Trim for Hands-Free Flight
Many airplanes require some form of a fi xed trim tab to achieve that desirable "hands-free" fl ight condition. Sonex Aircraft chief
fl ight instructor Joe Norris gives some suggestions for simple, but effective fi xed trim devices.
Band Saw Tabletop
Cutting very thin material on a bandsaw can be made easier and safer by incorporating this hint. Mark Forss, manager of EAA
SportAir Workshops program, shows how to create a new table surface for your bandsaw.
Engine Timing with a Flower Pot
Some engines don't have timing marks, in this video Dick and Bob Koehler show how to use a timing protractor (fl ower pot) and
locator plug to position the engine crankshaft prior to timing the magnetos to the engine.
Repairing Scratched Plexiglas
Dick and Bob Koehler demonstrate the steps involved in restoring scratched plexiglas to like new using commonly available
products. Dick and Bob are both A&P; mechanics with IA authorization and EAA SportAir workshop instructors.
HINTS FOR HOMEBUILDERS VIDEOS
THE FOLLOWING HINTS ARE JUST A SMALL SAMPLE OF THE MORE THAN 400 HINTS FOR HOMEBUILDERS VIDEO CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING ONLINE HERE.
32 Vol.3 No.6 / June 2014
HINTS FOR HOMEBUILDERS
PHILLIPS HEAD SCREWS are great until you round of or cone out
the cross recess or socket used to turn the screw. The technical
term for this is that the screwdriver bit "cams out." You can fi nd
serrated Phillips screwdriver bits that are stamped ACR-R,
which are really designed to aid in the screw removal. Phillips
screws are designed to cam out so a screwdriver bit slips out of
the head of a screw being driven once the torque required to
turn the screw exceeds a certain amount. Frequent camming
out damages the screw and possibly also the screwdriver, and it
should normally be avoided. Early cam-out is caused by over-
torquing damage at installation and by dirt or paint in the screw
socket and can be compounded by a worn or damaged drive bit.
Also, the threads of the screw could be corroded as such that the
torque necessary to remove the screw exceeds the cam-out limit
of the recess in the screw head.
When the recess is damaged, you can try several methods
to remove the screw.
1. Get a dif erent screwdriver. Make sure it is the right size
with a new bit if possible. A No. 2 Phillips is too large for a
No. 1 recess. And although a No. 1 will fi t into a No. 2 recess,
the tip doesn't have enough area to distribute the force and
will cam out early, damaging the recess especially when it is
Some Screwy Tips
Removing damaged Phillips head screws
BY CY GALLE Y
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