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Build Diary 16-April-06

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Bonded hinge to upper and lower cowl. Used West System Epoxy Resin to bond the hinge to the cowl and riveted into place. Also modified the front baffles for the upper cowl inlet ducts.

Here I have marked the position of the baffles on the upper cowl.
Fitting the upper cowl inlet ducts. I started shaping the front baffles when I remembered the upper cowl inlet ducts needed to be fitted.

The baffles need to be trimmed after fitting the upper cowl inlet ducts.
The other side...
Trimmed...


Upper cowl firewall to cowl piano hinge.
I bonded the piano hinge as well as rivet. Vans recommends West System epoxy. I found some at the local boat yard. This is a System A pack. Other items are West System 410 microlight (filler) & Acetone (for thining and cleaning). I also purchased the pumps to measure the mixing of the resin and hardner. I recommend getting the pumps as it makes mixing easier. Especially as I found the resin goes off quite quickly, so you can't mix large quantities.


Here I am bonding and riveting the cowl hinge.

Finished. I had thought at this point it had all gone well.

But! I later discovered some resin had crept between the hinge loops which caused the other half of the hinge to not align properly. I also found two holes had become blocked. Oh, and some resin had dripped onto my camera....
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