Saturday, July 9, 2016

Devinyl and edge prep the skins - 7 hours

Well just when you had enough of dimpling and deburring when finishing the wing structure. Now you need to do the same for the wing skins. A very long a tedious process. But if there is some good music or some Netflix on the laptop. Time just passes by.

First I started by working the edges of the skins with a file to clear the shear marks off.

Next was the very boring and lengthy process to devinyl the skins



Now...I then dug out the 3M wheel on the die grinder and worked the edges smooth (doesn't take much, just a light once or twice over). Then I worked each corner with a file to round the edge. Thanks to my buddy mike he showed me a technique to help ensure a nice round edge. The technique is hard to describe (much better to see it). Essentially you push into the turn as you make it....so for example push the file left as you work the corner towards the right and back into you. Most folks drag the file with the direction that your turning. Increased the chance of an oblong fillet. Takes a little bit of technique but the fillets look great!
 
Once I was done, I then rubbed down each edge and corner with maroon scotchbrite. 
Next I pulled out the files and started the 'scarf joint'. Essentially you work the corner of each material (where they mate) so that the thickness between the two pieces are not stacked, but there is a transition. This goes fairly easily with a file. But be sure to make sure you keep the file flat to the piece.

Next was I pulled out my edge forming tool and worked the edge of each skin that meets the leading edge, and worked the edge of the outboard skin that overlaps the inboard skin.