SonexBuilders.net

OK - time for more questions. After thoroughly studying the plans and the Gusset instructions, and after reading countless web pages on others experiences, and especially after my experience with the tail....

I am looking for suggestions on the most effective method to make the bends in the wing rib gussets. My thought is a block of Oak with a 1/16" radius edge, and some careful use of a soft mallet.

Bob Davis' excellent web site http://n982sx.com/ shows what I believe is a good method at http://n982sx.com/sonexlog44/index3.html

Any other suggestions or ideas?

As


Robbie Culver
Sonex 1517
Chicagoland
Aerovee/taildragger
Starting on the wings
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I thought this was a pretty cool idea. Especially the accurate repeatability. Not practical for short run parts unless your next door neighbor happens to have a 20 ton press, but cool 8-)http://bcove.me/r9y05106

I went to Harbor Freight and got an 18" bending brake which worked perfectly. I would bend one flange and then put the bent flange on a far edge to make room for the second flange.

Cheap and simple way to do it!

Michael - not having a press, but having access to one - question - does it make the radius needed or did you have to do anything special? My in-laws have one right down the road, but I won't be able to go see and try until Friday. Appreciate the responses....


Robbie Culver
Sonex 1517
Chicagoland
Aerovee/taildragger
Starting on the wings
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I had no issues with a bend radius using my small brake. If you're concerned at all grab a scrap piece of 0.025 and see how the bend looks.

The only issues I remember is to make sure you're bending the flanges the correct direction, and make sure you clamp down the gussets well so they don't slide around as you're bending the metal.

Give it a shot...you would probably be able to bend all the gussets pretty quickly with a brake of some kind.

Mike53 wrote:I thought this was a pretty cool idea. Especially the accurate repeatability. Not practical for short run parts unless your next door neighbor happens to have a 20 ton press, but cool 8-)http://bcove.me/r9y05106

That *is* cool, but overkill for these parts (and probably any parts on a Sonex). I vote for the mallet and block method -- just be careful when aligning the bend lines, the bend does not always occur exactly where you think it will/should. Practice on lines drawn on scrap and figure where you need to position the line in the block to get the bend you want.

I went with the block and mallet method after some practice. Turned out great.


Robbie Culver
Sonex 1517
Chicagoland
Aerovee/taildragger
Starting on the wings
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Any suggestions on when to rivet the wing rib gussets to the ribs? The order of assembly seems to indicate to do so prior to putting the ribs on to the spars for updrilling thru the rib flange and spar web. That is fine but I anticipate that it will be difficult to then clean and debur the holes (between the gusset and rib flange) used to attach the rib to the spar.

peter
SNB0021 in progress

I did not have a real issue cleaning the holes once I put the gussets on the ribs. I did my gussets first. I might have took a piece of sand paper to the inside edge if I could not get a good turn with my debur tool. I recently bought a tool similar to this one:
https://www.ustool.com/deburring-tools- ... -l-en.html

It lets you insert the deburring tool from the outside and debur the inside hole. I have used it a lot since I bought it. Might be another opportunity to use it on the rib holes close to the gussets.

Mike

I left mine clecoed until I could deburr the spar attach holes, IIRC.