Comment

Comment by Earnest Fontenot on January 13, 2015 at 7:27am

Brian,

I am a draftsman in my professional life. I completely draw the part as a flat layout with all the holes, bend lines and cut lines well in advance of getting to this point. I look over the layout a number of times before I start laying out the lines and drilling holes. The sheet of paper laying on top of the sheet metal is my drawing I made for the ailerons. I have done this for almost every part I have made so far. If you look back at some of the smaller parts you will see that I will print the drawing of the part on paper and then glue it to the metal as a pattern. Cut and sand to the lines, drill the holes where the pattern shows and the part comes out quite good.

Comment by Bryan Walstrom on January 12, 2015 at 5:03pm

Earnest... doesn't it make you at all nervous drilling ALL of the holes before bending? What if it is necessary to cut off a little here and there to make everything line up, then the holes might not have proper edge distance? (Not speaking from experience, just a thought, I will experience this soon enough in my scratch building).

Comment by Earnest Fontenot on January 12, 2015 at 2:43pm

Laying out the rivet lines and drilling the pilot holes in the left and right aileron skins at the same time. One is atop the other so the will come out identical.