Stites Cleanex SNX-0414

[flyguy0609]

OSH 2023 Sunrise Balloon launch copyright 2023 jklmst llc

Going on the OSH-Haj. I'll be there from Thursday PM to Sunday. It would be nice to be able to put a face with these posts. PM me if your going and would like to meet.

It's been a week, I feel like I hit a wall. First off, my shop vac quit sucking, which really sucked. Saturday, I was milling an angle and the bit locked up with the work piece and a couple, err a few, OK, a number of the drive gear teeth decided to go MIA. I knew the gears were made of plastic. They also sell an upgrade belt drive kit for the mill, suggesting broken gears was not a rare event. I ordered the belt drive, I doubt it will arrive before the holiday weekend. I also picked up a 3 axis DRO (digital read out) for my mill. This will eliminate backlash issues with obtaining the tolerances I'm looking for. (For the record, +- .005 inches) Saturday was shot,, and it didn't get better on Sunday.

The tail feathers are just about finished, What next, Wings or fuselage? For the wings, I have the factory built main spars, the preformed ribs, and some of the angle components. The original owner left both aileron and flap stock, as well as a partially assembled flap. With the usable material I can make either 2 standard ailerons and 1 standard flap, or 2 aerobatic flaps and 1 aerobatic aileron. For the fuselage, the vertical channels are a combination of matched hole and fabricated parts. THe skins for both fuselage and wings are matched hole drilled.

Last weekends productivity went straight down the drain. I have a 4 day weekend coming up, I am shifting gears. The parts from the previous owner have been sitting around for 12 years or longer and have a very noticeable layer of dirty dust (Dusty Dirt? sounds like a stripper, Stormy Daniels and Dusty Durt staring in Donny's Shenanigans.) The parts need to be thoroughly cleaned and prepped for assembly. I also need to generate a complete parts list and inventory for my corvair engine. I just signed on for WW's Supervised Build in December. That's the plan for this weekend.

It is important, when facing setbacks in the build to maintain some momentum. That will be difficult this weekend, There is a NASCAR race, practice on Saturday and the race on Sunday. Lake Shore Drive and most of the roads around my place are closed. Going out to the hangar will be ok as there is very little traffic at 8 AM on weekends. Experience shows that the return trip will be a nightmare.

Tornado/waterspout trying to eat a rainbow. copyright 2023 jklmst llc