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Thread: Geek's STi Build

  1. #81

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    Default Re: Geek's STi Build

    Was going to try and get a carbon wrap on the wingtips and a few other odds and ends. Less paint I am guilty of, better place the world is.

  2. #82
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    Default Re: Geek's STi Build

    Quote Originally Posted by DesertFox4 View Post
    Your post is so familiar when it comes to building an aircraft. Whether building a part or painting the thing. The best work doesn’t always appear during the first attempt. Not quitting or settling for mediocre results is a worthy goal. Keep after it. Any tribulations during the build will vanish when you take your first flight.👍
    Thank you sir - I firmly agree. But I also don't sit still well. I think the light I see at the end of the painting tunnel now may not be the train.

    Quote Originally Posted by Eric Page View Post
    They sure look good to me. I'll haul mine over the pass when it's time to paint!
    As long as there is vitamin B involved (beer or bourbon). Anytime you're over on this side feel free to drop in.

    Quote Originally Posted by airlina View Post
    One thing that really helped me to eliminate runs , was to rotisserie most everything I painted so I was only painting a horizontal surface. Bruce N199CL
    Yup that flaperon was much easier to control than the wingtip. That may be the answer in the long run is to just do the tips with multiple passes on only horizontal surfaces.

    Thanks to all for the comments and such.

    Gary
    Gary (Geek) Phenning
    Leavenworth (Not the Prison), WA
    Kitfox STi in Building Stage

  3. #83
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    Default Re: Geek's STi Build

    Banner day in that my flaperons and wing tips now have a primer coat of paint on them that isn't a bunch of runs. Finished painting the left flaperon this morning. Tomorrow I will put both of the flaperons into storage for the Winter knowing they are protected. Same with the wing tips. This afternoon I started on the horizontal stab and the elevator by doing the reaming of the pivot points. I built an out feed table for my table saw many moons ago and put hold down tracks in it to allow me to use the table as an assembly base as well. Used the hold downs to secure the HS and Elev while reaming and that made it pretty easy. All in all it was a good day of progress.

    Left Flaperon Painted.jpgPainted Wing Tips.jpgElev Reaming 2.jpgElev Reaming 1.jpgHold Down.jpg
    Gary (Geek) Phenning
    Leavenworth (Not the Prison), WA
    Kitfox STi in Building Stage

  4. #84
    Senior Member Eric Page's Avatar
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    Default Re: Geek's STi Build

    I like that little reamer chuck; where'd you get that?
    Eric Page
    Building: Kitfox 5 Safari | Rotax 912iS | Dynon HDX
    Member: EAA Lifetime, AOPA, ALPA
    ATP: AMEL | Comm: ASEL, Glider | ATCS: CTO
    Map of Landings

  5. #85
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    Default Re: Geek's STi Build

    Quote Originally Posted by Eric Page View Post
    I like that little reamer chuck; where'd you get that?
    It's actually a tap handle Eric. I've had it a couple days past forever but I have seen them at Home Depot, Ace Hardware and places like that. It's for taps between 1/4" and 1/2", it has a ratchet built in and a center position that locks it for either way. I took a grinder to the end of the reamer to make it square (like you find on a tap) so that it had a solid grip on the reamer. Between holding the parts still with the hold down and using the tap handle, reaming was pretty much a non-event.

    G

    Here's a link for the one I have. https://www.grainger.com/product/GEN...FF5&position=1
    Gary (Geek) Phenning
    Leavenworth (Not the Prison), WA
    Kitfox STi in Building Stage

  6. #86
    Senior Member Eric Page's Avatar
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    Default Re: Geek's STi Build

    Nice -- thanks for the tip. I'm a bit embarrassed that I had never seen one of those before, even after spending three of my early working years in a machine shop!
    Eric Page
    Building: Kitfox 5 Safari | Rotax 912iS | Dynon HDX
    Member: EAA Lifetime, AOPA, ALPA
    ATP: AMEL | Comm: ASEL, Glider | ATCS: CTO
    Map of Landings

  7. #87
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    Default Re: Geek's STi Build

    Glad how I did it might help someone else. I have gotten so much help and so many good tips from this forum. I too spent some of my early 'formative years' working in a machine shop but the reason I had this one was that it was my dad's (I did say I had it a couple days past forever). He was a Master Chief Machinist Mate in the Navy, one of the best mechanically inclined people I ever met (not that I might be biased) and I inherited all his tools which are now some of my most prized possessions. Always fun to use his stuff on my plane.

    G
    Gary (Geek) Phenning
    Leavenworth (Not the Prison), WA
    Kitfox STi in Building Stage

  8. #88
    Senior Member Eric Page's Avatar
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    Default Re: Geek's STi Build

    Very cool. I know just what you mean. I have a few old tools that I inherited from my grandfather. As tools go, they're nothing special, but you'd have to pry them from my cold, dead fingers.
    Eric Page
    Building: Kitfox 5 Safari | Rotax 912iS | Dynon HDX
    Member: EAA Lifetime, AOPA, ALPA
    ATP: AMEL | Comm: ASEL, Glider | ATCS: CTO
    Map of Landings

  9. #89
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    Default Re: Geek's STi Build

    Not exactly aircraft but progress in my mind anyway. The goal was to get the flaperons and wing tips primed and stored out of the way before Winter. Done deal. Built some shelves to do just that. Flaperons are high up on the shop wall where I won't bash, dent, or otherwise screw them up. The wing tips went up on the wall in the garage. While certainly not Mil-Spec Class A storage, the tips are covered up and while you can't see it, the hinge slots on the flaperons are protected as well. They should survive well up there. Now I can safely work on other things in the shop and not worry about those parts.

    I did do some aircraft work in that I finished the initial sanding all the ribs for the horizontal stab and the elevator so they are now ready to start fitting.


    Wing Tip Storage 1.jpgWing Tip Storage 2.jpgFlaperon Storage.jpgHS and El 1.jpg
    Gary (Geek) Phenning
    Leavenworth (Not the Prison), WA
    Kitfox STi in Building Stage

  10. #90
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    Default Re: Geek's STi Build

    Spent the last couple days fitting the ribs for the horizontal stab and elevator. I read over the directions for this part and changed the order on some of the steps. The directions call to Hysol the ribs onto the stab and elevator and then add stiffeners where required. I thought adding the stiffeners before actually installing the ribs would be easier and cleaner all around. There was also a 1/2" hole called out to be drilled into two of the ribs after they were installed. I marked where the hole would be while fitting those ribs and drilled it now. Hysol is in the process of drying on the stiffeners right now. I am thinking I will also do the lacquer on the ribs but leave the areas that get the Hysol when installing the ribs to the structure. I'll finish the lacquer over all the ribs once they are installed but that should be a quick job. Also going to do the fitting of the bearings on the elevator before I install the ribs. That way I won't run the chance of breaking a rib if I get careless.

    HS Ribs 7.jpgHS Ribs 8.jpgHS Ribs 6.jpgHS Ribs 9.jpg
    Gary (Geek) Phenning
    Leavenworth (Not the Prison), WA
    Kitfox STi in Building Stage

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