Another really long day. I was unhappy with my drilled holes and wouldn’t use that drill bit I had sorted out again. OK maybe a hole saw after all. I’d do some test drillings next time rather than my quick try out in a block of wood.

I had another set of inserts machined up with a slightly thicker O.D. on the pilot a few days ago. While I didn’t need a press fit, it was a little sloppy. So with that sorted the holes needed a very gentle touch up with the dremel sanding drum and I had a reasonable fit. This was all late last night.

This morning I fitted and trimmed the inserts for each hole. 0.10″ short is OK but anything too long and my bolts won’t do up tightly. Not an option. In fact when I got home I ground off a further .05″ just to be sure and I will check the length again before gluing them in tomorrow.

As you see in Pic 2 the inserts lined up, in fact all twelve did and the bolts all did up nicely. It was a nightmare putting them in. I am going to have to make some special tools and jigs, what a crazy design. On the plus side it seems the holes matched and I was able to get a socket on all the bolts and I’m through all the hard points… so we are all good where it matters here. It lined up. How about that. 🙂

The wing incidence was 0.02 degrees instead of 0.00 however it was the same for both wings which was important. I tried it without the wings being supported and 0.00 was looking closer until the jig holding the CS Spar succumbed to the long moment of the wings moving.

Enough to say I feel OK about setting it up and floxing in the inserts for real. Water line (W.L. 17.4) looked pretty close too although a supported and unsupported wing are slightly different.

I’ve just alodined the inserts which each have their own little baggie. Nearly 11pm, must be dinner or at least lunch time?

Fitting inserts

Trial bolt together

Alodine those inserts