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Thread: Esser's Build

  1. #261
    Senior Member Esser's Avatar
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    Default Re: Esser's Build

    Thanks for the confidence boost TJ. Hopefully I am doing it right haha.

    I got the other wing done tonight. I still have to do under the tank but I cant find my curved needle....

    My advice to anyone about to lib lace is to put bandaids on the top side of your pointer finger and on the bottom side of your pinky. You want those laces tight and you pull on those points A LOT. It will save you some very sore fingers.

  2. #262
    Senior Member Esser's Avatar
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    Default Re: Esser's Build

    Back at er.

    I laced under my number 2 rib with my curved needle. I thought the tip needed a bit tighter radius so i tried to bend it and it snapped off. However, I still made it work, it just made a bit larger holes as it didn't come out exactly beside the rib.







    Once everything was laced up, I put a coat of primer on to prep for taping.




    I cut the fabric with a razor a little bit so I made a tiny patch to cover it that extends 1/2" past the tear. The rib tape probably would have covered it but I didn't want it to be too close to the edge.




    My thoughts on using the Endura product so far are:

    It's a bit slower as the primer takes a longer time to dry than polybrush. I could probably push it more if I wanted to but it needs a full night at least in the temps I am working in.

    It is a very permanent system. This is great for when the plane is finished but if you make a mistake and you don't notice it until it is fully dry, there is no ironing anything down, it is extremely hard to sand, and MEK does NOTHING. So after you finish for the day and wait for everything to dry, you need to go over everything with a critical eye. If you have some runs or thicker areas, the MEK will take care of that then. I am interested to see how it will go with the finishing tapes. My tiny patch plinked edges stuck down fine but that is a tiny thing. If I didn't already have the tapes, I would go with straight cut tapes.

    It is completely opaque. If I stick a large halogen light on one side, I cannot see any existing holes, lacing needle, etc. Very good for UV, annoying when you forgot to solder out your holes before you put the primer on the rib.

  3. #263
    Senior Member HighWing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Esser's Build

    Quote Originally Posted by Esser View Post
    Back at er.

    I laced under my number 2 rib with my curved needle. I thought the tip needed a bit tighter radius so i tried to bend it and it snapped off. However, I still made it work, it just made a bit larger holes as it didn't come out exactly beside the rib.
    I always found using upholstery needles frustrating when rib lacing. With the challenges we find as we work around internal structures,The logical solution, as you suggest, would be needles that could be bent as needed. Not available in the real market, the only solution was to a do it yourself project. I used coat hanger wire hammered flat on the eye end and a very fine drill with some help from some extremely fine tapered Dremel burs. Fine sanding disks or a fine file finished the job.
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  4. #264
    Senior Member jtpitkin06's Avatar
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    Default Re: Esser's Build

    Heating the needles to dull red will take the temper out of them. Then you can bend them as needed without braking. They will still be strong enough to poke through fabrics. If you don't have a torch, use a gas stove or gas bar b que.

    John

  5. #265
    Senior Member Esser's Avatar
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    Default Re: Esser's Build

    Thanks for the tips guys. I have been wanting to get my tapes on but my wife is fixing her car in the garage right now so I have no room to move...

    Good to hear from you John. I haven't seen you post in a while.

  6. #266
    Senior Member jtpitkin06's Avatar
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    Default Re: Esser's Build

    Quote Originally Posted by jtpitkin06 View Post
    Heating the needles to dull red... without braking.

    John
    Breaking / braking, don't you just love spell checkers?

  7. #267
    Super Moderator Av8r3400's Avatar
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    Default Re: Esser's Build

    I just thought you meant gas on with no braking!

    I made my own needles from welding filler rod. Flatten and drill one end and grind to a point the other. Bend as needed.
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  8. #268
    Senior Member jrevens's Avatar
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    Default Re: Esser's Build

    Quote Originally Posted by Av8r3400 View Post
    I just thought you meant gas on with no braking!

    I made my own needles from welding filler rod. Flatten and drill one end and grind to a point the other. Bend as needed.
    That's what I did too. I made a sharp one for poking initial holes, and one's with blunt ends, which I found better for probing & finding the holes on the other side.
    John Evens
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  9. #269
    Senior Member Esser's Avatar
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    Default Re: Esser's Build

    Well, as is typical of my build, I got into the garage after the Christmas break turned into over 6 weeks.

    Natalie's car had a timing belt issue so she took over my garage to replace it. Then Christmas happened. After that I lost my momentum.

    We got the chordwise finishing tapes on the bottom of the wings. We taped the tapes to the trailing edge, wet underneath, and then pushed the primer through the tape. I found put the tapes on to be quite enjoyable.

    I covered 8 of my friends tail surfaces this week for his two projects and even though I am better at covering small technical surfaces, I don't feel like doing mine now haha.














  10. #270
    Senior Member Esser's Avatar
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    Default Re: Esser's Build

    Well 3 months later than planned, I got the covering on the wings done. I'll still call that a win haha.

    The wings are going to leave the garage and now the fuselage will come back in to fit the cowls and then cover. After that, it's painting time. I'm fitting the cows right away so that we can paint everything at once.




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