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Mark Forss: EAA Sport Air Workshops Coordinator
7/4/09 - 0.0 hours - Total Time 915.5 hours.
Spent the last couple days fixing stuff around the house, and setting-up shop. Had to repair the riding mower. Way important with 3 acres to mow. Replaced Laurie's rear view mirror. I also put together a grilling stand I bought a couple months ago that I'm going to use as a welding table. I only paid about $20 for it, and it works great. I was using an old Webber grill before, but this is much better. It has a place to store stuff and hang the torch. I also fired up the welder for the first time. Needed to turn the plug 180 degrees, but the circuit worked other than that. Still have quite a bit of work to do before building again. I like to have everything in place and organized before starting something.
7/24/09 thru 7/27/09- 4.0 hours - Total Time 919.5 hours.
Finally, after a long lay-off, I spent some time working on the project. Started off by looking a couple hours for the bandsaw table. Never did find it, so I made a temporary one. (didn't count this time) So, I started working on the stringers from Sta 84 back to the vertical fin. I'm going for a much flatter profile than what's in the plans. Should have just enough head room this way. To check it out, I stretched an old sheet over the tail. Looks pretty close.
8/3/09 - 3.0 hours - Total Time 922.5 hours.
Spent some more time working on the windshield. Then, switched to ordering some tail brace wires. Seems like this may be more complicated than I had expected. I'm working with D&E aircraft to try and get some made-up. Lengths are the problem right now, as they are having some lathe issues. May have to buy the bottom ones and have them threaded locally?
8/5/09 - 0.0 hours - Total Time 922.5 hours.
Finalized the order on my tail brace wires. Since I hadn't installed the bushings in the horizontal, I can just move them to fit the super-cub wires. It also helped that I built the tail 3" bigger than the plans, or this wouldn't have been possible. I also ordered a couple DVD's on wiring and panel construction. Only $50, and if it saves me making a mistake, or missing something obvious, it's well worth the investment!
8/8/09 - 2.0 hours - Total Time 924.5 hours.
Built a new attachment strip for the top of the windshield. I had taken off the bow I made months ago. Clamped the windshield into place, and I'm going to have to make a new one. This will look much better, flow with the roof better, and have less drag. I can use the material on the sides or doors. Out of town, so no work this week.
8/15/09 - 2.5 hours - Total Time 927.0 hours.
Installed the bushings in the horizontal stabilizers, after making sure the tail brace wires would work. Perfect fit! I also put together a manifold so I can hook up 3 air compressors at once. Now, the compressors don't have to work so hard to keep up.
8/16/09 - 2.5 hours - Total Time 929.5 hours.
Mocked-up a fiber glass windshield retainer for practice. The white is a flox mixture of micro-balloons. I'm thinking about using them to fill any gaps. I may just bondo the windshield gap and use it as a mold? The windshield is basically installed. As it turns out, I should be able to use the first one. If not, I have a great pattern. Also spent some time working on the tail stringer stand-offs.
8/17/09 - 1.0 hours - Total Time 930.5 hours.
Released the mock-up fiber glass windshield retainer from the mold. Looks good. Will need to make the real one a little thicker and wider, but the idea should work. Also worked a little on the tail stringer stand-offs. Oh, and Brett Favre is a Viking!
Laurie bought me some modeling clay to fillet out the windshield retainer. The black electrical tape works well as a base. With a little wax, the fiberglass will release easily. It also makes the curves well. Also spent some time building a heavy duty saw horse so I can take the airframe off the gear. I really like looking at it on the gear, (it's kind of motivating) but it's not very practical for working on it? I was out of town again all last week, so not much work.
9/6/09 - 9/7/09 - 2.0 hours - Total Time 935.0
Took the airframe off the gear, and placed it on to the saw horse with the help of my friend Jon. Continued to work on the tail stringers. I have probably given up on the windshield, and will make a new one where I don't have to fillet out the retainer?
