TELEDYNMCS@aol.com wrote:
>
>In a message dated 10/4/2004 2:59:21 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
>europa-list-digest@matronics.com writes:
>
>
>
>>Andrew,
>> ...don't know the details of your 'ready made' module, but I
>>would suggest planning the routing for wires (conduits) before gluing in.
>>There are a number of routes for wiring which may be arduous after the
>>insertion and now would be the time..... I had the advantage of assembling
>>old-style and have imbedded drink straw routes through some of the cockpit
>>where not structural, and included double length pullthrough fishing line
>>for any future inclusion.
>> Like several others, I opted for alu fuel lines where they are
>>difficult to replace, hoping thereby to avoid scraped knuckles in 5
>>years...........
>>Cheers and good luck,
>>Ferg
>>A064
>>
>>
>
>Greetings all,
>
>I thought I'd chime in here since I just finished my conduits. What I did was
>make a mold using PVC pipe, actually about quarter round of a 2" PVC pipe. I
>cut the PVC lenthwise in half with a band saw, then in half again and
>flattened out the edges using a belt sander. Then a cut for the proper length
for the
>conduit was made, plus a couple of inches. Then I taped the 4 PVC quarter
>rounds to a piece of particle board and covered it in packing tape, leaving
>enough
>space between them to allow for flanges of about 3/4" on each side of the
>PVC, thereby completing the mold. 2 layers of 'bid sandwich a layer of "E"
>glass
>tape were applied to each mold extending out about 3/4" past the side edges of
>the PVC to provide flanges for later installation with flox and a few inches
>longer than needed. 4 of these were made. Two to go from the rear bulkhead to
>the door sill and two to go from the forward edge of the door sills to the
>instrument panel. Installing them over the rebate between the upper and lower
>fuselage halves results in the inside diameter of these conduits being slightly
>larger than a BNC connector, so should I ever have to replace coax it can be
>done. On the right side the rear conduit intersects the fuel filler cover front
>and back, but isn't tied into the fuel filler cover. Slots were shaped into
>the cover to accept the molded conduits.
>
>Next, and since reinforcement is needed under the door sills to keep the
>paint from cracking due to putting your weight on the sill during entering and
>exiting the aircraft, I roughly fabricated foam molds, triangular in shape, on
>the bandsaw, long enough to run the length of the door, plus a couple of inches
>fore and aft. Then the foam was hot glued in place under the door sills. I
>then clamped the previously made conduits in place and the foam was sanded to
a
>nice shape so that it flows neatly from conduit to door sill conduit to
>conduit. This foam was also sanded to shape so that it ties smoothly into the
>irrigation pipe conduit I made in the windscreen frame to feed switch wires and
XM
>antenna feed to my overhead panel. I then taped over the molded conduits and
>the
>foam with packing tape and covered the door sill area with 3 layers of 'bid,
>including about a 1" overlap onto the previously molded conduits for and aft.
>Once the door sills kicked, I removed all the molded parts, cleaned up the
>edges on the band saw, scuffed the bonding flanges and re-installed all of the
>conduits with flox. Sanding and floating in the edges with a small amount of
>bondo after the flox kicked and painting the cockpit with Zolatone resulted in
>conduits which look like they are molded as part of the fuselage side. The door
>sills are really stiff too. I'm very pleased with the results. It kills two
>birds with one rock and the result is certainly worth the 10 or so hours it
>took
>to make them.
>
>I'd be happy to send pictures off list to anyone interested in seeing this
>method. It really makes the cockpit look nice.
>
>I didn't leave a pull string, but what you can do is use a shop vac on one
>end of the conduit to suck a length of string through should the need arise to
>add wires. I learned this trick from an electrician friend and it works great!
>
>Regards,
>
>John Lawton
>Dunlap, TN
>A-245 (Working on the tailpost and rudder between glider tows)
>
>
>
I built my own conduits, using 1 x 2 wooden firing strips, covered with
plastic tape. I laid them on my table, on a piece of sheet plastic and
then laid up two plys of BID wide enough to leave a 1/2" flange. Once
cured, I simply cut out the flanges, where they went under the door.
Very light and plenty of room. Wire can be pulled using a standard fish
tape...
--
Jeff - A055
Finished filling and sanding the wings. Door screens are next...
Builders Log http://www.n55xs.com
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