SonexBuilders.net

Which 3m wheel for a grinder to debur?
I bought a medium but it seems to leave it's own marks, they are finer than saw teeth marks though. Maybe I'm performing the operation wrong, just started the rudder control horn on the tail kit.

You still need to file or sand the deep cut marks and then finish up on the scotchbright wheel.

I used a 7A medium (Wicks F3753) which is the same one Sonex calls for on the tool list:
http://www.sonexaircraft.com/kits/tools.html

The rule-of-thumb seems to be to make sure the part is smooth enough you can't snag a fingernail on it. I'd need more detail to determine whether "leave it's own marks" is a problem or not. The surface definitely won't be a mirror-finish afterwards, but it will be pretty smooth.

Here's the exact link to where I bought it from 5 years ago:
http://aircraftproducts.wicksaircraft.c ... heel/f3753?

I bought mine from Van's years ago.
https://www.vansaircraft.com/cgi-bin/st ... ct=s-wheel
I assume that is the same one. For thick parts like rudder horns I use the side of the wheel. For thin parts they will cut a groove in the wheel which does a nice job on the edge.

I purchased the F3753 3M Scotch Brite wheel from Wicks...the one on the Sonex tool list. The center mounting hole dia is very small... much too small for my bench-top grinder/polisher. Has anybody tried making this hole larger?

peter

You are likely using the correct wheel, but the piece needs more finishing before it's ready for it.

The thicker aluminum pieces have some significant ridges on the side of them that really require cleaning with a vixen file and sanding before they are ready for the wheel.

Posting some pictures of your pieces in question would be helpful as well.

Hope you are having fun!

Mike, I think Peter is saying he can't mount his wheel because the hole is too small. Peter, I've seen the opposite where bushings were used to make the wheel fit. Sounds like a great opportunity to get a second grinder, so you can have two stone wheels, one scotch brite wheel, and one wire wheel.

Yes my thoughts too.
Peter

This is what I used: http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/t ... gInz_D_BwE

I'm referring to the 7S "fine" wheel. They have 1/2" and 1" hole sizes. It polishes aluminum into butter, love that wheel. It easily lasted the life of my project and could probably do a 2nd Sonex.

I was never a fan of the vixen file method, virtually all my edges were deburred with a coarse 3M wheel and/or belt sander, then finished with the wheel I linked above.

came looking for this exact thread.

I need to do the finishing work on the tail spar before continuing. I bought the wheel mentioned on sonex's tool page, but it doesn't seem like the tool to start with.

what type of sanding needs to be done? is there a video showing the proper way to do the sanding? is it the same as sanding wood?

I've found videos on using vixen files.

Are there any videos on using the scotch brite wheel on the hockey stick?

thanks.