The tailwheel spring and mount on my Sonex was drilled by the original builder. Unfortunately, the hole is off center.
I’m not happy with this. To me it looks like a recipe for failure. I am ordering replacement parts.
I purchased a set of V blocks with clamps for drilling round objects. To drill, I will use an end mill with a diameter no greater than the final hole diameter to make a flat spot to keep the drill bit from wandering off center.
That’s a great idea! I would also have replaced those parts.
It’s a trick I learned from an old German machinist.
WOW! my tail spring broke shortly after 1st flight,on taxi out on a moderately rough grass strip. I had others look at the break, and found a very concentrated point on the metal, well inside the support weldment. It was my mistake for not completely cleaning the interior of weld slag, which had caused a stress point, and the failure. Very glad you cought this ‘error’ before you had an incident.
