Continuing Thread: What Are You Fix-It'ing Today?

[rsrguy]

Oops forgot pics

[herr_oberst]

The work you do on light aircraft is fascinating. Is the mod you're doing on the RV3 cowl something that others do too, or is this your idea, and do you have to check with Vans to do something like this so their engineers can offer advice?

[oldE]

Good thing I'm not too hung up on how great my projects look, or I'd never post after Guy.
However, this morning I traced out my cardboard pattern on the wall of an old water tank I'm using as scrap steel, threw a cutting disc in the angle grinder and roughed it out


Then I finalized the outline, drilled the holes for the axle and bent it to shape.



It ain't pretty, but it will make raising and lowering the hay elevator so much easier.

[herr_oberst]

What are you talking about Les? That's fantastic! Both sides are symmetrical, the radius bend is straight down the spine and consistent, and you took extra time to knock off sharp corners and give it some style. Plus, the pulley looks perfectly centered side to side.

Well done. And it cost you nothin but time, in the true farmer/rancher tradition.

[rsrguy]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

What are you talking about Les? That's fantastic! Both sides are symmetrical, the radius bend is straight down the spine and consistent, and you took extra time to knock off sharp corners and give it some style. Plus, the pulley looks perfectly centered side to side.

Well done. And it cost you nothin but time, in the true farmer/rancher tradition.

Yup that would have had me stumped...

[rsrguy]

... tomorrow's project

[HobieMarty]

This is my daughter's little rod and reel that I got her when she was a little girl, she is 25 now. I didn't have to fix anything, but the outside was stained from oil so I used some 1000 grit sandpaper and wet sanded until it was clean. I also greased the gears with some synthetic grease and it runs silky smooth!!!

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[URY914]

Tearing it completely down and repainting and replacing as needed

[oldE]

Guy, In the first and second images of the left wingtip, there appears to be a cap of some sort. Is that an access port? I can't imagine carrying any liquid so far from the cg.
Thanks

[Baz]

Originally Posted by porsche930dude

I ended up bending the hell out of it so I cut it off and had to mince the hub into 3 pieces to free it from the splines.

Tip of the hat to all who have posted here lately but special recognition goes to p930dude for use of the word "mince" in reference to his work on the wheel.

It isn't everyday you pick up a term that would so succinctly come in handy to describe your future endeavours!

Marty - Very nice work and thanks for sharing. I wonder what something like that would fetch on eBay? I know it carries sentimental value but at some point.....money kinda does as well, no?

[Baz]

Well I got my 3 Cabbage Palms trimmed as I do each year - usually by mid-July so I'm a little late this year.

I have more Cabbage Palms on the property and more palms in general but I do these once per year and then am done.

[rsrguy]

Originally Posted by oldE

Guy, In the first and second images of the left wingtip, there appears to be a cap of some sort. Is that an access port? I can't imagine carrying any liquid so far from the cg.
Thanks

Its actually a tip tank! And its smack dab on the cg. It got smushed a bid about a month back. It isn't leaking, so it got two layer bid layup for good measure. The rest is just delammed paint... why guys choose to just add another layer of paint rather than stripping properly is beyond me.... (palm to forhead)!
The delammed paint gets scraped and covered with a layer of bog/spooge. It'll be sanded and shot with high fill primer. The remaining pinholes will be filled with flexible catalyzed glazing putty before final paint.

[oldE]

Thanks, Guy. I remember tip tanks on jets in the '50s, but didn't think anyone would want mass so far from the roll center. I suppose on a sedate family 'sedan in the sky' it's not such an issue.

[GH85Carrera]

I was having a blast in the garage!

First off, the trusty El Camino was suddenly was running of 7 cylinders. OK, the old plugs have been in there for almost 70,000 miles. So I bought new plugs and plug wires. All was going normal until I found this.



I feel pretty sure that is the problem!

Only the plug boot was holding it in place. On occasion, it ran fine, but often it was 7 cylinders only. 8 new plugs and wires and all is OK. They needed to be replaced due to miles and age, so it was not a bad thing. Dang, when did new spark plugs become 10 bucks each!

Then just because I was having so much fun in the garage, I had to replace the two pressure switches on the master cylinder on my 911. That rear switch is a royal pain in the butt to get to.

My brake lights were stuck ON all the time. I only noticed it when I was checking the oil with the dip stick. It has not been that way for long.

[rsrguy]

Something interesting today.... the cowl had mini blisters all over on the top... I'd supposed it was from heat and time. Well, turns out the underside was never cleaned and had gobbs of oil bonded to it, any way, turns out this fiberglass likes oil... a lot. After I managed to get the paint off I blew it off, well, the wierd crap started STIGMATA! Oil has soaked through the glass TO THE SURFACE!
Crap, what a mess. Check out the pictures.
The last paint guy didn't do such a hot job on prep, check out the way the paint practically jumps of the oil door!

[JeremyD]

Made a new cabin headliner
The old one


And a new bench seat to replace the single captain's chair

[rsrguy]

That is so cool.

[HobieMarty]

I cleaned up another little fishing reel. I bought this for a niece of mine when she was four years old and I took her fishing for the first time, she turned 17 a few days ago. It is all cleaned up now, has a little discoloration on the light pink part but it's okay, and is working fantastically with synthetic grease on the gears inside. I had the rod and reel in a bucket and I am glad I did because some of the letters in her name had fallen off and I found them at the bottom of the bucket. I cleaned everything up and used some clear contact cement and glued the letters back in place. Mimi is happy!!!

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[HobieMarty]

Up next on the work desk, the Diawa Procaster PMA 10S that belonged to my stepfather. I am taking it apart for cleaning, maintenance, and service. It will get the same treatment as the others with synthetic grease and sewing machine oil. There are lots of little parts and gears in this one. I wonder what these reels cost when new? I figure it is from the late 70s or early 80s.

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[Bill Douglas]

Good on you Marty for putting the time and effort into that.

GF had her dad's stuff and said she was keen to go fishing but didn't know if her dad's rod and reel was any good. It was an Ambassador Abu. I said it sure is. He lived next to NZ's premier salmon river so knew what it was all about. I gave it a good clean and light oil, then took her out to catch blue cod in my lil' dinghy. I think if her dad was looking down on her he'd be quite chuffed.