Varnishing begins

Over the past two weeks I have completed wiring up the shed's lights and power outlets, getting bits and pieces where I want them, and varnishing the wing over several nights prior to forming the plywood leading edge and enclosing the "box" forward of the spar.

Two coats forward and one coat behind. Second coat behind after the box is formed and the wing is turned horizontal to make the ailerons and add the control cable hardware. Varniish is West System eopxy varnish 105 with 25% 205 hardener.

Sold the farm, moving to a bigger one with a bigger workshop

Therefore must crate up the wing so the ribs dont damage thanks to its upswept shape it wont sit flat. Of course, Crated up and ready to go.

First build of the year 2013

Some distractions I tells ya. Fist I go on a much needed very enjoyable three month holiday in the new caravan. (Which if I sold I could buy Two second hand Corby Starlets, and still have change).

Then we decide to sell the house and look for a new one. So renovations and improvements. Move all the junk in to the garage, my building space! To keep the rest of house uncluttered and desirable.

Anyway, getting ready to move into a place that will have a brilliant building space and workshop spaces for laying out drawings, benches etc etc.

Anyway have to get the wing and fuse ready for the move. In its current state the fuselage is fragile until it gets its plywood skin to give it strength. And the leading edge piece of the wing has been sitting loose for Ages.

So first gluing in a very long time. Some minor repairs to the fuse where bumped stringers came unattached. Fixed. And of course the wing leading edge glued, fixed and now ready for the plywood bending over the leading edge wing "box". Do I dare before I move? I have about five or six weeks to decide.

Firewall secure

And finally, after making sure it fits, adjusting here and there and so on. It is done. The firewall is now glued onto the longerons. Some of the side diagonals in the first two stations are in place. And I can separate my bottom half fuse from the jig after almost three years in it. I dont think I would have started if I'd known I would be this slow. But at least now I can rotate it and start fitting the bulkheads. After first shaping them out of ply.

And the firewall goes on for fitting prior to gluing

At loooong last...

Ribs glued to Spar

Fourth rib glued to spar last weekend. Two to go for the mod, requiring separate front/back parts of the rib aligned carefully, Remainder are in one piece fitting arund the spar and thus self aligned. Sort of.

Gluing Firewall frame together

Thank you Mr West for your epoxy Part A to mix with Epoxy Part B. Ammonia smelly part B. And gushy Part A. These four bits of stick took me ages to laminate, plane, shave and sand into my best approximation of 2.5 x 0.75" and 2.75 x 0.5" out of my spruce stock. Agonisingly the plans leave you with your own approximation of how it fits onto the fuse. I am screaming for someone to tell me how to do it. Just do it.

Anyway part way there. Be a whole lot more finished when I marry with the front end of the fuse and can unclamp that part of the job after more than a year!

Did this while listening to King Crimson "Red" album. Kicker. Much better to concentrate on gluing than having TV in the background.

Firewall

Nice to be gluing again. Took ages to get bits laminated to the correct dimensions. And find the correct bolt placements for the Jabiru installation. Hope to get it onto the front of the fuse soon, then photograph it.

Back to work

I can't believe I left it so long, but at last I've started aligning the ribs on the spar prior to gluing. You'd think I could have done that ages ago, but no. Got cold feet. Thought the worst might happen. Too busy etc etc. Meanwhile back at the fuselage I'm still stuck on the Jabiru firewall dimensions.

outboard ribs mounted

 
Taking far longer than I ever c ould have imagined. I imagined - finish spar, slot ribs on. Not what? Doesn't fit. Smidge to wide. Sand here, and here and here, and oh a bit more and oh my goodness three, no four, no five months later!
Now to get them accurately aligned and glued in. Then make ailerons. Etc etc

fuselage

such as it is..

wing spar finished

Aint she a beauty? Only took me $2000 and two years to complete. Unbelievable. Now to put the ribs on. Ailerons. Leading edge ply. trailing edges. Rig and cover.

Spar stories

Getting almost to the end of the trimming of that most important aeroplane part, the wing spar. In this case the one-piece aerobatic heavy duty modded wing spar. I am sanding down to the mm tolerance now before mounting it in a new jig to thread the ribs and ailerons on.

 
Finally have gotten around to building this. Already have the 1/2 inch ply laid on top and marking it out for the sides to bend and glue onto the spacer / bulkheads inside the fuselage. I'm working again on this thing!

Reciprocal saw for the wing spar

I've been cutting that spar by hand for what? seven or eight months? A year? I cant remember. And only half way through it. So over it. Then someone said, why dont you get a reciprocal saw? What's that I said. Never heard of one! THat's it lying on the spar. Like one of those electric knives for carving meat. Anyway, it's not that much quicker than by hand! Actually I measured it and it's abotu ten time quicker! But the blasted spruce is that hard that it still seems slow. I should finish within a month now at this rate. Instead of about another year!

Fuselage jig

This is the base for the fuselage jig. I have already put on the 1/2" ply top and drawn the fuse outline on it. I already have the fuse sides. Now, to jig up and cut out, then join.

Fuse jig table

 
Finished the 1/2" ply top and drawing the dimensions on it now.

Fuselage sides jigged and done

First pic is of the second side just popped outof the jig resting on the jig table. Second is of both sides. There are battens glued on to help hold together for travel before gluing together with ply insert bulkheads.

Fuselage longerons

 

cut guide set up

 
I sterted off with out a cut guide thinking I could control the cut ok, which I did for about 12 inches before the cut went inside the line! luckily I have more wood than I need and can flip over after one mistake. The guide can actually be a little rough on the saw but the cost of the saw over the cost of the spar makes it a worthwhile control measure.