Tip for wing tip installation

[lr172]

I thought that I would pass along a learning for the community. I purchased a used kit partially built. The P/O had installed the wing tips and I needed to take them off for inspection and painting. He used #4 Brass screws with Phillips heads. Many of the screws were pretty tight and I stripped a few heads with one having to be drilled out.

I plan to replace with stainless Torx head screws. Torx doesn't require the pressure that phillips does and you are pressing against thin aluminum sheet with no backing. Further, the brass in a #4 strips very easily.

Good luck,

Larry

 

[Mike S]

Stainless galls very easily in a nutplate, if installed dry.

Beeswax is a good material to lube the threads with, you will be amazed at the difference it makes.

A good source of beeswax is a toilet bowl sealing ring. Use a toothpick to put a small dab in each nutplate before installing the screws,

 

[DanH]

A good source of beeswax is a toilet bowl sealing

Isn't that rather inconvenient?

 

[scard]

Isn't that rather inconvenient?

Too funny. I had to explain that to Tanya. How it could come to be that the toilet in the downstairs restroom, that is only 6' from my shop, yeah, the same one that is known to have various aluminum and steel chips on the seat, could be found to have been "set aside" from the drain for need of beeswax.

 

[Mike S]

Well guys, whatever works for you.

Here on the left coast I go to Ace hardware and buy a new one to be used ONLY for shop use, no plumbing involved

 

[RV7Guy]

While you're at it?..

Save the time and aggravation and replace the 4-40 nut plates with #6's now. Even the Torx can be tough to deal with in the 4-40 size. Number 6's work great even in Phillips. I used stainless steel screws.

You can do all the work in a couple of hours.

 

[scard]

Save the time and aggravation and replace the 4-40 nut plates with #6's now. Even the Torx can be tough to deal with in the 4-40 size. Number 6's work great even in Phillips. I used stainless steel screws.

You can do all the work in a couple of hours.

Too easy to even comment! I started to write that, but decided to leave the obvious statement for others. You are absolutely correct. I did it "wrong" the first time with 4-40 torx. The current project has #6 Phillips for all kinds of reasons.

 

[scard]

Well guys, whatever works for you.

Here on the left coast I go to Ace hardware and buy a new one to be used ONLY for shop use, no plumbing involved

Mike, in the south, we sometimes work with just what we have on hand . Dan is a little more "south" than I am.

 

[lr172]

Save the time and aggravation and replace the 4-40 nut plates with #6's now. Even the Torx can be tough to deal with in the 4-40 size. Number 6's work great even in Phillips. I used stainless steel screws.

You can do all the work in a couple of hours.

Is it worth pulling out all of the #4 nutplates and replacing with #6. Will I need to countersink the skin further, as well?

Larry