Flap and aileron preparation

[JVolkober]

I am preparing to start on the flaps and ailerons. The instructions call for an eight foot by two foot table top built from 2x4 and 1" MDF to assure a very flat building surface. The instructions also call for building the backrivet plate into the table. All this, I suspect to assure the best chance of getting a striaght trailing edge. A couple of questions come to mind: How does one go about building the back rivet plate into the table? While the table is eight feet long, how long should ge back rivet plate be to assure that the trailing edge is held flat during back riveting? Where does one get a long back rivet plate? More generally, what other approaches are available to handle this construction issue?

I would appreciate any helpful hints.

 

[kentb]

I had a 3x8 table with 3/4 inch partical board on top of 1/2 inch plywood.

The particle board can be replaced when it gets to full of holes.
I didn't recess my back rivet plate into it. The back rivet plate I got from a local metal fabricator shop (a piece that was just laying around). It measured 4x30 inches. I sanded and polished it on one side to make it shinny.
You move the material that needs to be back riveted around over the plate as you work on it.

Kent

 

[Steve]

I built my 6 foot long box using 2x4s and 3/4" mdf shelving from HoDe. I used shims under the top shelf to make it flat to itself.
For the back rivet plate, I bought a 4 foot x 2 inch x 1/4 inch steel bar. I polished one side working down to 220 grit cloth. I did not inset the steel into the wood box. I had some 1/4" plastic plate stock kicking around the hangar that I used as a spacer when I riveted the trailing edges.
I used 10 doubled-up zip lock freezer bags filled with potting soil as weights along with a 1x6 board to hold everything in place while riveting the t.e.

All above tooling free to good home,
Steve (in Utah)

 

[mikehoover]

Here is a picture of my table with the back plate space routered out to the depth of the back plate (back plate not inserted yet). I have the back plate from Averys. I just slid the flap one way or the other to get a portion of the trailing edge on the back plate for riveting.
http://www.aclog.com/rv-9a/images/Wing/DCP_1200.JPG

This picture shows me riveting the trailing edge:
http://www.aclog.com/rv-9a/images/Wing/DCP_0818.JPG

Just make sure you use a lot of weight to keep the flap flat. I bought three 25 lb bags of lead shot from my local sporting goods store and broke them up into six or eight smaller bags so I could handle them easily and distribute the weight. I used muslin material from Walmart. The weight bags come in handy at many other times to steady parts when working on them.