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Plans look like you cut the "slot" all the way to the edge of the skin. Would it have been better to leave the portion of the skin where the hinge would go in order to keep everything the same thickness to prevent an opportunity for the hinge to pull inward toward the ribs when riveted, since the skin thickness between the arms would be gone?


My cutout to end of skin


Plans drawing

You need the slot all the way through, else how do you install the counterweight? I don't think the loads will make anything bow out there.

Pretty much what I thought too Bryan. I started to re-look at the cut out since I had a small gap in that area when trial fitting the counterbalance to the skin and started to ponder...

In that gap I placed a small shim of .025" so that those two super hard to set rivets would look nicely like the others ;-)

Just a reminder, those rivets are easy to set with the right antique tool:
viewtopic.php?f=34&t=2345

Here are a few photos from my album, showing the construction of this area:









Enjoy!

--Noel
Sonex #1339

Kevin, I had a shim made up, but, wasn't ready to try it until I had everything piloted and it was a last resort if needed to keep the hinge from sticking. Nice to know someone has done it. Planned to stick it in and transfer the holes when needed.

Bryan, Liked your thread on the "dreaded" rivets. I hate using the wedge unless I have to since it kicks my butt for some reason. Can't remember how many rivets I drilled out just to get it right! I have an arrow RL something slim riveter kinda like yours to try, got it at hardware hank I think?

Noel, great pictures, I have the right skin pilot drilled, laid everything in it and it all seems to line up well with the blue lines with a little tweaking here and there. Will start piloting the ribs and such tomorrow, I hope.


the gap that had me wondering about the skin cut out


The makeshift shim between the arms and angle


The test piece in place to fill the gap