I'm at this step on my rudder build:
"Step 8: Put a slight bend in the trailing edge of
the R-1001 Skins so that they will lay down flat
and tight on the R-1006 Trailing Edge after
riveting (see Section 5K)."
Section 5K/5.10 talks about several methods of doing this with this final caution:
"Some tool suppliers sell tools for this purpose, usually two small rollers mounted on a variety of different tools. The edge of the
aluminum sheet is placed between the rollers and a bending pressure is held as the tool is drawn down the edge. Use these with
caution as they may tend to stretch a long edge and make it wavy. Avoid over bending the edge and causing a worse visual effect
than before. Experiment with scrap material first."
So what did I do? Not being comfortable with the hand seamer, etc., like an idiot, I ignored their warning and ordered this thing: https://aircraft-tool.com/shop/detail.aspx?id=AE1042 . Tested on some scrap sheets of same thickness as the skins about 2' long until I thought I had the hang of it, and it seemed to work well.
Well, by now you probably know where this going. After rolling it on one of my rudder skins, I was none too pleased with the results-- sure enough it made the trailing edge wavy as all get out. Looks much worse than before I started. You can see it in the pics below with the two skins laying on top of each other. The top one was rolled, and the bottom one has had nothing done to it.
Lesson learned, but not sure what I should do now. Should I be concerned about this or will it straighten itself out after riveting? Any way to fix it at this point? I thought about clecoing the two skins together or maybe to a solid piece of angle or something and let it sit for a while, but not sure if that would help or not.
Should I consider ordering a new skin? The cost of the skin itself doesn't bother me so much, but the multiple hours invested up to this point in drilling, de-burring, etc. would be frustrating. Even if I did decide to bite the bullet and order a new skin, is it possible to just replace this one skin at this point? How would I match drill it without risking enlarging the holes in the stiffeners and spar? Do I need to scrap those as well and start over?
Thanks in advance for any advice anyone cares to offer, other than the obvious "shouldn't have done that"... I got that part
-Mike
"Step 8: Put a slight bend in the trailing edge of
the R-1001 Skins so that they will lay down flat
and tight on the R-1006 Trailing Edge after
riveting (see Section 5K)."
Section 5K/5.10 talks about several methods of doing this with this final caution:
"Some tool suppliers sell tools for this purpose, usually two small rollers mounted on a variety of different tools. The edge of the
aluminum sheet is placed between the rollers and a bending pressure is held as the tool is drawn down the edge. Use these with
caution as they may tend to stretch a long edge and make it wavy. Avoid over bending the edge and causing a worse visual effect
than before. Experiment with scrap material first."
So what did I do? Not being comfortable with the hand seamer, etc., like an idiot, I ignored their warning and ordered this thing: https://aircraft-tool.com/shop/detail.aspx?id=AE1042 . Tested on some scrap sheets of same thickness as the skins about 2' long until I thought I had the hang of it, and it seemed to work well.
Well, by now you probably know where this going. After rolling it on one of my rudder skins, I was none too pleased with the results-- sure enough it made the trailing edge wavy as all get out. Looks much worse than before I started. You can see it in the pics below with the two skins laying on top of each other. The top one was rolled, and the bottom one has had nothing done to it.
Lesson learned, but not sure what I should do now. Should I be concerned about this or will it straighten itself out after riveting? Any way to fix it at this point? I thought about clecoing the two skins together or maybe to a solid piece of angle or something and let it sit for a while, but not sure if that would help or not.
Should I consider ordering a new skin? The cost of the skin itself doesn't bother me so much, but the multiple hours invested up to this point in drilling, de-burring, etc. would be frustrating. Even if I did decide to bite the bullet and order a new skin, is it possible to just replace this one skin at this point? How would I match drill it without risking enlarging the holes in the stiffeners and spar? Do I need to scrap those as well and start over?
Thanks in advance for any advice anyone cares to offer, other than the obvious "shouldn't have done that"... I got that part
-Mike