[rebel-builders] fiberglass retainer holes

[Angus McKenzie]

Hi Ron,

As an aside to your query;

Before doing the fiberglass lay up for the retainer trim piece I drilled all the rivet holes around the boot cowl and then after the fiberglass was cured- before removing the cured retainer strip off the tape- I used a 12"x1/8" drill from the underside of the dash to drill through the fiberglass from underneath. I positioned a bright light over the outside of the boot-cowl so I could see the holes through the translucent fiberglass. This made reinstalling the retainer much more precise after it was trimmed for size. All is bedded in butyl tape for final install and side and top retainers are aluminum on my plane and held in place with screws.

The lower piece was my last bit and had I known easy it was to do and how nice it would turn out I would have used a one piece fiberglass retainer all the way around using the previously described method.

From: rshannon@cruzcom.com
Date: Sat, 13 Feb 2010 12:32:29 -0800
Subject: [rebel-builders] fiberglass retainer holes
To: rebel-builders@dcsol.com

Another query probably belonging in the Dept. of Dunce:

Am I correct in assuming the rivet holes in the fiberglass windshield
retainer should be over sized to accommodate differential thermal expansion,
as with most other composite (Lexan, acrylic, etc.) structures?

(BTW, Hanson Rivets has the large head/flange Avdel rivets some others have
used for this application.)

Ron
254R




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[Ron Shannon]

Thanks, Angus. My windshield and retainers are all done, all around, except
for the issue in question, i.e., whether to enlarge the front fiberglass
retainer's rivet holes, which are already drilled to 1/8". I gather you
didn't oversize your fiberglass rivet holes....?

After I resolve the oversizing issue, the retainer will be painted, and the
windshield installed. So I'm ~95% done with the windshield job. Yea!

Ron
254R


On Sat, Feb 13, 2010 at 3:16 PM, Angus McKenzie <angus.mckenzie@sympatico.ca

wrote:

Hi Ron,

As an aside to your query;

Before doing the fiberglass lay up for the retainer trim piece I drilled
all the rivet holes around the boot cowl and then after the fiberglass was
cured- before removing the cured retainer strip off the tape- I used a
12"x1/8" drill from the underside of the dash to drill through the
fiberglass from underneath. I positioned a bright light over the outside of
the boot-cowl so I could see the holes through the translucent fiberglass.
This made reinstalling the retainer much more precise after it was trimmed
for size. All is bedded in butyl tape for final install and side and top
retainers are aluminum on my plane and held in place with screws.

The lower piece was my last bit and had I known easy it was to do and how
nice it would turn out I would have used a one piece fiberglass retainer all
the way around using the previously described method.

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[Drew Dalgleish]

Hi Ron My holes are #30 without ever having any cracking around the holes.

At 12:32 PM 13/02/2010 -0800, you wrote:

Another query probably belonging in the Dept. of Dunce:

Am I correct in assuming the rivet holes in the fiberglass windshield
retainer should be over sized to accommodate differential thermal expansion,
as with most other composite (Lexan, acrylic, etc.) structures?

(BTW, Hanson Rivets has the large head/flange Avdel rivets some others have
used for this application.)

Ron
254R

Drew



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[Ron Shannon]

Thanks, Drew. There's so much structure to the metal in this region --
framing, FW & witches hats, curves, etc. -- that I was thinking the thermal
expansion of the aluminum side to side would not be great. I'd rather have
the holes snug if the fiberglass won't be stressed too much.

Ron
254R


On Sat, Feb 13, 2010 at 5:47 PM, Drew Dalgleish <drewjan@cabletv.on.ca>wrote:

Hi Ron My holes are #30 without ever having any cracking around the holes.

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