Original Posted By: "DJ Vegh"
What is the proper way to drill the spar for strut attach fittings and wing attachpoints? Do you drill the fitting first or the spar/Barry________________________________________________________________________________
Pietenpol-List: Drilling holes in spars
Re: Pietenpol-List: Drilling holes in spars
Original Posted By: Barry Davis
on things like this I try to drill through both at the same time. Secure thefitting to the spar and drill through both on a drill press.The second best would be to drill the fitting first, hold it up to the spar andtransfer the center of the hole to the spar then drill the spar.DJ Veghwww.imagedv.com/aircamper ----- Original Message -----
on things like this I try to drill through both at the same time. Secure thefitting to the spar and drill through both on a drill press.The second best would be to drill the fitting first, hold it up to the spar andtransfer the center of the hole to the spar then drill the spar.DJ Veghwww.imagedv.com/aircamper ----- Original Message -----
Pietenpol-List: Drilling holes in spars
Original Posted By: Kip & Beth Gardner
Re: Pietenpol-List: Sport Pilot Clarification
Original Posted By: "Hubbard, Eugene"
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: Sport Pilot ClarificationNot so fast Kip. That's what EAA says but not what FAA said. Reading the FAA rejection they stated that they were not sure that a sport pilot would not be required to have a medical. The words " not sure" can mean a lot. Sorry to be one of non acceptance of this EAA dreaming and polishing but it's just NOT going to happen, not in my lifetime anyway.CMC________________________________________________________________________________
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: Sport Pilot ClarificationNot so fast Kip. That's what EAA says but not what FAA said. Reading the FAA rejection they stated that they were not sure that a sport pilot would not be required to have a medical. The words " not sure" can mean a lot. Sorry to be one of non acceptance of this EAA dreaming and polishing but it's just NOT going to happen, not in my lifetime anyway.CMC________________________________________________________________________________
RE: Pietenpol-List: Drilling holes in spars
Original Posted By: Barry Davis [mailto:bed(at)mindspring.com]
Barry,Make up a drilling jig by welding (or brazing) a long piece of tubing withan ID that matches your hole size to some rigid "C" shaped piece of metal.The throat of the "C" has to be deep enough to go around your spar, and theheight has to be more than your material thickness. Some people havesacraficed C-clamps for this, I welded up the "C" out of Home Depot squaretubing. When the whole thing is cool, cut the tubing out from the "C"leaving two perfectly aligned segments separated by a space large enough toput your spar and fittings into.Drill your fittings first, then clamp up the combination of fittings andspar exactly where you want them to end up. Shoot a bolt through the tubeon one side of the drilling jig and position the end of the bolt in thefitting hole. Put your drill on the other side. You now have bolt fittingsand drill exactly lined up. Drill the hole; you'll go through the spar, theholes in both fittings, and push your bolt out the other end.During the course of my project, I've made up half a dozen of these jigs invarious sizes and with various hole diameters for a bunch of differentplaces on the plane. The beauty of this approach is that if you need acrooked hole to match up your fittings, it will come out crooked in exactlythe right way. Even with a drill press, it is really hard to get everythinglined up just right by measurement alone.Geme-----Original Message-----
Barry,Make up a drilling jig by welding (or brazing) a long piece of tubing withan ID that matches your hole size to some rigid "C" shaped piece of metal.The throat of the "C" has to be deep enough to go around your spar, and theheight has to be more than your material thickness. Some people havesacraficed C-clamps for this, I welded up the "C" out of Home Depot squaretubing. When the whole thing is cool, cut the tubing out from the "C"leaving two perfectly aligned segments separated by a space large enough toput your spar and fittings into.Drill your fittings first, then clamp up the combination of fittings andspar exactly where you want them to end up. Shoot a bolt through the tubeon one side of the drilling jig and position the end of the bolt in thefitting hole. Put your drill on the other side. You now have bolt fittingsand drill exactly lined up. Drill the hole; you'll go through the spar, theholes in both fittings, and push your bolt out the other end.During the course of my project, I've made up half a dozen of these jigs invarious sizes and with various hole diameters for a bunch of differentplaces on the plane. The beauty of this approach is that if you need acrooked hole to match up your fittings, it will come out crooked in exactlythe right way. Even with a drill press, it is really hard to get everythinglined up just right by measurement alone.Geme-----Original Message-----
Re: Pietenpol-List: Drilling holes in spars
Original Posted By: "DJ Vegh"
Barry, One thing I found helpful was to always drill through the fittingsfirst with a 3/16 inch drill bit. Then mark your holes on the spar with apencil. Then drill through the fittings with the proper size bit. Nextdrill through the spars with a 3/16 in bit - using a drill guide to keep theholes perpendicular to the spar.. I make my own out of 1 inch squaretubing on a drill press (and just abandon the hole after a few holes aredrilled). Next clamp the fittings to the spars with c-clamps and drill backthrough the whole contraption (fittings and spar) with the proper size bit.The 3/16 in "pilot hole" you drilled in the spars will drill out much easierthan a first pass through with the bigger bit and the holes in the fittingwill be less apt to elongate.This is a little slow but it helped me to keep from wallowing out big holesin the wood at the same time causing excessive wear on the holes in thefittings. All my holes turned out very nice and perpendicular with good,snug holes in the metal.My two cents...Bert----- Original Message -----
Barry, One thing I found helpful was to always drill through the fittingsfirst with a 3/16 inch drill bit. Then mark your holes on the spar with apencil. Then drill through the fittings with the proper size bit. Nextdrill through the spars with a 3/16 in bit - using a drill guide to keep theholes perpendicular to the spar.. I make my own out of 1 inch squaretubing on a drill press (and just abandon the hole after a few holes aredrilled). Next clamp the fittings to the spars with c-clamps and drill backthrough the whole contraption (fittings and spar) with the proper size bit.The 3/16 in "pilot hole" you drilled in the spars will drill out much easierthan a first pass through with the bigger bit and the holes in the fittingwill be less apt to elongate.This is a little slow but it helped me to keep from wallowing out big holesin the wood at the same time causing excessive wear on the holes in thefittings. All my holes turned out very nice and perpendicular with good,snug holes in the metal.My two cents...Bert----- Original Message -----
Re: Pietenpol-List: Drilling holes in spars
Original Posted By: BARNSTMR(at)aol.com
DJ, Gene, and others all have good ideas. My method has been to drill theholes in ONE fitting first, the one on the side that you can drill from. Ithen use a squaring block to help me keep the bit square, and drill throughthe spar (or whatever else) until I hit the second fitting. Then i takethat fitting to the drill press and drill on the started hole.Do not drill your 4130 fitting at high speed pr without oil - the steel willharden very quickly and ruin your bit. Slow, steady, oil - works everytime.________________________________________________________________________________
DJ, Gene, and others all have good ideas. My method has been to drill theholes in ONE fitting first, the one on the side that you can drill from. Ithen use a squaring block to help me keep the bit square, and drill throughthe spar (or whatever else) until I hit the second fitting. Then i takethat fitting to the drill press and drill on the started hole.Do not drill your 4130 fitting at high speed pr without oil - the steel willharden very quickly and ruin your bit. Slow, steady, oil - works everytime.________________________________________________________________________________