26 Vol.3 No.4 / April 2014
HINTS FOR HOMEBUILDERS
Deburring Aluminum
Sebastian Heintz and Roger Dubbert from Zenith Aircraft demonstrate how to deburr aluminum. Using various tools, they remove
sharp edges to prevent stress risers and cracks from developing.
Determining V
so
Speed
EAA Flight Advisor and Technical Counselor Joe Norris discusses V
so
speed. This speed is required to be determined for
experimental amateur-built aircraft during the Phase 1 fl ight testing process.
Blind Pulled Rivets
Sebastian Heintz and Roger Dubbert from Zenith Aircraft demonstrate how the fl at headed, countersunk blind rivets used in the
construction of Zenith aircraft are pulled and shaped into a low profi le dome head rivet.
Layout Templates
Mark Forss, manager of EAA's SportAir Workshops, demonstrates a way to transfer layout holes using a see-through plastic
template. This process allows matched-hole layout of wing skins or other large parts.
HINTS FOR HOMEBUILDERS VIDEOS
HERE ARE SOME OF THE MOST RECENTLY ADDED VIDEOS FOR HOMEBUILDERS:
SPRAY TUBES ARE a great addition to many aerosol-packaged
lubricants, solvents, air, and even paint removers. They permit
the application of the material right at the place necessary
without getting the product all over the place. Tubes yield
great control.
But the spray tube is not always a right length. You can
cut it off if it is too long, but what do you do if it's too short?
The electronics store has the answer—heat shrink tubing. It
comes in 4-foot lengths in many different colors so one can
cut it to length; I use color coding for different materials.
Most nozzles are a universal size.
To lengthen the existing tube, add some heat-shrink tub-
ing around it. You can shrink another tube at the exit. If the
spray tubes are placed end to end without a gap, the result is
very rigid. If you have nothing but shrink tubing between the
two ends, it is very flexible.
In the photo, there is a large gap between the two
tubes. Safety wire has been used to provide some rigidity,
plus it allows you to bend the assembly to curve it around
an obstacle. If you want a long, straight assembly, tape a
dowel alongside.
I save the tubes and nozzles from spent cans, but be-
ware that some of the tubes may have a slightly different
diameter. It doesn't make any difference when building
an extension, but they might not fit into the nozzle. If one
nozzle is too large, try another. If it's too small, you can
see how the safety wire in the inset is wrapped around
the nozzle onto the tube, holding the two together.
Another solution is to superglue the tube in place. I did
that when a tube was needed on a can of starting fluid
and the pressure of the fluid kept "blowing " the tube out
of the nozzle.
Spray Tube Extensions
BY CY GALLE Y
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