So, got everything for the tail kit except for two tailtips. It seems like the very first thing I need to do is bend the forward horizonal stab spar to 22.3 degrees. Is the best way to accomplish this to get an arbor press, a bandsaw, and some scrap wood, cut the angle into the wood, and then put a steel rod on top with some tape and press the part down to form the angle?
Very new to all of this, so assume I know literally nothing while you answer.
There is a good tutorial on the sonex site. The second one down i believe is what you are looking for… Bending Flat Parts.indd
Ampzapper shared his take on the task:
The key thing is to make sure there is a generous radius, no sharp bends or nicks in the part. Tail stays on = good, falls off = bad. In my picture above I had a half-circle cut into the wood and that was ok. My later jig was a hunk of plywood with a couple pieces of wood screwed into it to make the empty space to press into. I could not find the picture, but I still have the jig at the hangar and I’ll take a picture.
Keep in mind that the aluminum will want to spring back so you have to bend it a little over the final angle. I’d used a protractor and wouldn’t use the V-block as the primary measurement.
I had my hydraulic fixture from a previous project. If I had know how much I was going to use it I might have bought a hydraulic press or built something like this to make it easier: Homemade hydraulic press
Also, if you ever find yourself waiting for parts or tools, it’s a good time to look ahead or deburr edges on future parts. There’s a lot that can be done out of order.
I detailed that in a KITPLANES article.
Nice article Kerry, thanks.
Here is my later tooling, much like Kerry’s 2x4s. It’s hardwood and wider, so I can screw scraps to the board to keep the part captive as the bend starts. Not really needed for simple bends, but helpful for Waiex hockey sticks. I have some large bolts I use for the radius.
