Mid- Engine Modified Sports

[manta22]

The side pod fiberglass is not very thick so it is not very stiff along the long cut edges. To prevent oil canning at high speed I thought it would be prudent to stiffen those edges with some of the same 7075-T6 1"x1" 0.065 angle that I used to fabricate the side skirt. They are drilled now and Cleco'ed in place in this photo. I shot some primer on them so I'll need to wait until tomorrow to rivet them on. I left space on each end to install self- ejecting Dzus fasteners.

34 more holes drilled. When someone asks, I think I can say "I built the hole thing."

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[tauruck]

Looking good Neil. You definitely did the hole thing.

[manta22]

Good ol' Aircraft Spruce came through today with the longer Avex rivets that I had ordered so I was able to install the stiffener ribs in my sidepod access panel. I used blue goop to seal the joints to keep as much salt, debris, and water out as possible. Maybe tomorrow the Dzus tabs will arrive and I can put in those self-ejecting spring plates.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[Elmo Rodge]

Neil, when you reccomended the Avex rivets for my application did you mean 1601-0414?  :|Wayno

[manta22]

Wayno-

An Avex 1601-0414 is a dome head aluminum body/steel stem rivet; the "0414" designates the diameter (1/8") and grip length ( I forget that length). If that is what you need, size-wise, they work very well.

Regards, Neil

[Elmo Rodge]

Thanx Neil. That will do it.  Wayno

[manta22]

Wayno;

Avex rivets are not exactly "structural" but they fit between expensive aerospace rivets and el cheapo hardware store pop rivets. They are stronger than pop rivets, have a wide grip range, and the stem doesn't fall out under vibration. That stem accounts for a big percentage of the rivet's shear strength. Let me know how they work out for you.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[Elmo Rodge]

Thanx Neil. They are ordered.  Wayno

[manta22]

I cut a hole in each corner to mount a self-ejecting Dzus fastener and then drilled two #30 holes for mounting it with Avex rivets. Blue goop was applied to this, too.

I riveted my side pod top cover on with 70 Avex rivets and 12 CherryLock CR2562-4-3 high strength monel rivets in the forward section where a mount for the front body will be attached.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[manta22]

Still waiting for the Dzus tabs to be delivered.

I riveted on a bracket to attach the front body to the structure. The rivets are NAS 5/16" monel blind rivets that require the big tool shown in the pictures to pull. The 1/4-28 titanium screws will go through an aluminum doubler plate on the flat fiberglass surface of the front body and into the nut plate strips shown in the photos. This should provide a strong, rigid attachment.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[manta22]

The Dzus tabs just arrived so I'll get on that this weekend. Joline and I are driving over to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument tomorrow. We thought we'd better do it before it got too hot.

I made a tube beading tool out of a pair of Vise-Grips this morning. It was even able to put a passable bead on my 1.5" dia 16ga stainless tubing that is part of my cooling system. Why such heavy gauge tubing? Because that was what I had lying around the shop. Believe me, I'd much rather use 18Ga; the strength required to put beads on 16ga wore me out this afternoon.

The tube end shown is just a raw end- no dressing or polishing yet.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[tauruck]

Very clever tooling Neil.

I hope you never got blisters on your hands.

Enjoy the trip and be safe.

[Peter Jack]

Good job Neil. 16 ga. stainless is a pretty challenging material to put a significant bead into. It's fun when you build a tool and it works like it's supposed to. 

Pete

[Rex Schimmer]

Neil,
Great job as usual. I have installed a "few" Dzus tabs in my day and as you probably know the dimensions for the spacing of the rivet holes varies with every spring type and many times you might have a self ejector style Dzus tab and the rivet hole distance for the spring is different than the tab. What I have done is to make a drill template from some 1/8 steel pieces and each template has a center hole and two holes that are at the various spring and tab rivet hole dimensions. Once I locate where I want the Dzus I drill a hole for a 1/8 cleco and then I can exactly locate the rivet holes for the spring or the tab by clecoing the the appropriate drill template to the part and then the drill the rivet holes for the spring or tab and they are always exactly on center and the right distance apart. When I do tab Dzus fasteners I like to use the counter sink Avex rivet and install it from the back through the panel and then the tab plate, as this makes the back of the panel  flat so you don't have a lump between the panels at the tab location and because the Avex rivet makes just a small round bulb when it is pulled the installation looks good.

I have attached a pic of my Dzus templates.

Rex

[manta22]

Those are good suggestions, Rex. Your drill guides remind me of the ones used to drill holes for nut plates.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ