivets be used as per plans?
Thanks
Click to expand...
 
I took a GBH (Great Big Hammer) to mine and beat it into submission; so that the outside edge of the flange now pretty well follows the contour. It helps to round off the lower aft corner. I used the 470 rivets per the plans. When you complete the steps is a nice milestone.

Keep pounding, it just keeps getting better until one day you find your self in the air. I'm not in the air yet but getting so close I can taste it.

Steve Eberhart
RV-7A,
wiring: Do wiring
goto wiring
End
 
Here's a tip. Use a crescent wrench to bend it to shape. Just tighten the jaws on the steel flange and bend to fit.
V
 
I took a hammer and bumped on a piece of hardwood, in a way that I could reach (with the other end of wood) the steel very close to the tube. For a good fit, you have to start bending from there. When bend is good, you can trim corners.

Maybe it's already late...be aware when you cut the hole on the fuse. It seems that a lot of builders open too much the hole in the lower part (which will not be covered from the step plate...and so they needed to use proseal).

Camillo
 
Steps

Steve Emmett said:
I am starting to install the external steps. The lower aft portion of the flange does not fit the contour of the fuselage. It either needs to be bent or cut off or a combination of the two. Any suggestions? Also a picture would sure help.
Should the flange be counter sunk for 426 rivets or should 470 rivets be used as per plans?
Thanks
Click to expand...
I found bending the lower flange to near shape with big cresent wrench worked well. Don't start cutting/grinding and material off till you've almost got the shape you want. Big pieces bend easier than little pieces. Once the shape was obtaines I ground it down on my big grinding wheel, a little at time. Be watchful for hole edge distance for the rivets. You don't want crackes to form by removing too much material near rivet holes. Use the plan rivet 470's or the Pops.
Mike H 9A/8A
 
Table vice is handy

I use the curved surface of a table vice like an anvil to tap the lower aft corner to the curvature with a hammer until it suited me. Tap, move, tap, move... The metal works surprisingly well. I trimmed the corner to a radius beforehand. Work it a little, then test fit it, and so forth. Here's a link to some photos and my journal entry:

http://www.aclog.com/rv-9a/index.php?c=3#791

Here's another:
http://www.aclog.com/rv-9a/index.php?c=3#796

I put some foam padding wrapped with bright yellow paper around the steps to keep me from banging my shin on them once installed. Saw this on another builder's website - great idea!

Hope this helps!
 
Steve Emmett said:
Has anybody used 426 rivets and if so how did it work out.
Click to expand...

This was discussed quite a while ago. One of the concerns was the countersunk steel would have a very sharp edge that may cut into the aluminum rivets.

As fas as edge distance goes, don't lay out the rivets until the very end.

A layer of proseal probably wouldn't hurt if you wanted to go with 426 rivets.
 
On my 9-A I formed the step plate to match the side of the aircraft and countersunk the rivets. Every thing came out smoooth. I'm sure that I gained 5 knots from not having all those rivet heads sticking out in the air stream;) Of course not. But it looks nice and hasn't fallen off yet.
 
External Step

Some guys in the past have also bent it fit the curvature of the fuselage and then mounted it on the inside of the fuselage. This requires a bit larger hole to run it through but it does give the option to countersink the steel plate to accept a dimpled fuselage. I just did it per the plans.

Doug Lomheim
90116; 13B FWF
 
I bent the lower aft portion to match the curve of the fuselage. All I needed were a pair of pliers and the material bent easily. I think it is very mild material considering how easily it bent. Also, I used flush rivets. As further testimony to how mild the steel is I dimpled it with dies in my rivet squeezer. I had to CS a couple of holes that were close to the external tube as the dies could not get to them. Of course I had to dimple the fuselage skin as well. For this I put the male dimple die in my rivet gun and had someone "buck" with the female die on the inside. Considering all the effort in making all the other thousands of external rivets flush I think this is the only way to go.

Jim Swanson
RV 9-A
Wings mostly done. Fuselage under construction.
Slow (really slow) build.
 
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