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MIKE
HOWE'S RV7 CONSTRUCTION
Body &
Fender Work
Page 2
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January 31,
2002
I pop riveted
the last four trim tab holes with pop rivets and used the DA
to light sand everything smooth.
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Final filler
sanding |
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January 31,
2002
This is the
primer surfacer. After the bare metal primer and filler is
applied this is put on in several coats and is the primer
that has a buildup type material in it and is the one that
fills things and is sandable
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January 31,
2002
This is the
primer surfacer. After the bare metal primer and filler is
applied. It is my understanding that the whole airplane
where filling is not required can just have the bare
metal primer applied, a sealer coat shot just before the
color is applied. If you need to fill places you need these
additional steps of filler and primer surfacer, guide
coating and wet sanding. It is a lot of work, but the final
product reflects good preparation in a paint job, and
nothing makes a plane look better than good paint.
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Sprayed several
times to build up the primer thickness that will be further
sanded |
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January 31,
2002
A before and
after, It looked pretty hopeless in the first picture but
after doing the repair I feel it is not perfect, but
airworthy, although I still plan to do the third one I
ordered. It has been good practice and I am sure I will use
some of these techniques later. I still am not finished with
the primer preparation as it requires spraying on a light
guide coat (darker color sprayed very lightly) then when wet
sanded with a rubber block the dark sands away where it is
even and any small imperfections retain the dark paint in
them and you can fill them. If
they are small enough you can use a product called spot putty to
fill them other wise you may have to spray on a little more
primer surfacer. I will finish doing it and put on the pictures
after I rivet it together, and am anxious to get started on
the wing this weekend.
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BEFORE |
AFTER |
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February 2,
2002
Spray a
light coat of guide coat on the primer
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The low
spots will retain the darker paint and you will readily be
able to where you need to sand, or apply more filler |
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2,
2002
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Use
a soft rubber block and I used a 220 Wet Dry paper |
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February 2,
2002
Use a
utility sink and some warm water if you can or in the summer
when it is warn a garden hose with a trickle water works
well. It is definitely an indoor operation here now
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Wet sand
with soapy water |
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February 2,
2002
After you
have wet sanded it you can see the dark areas which are
indentations and the bright spots which are high spots,
unfortunately the pop rivets and probably can't completely
hide them, but just prior to spraying on the color coat a
final sealer is sprayed on a few minutes before the color
coat is applied
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Spot
putty applied |
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February 2,
2002
Got this
from rsamuelson@aol.com
for a great idea for bucking the rivets behind the trim tab
hinge. A piece of 1/8 by 1/2" steel bar stock can be
made into a great part if you have a no hole yoke as it will
fit nicely behind the hinge at the right height.
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Hard to buck
rivets behind trim tab hinge. |
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February 2,
2002
Polished the
surface on the 3M wheel and drew an out line of the shape of
the no hole yoke nose.
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Made Outline |
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February 2,
2002
Cut out the
piece with a hacksaw. Back in my past, I attended A&P
school at the old Northrop University, located underneath
runway 24 at Los Angeles. It was during one of my airline
sabbaticals from furlough or extended sick leave or
something like that, and did not officially finish but
gained about a year's valuable knowledge, some of which is
coming back to me now after all these years. I remember the
first day they handed you a block of steel and you got your
hacksaw, from your recently purchased tool kit and started
on a month long journey of cutting shaping endless polishing
and it eventually became a tool for crimping cable fasteners. Though
you could buy one for $15.00, the point was to teach you the
proper use of tools. I bet some people still have theirs, it
was like your rifle in the Army in basic, you lived with it
for months. It did teach you when you need a tool try
getting out the old hacksaw and files and emery cloth, many
a fine and useful tool can be built this way.
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Cut out the
piece
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February 2,
2002
Polished the
working surface with some scotch-Brite
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Deburred
and shaped the edges on the 3M wheel, Polished the working
surface with some scotch-Brite. |
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February 2,
2002
This is easy
to make and well worth the time, it makes squeezing the
rivets on the hinge easy and they look real nice. Now just
duct type it to the yoke and it works great. I suppose it
could be taped to any yoke and would work OK. I discovered
duct tapes to hold a piece on long ago when I broke one of
the round parts that go in to the yoke on a flush rivet set
and just duct taped it on till I can order a new one, works
fine. Ah duct tape what a wonderful invention. |
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Attach piece
to no holes yoke. |
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February 2,
2002
Tab clecoed
on ready to rivet
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February 2,
2002
Second build
left elevator finished. I re-primed the hole section that is
looks lighter colored with the sandable primer. There are
still some things that don't look perfect, but I feel pretty
good about it. I still have not received my third elevator
from Van's and I am not quite sure what to do about it. I
think after doing this one it is fine to use. Maybe I will
do the third one as a workshop seminar for new builders in
the area or something like that. I think if they can build
this, they certainly can handle any other part of the
empennage
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Left
Elevator Complete |
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