Leading Edge Skin Clamps

[Paul]

Just a note out to all builders that haven't yet installed leading edge skin.....I have Theo Mulder's clamps and finished up my wings today so the clamps are available. These clamps work very well. Be careful as Mitch has warned, don't cinch them up too tight or you risk damaging your nose ribs. Finger tight works perfect.
Contact me through the forum or by email at paulborys@borderglass.com if you'd like me to ship them out to you.

[Paul]

Guys....an update on the Leading edge clamps. They're on their way to Jake in Minnesota tomorrow morning.

[c130jake]

Done with the clamps. Who needs them next? I made 4 more but didn't need them. It seemed to work best one rib at a time. Got leading edge skins on quicker and tighter doing it the way the manual recommended on the second wing. One clamp in each side of a rib and doing all the rivets. Duct tape to hold the rest of the skin in place. Don't forget and rivet rib 5 on top. Cap strip locations get riveted later. (Long range tanks).

Jake

[Chip]

Done with the clamps. Who needs them next? I made 4 more but didn't need them. It seemed to work best one rib at a time. Got leading edge skins on quicker and tighter doing it the way the manual recommended on the second wing. One clamp in each side of a rib and doing all the rivets. Duct tape to hold the rest of the skin in place. Don't forget and rivet rib 5 on top. Cap strip locations get riveted later. (Long range tanks).

Jake

Hi Jake... I can use them... My email is cmather@me.com. Please contact me via email and we can set up pre-paid shipping
Thanks,

Chip Mather

[c130jake]

They should ship Friday when I get home.

[Thomas]

Lloyd,
We only used ratchet straps (1" wide), one at each rib on each length of skin and achieved a perfect fit on four wings. Cleco the top of the skin first then gradually tighten the ratchets one click at a time until the skin is touching each rib completely without distortion, then drill and rivet the bottom of the skin. We used a length of 2"x1" under the straps on the bottom of the rib to get an even pressure.
Hope this helps
Bruce

[Lloyd]

Being a non-A&P and first time builder of anything there is a huge learning curve of even the simplest of tasks, so for those using or waiting to use the clamps, it'd be nice to hear any tips from those who have more experience. I'm in process with them now.
1)What I've learned from experience (experience being defined as learning from your mistakes) is that with extended range tanks, you do not rivet the top of rib one AND five, nor do you rivet the bottom of rib one.
2)If you have lights in the wing, the recommendation is not to rivet the bottom of either rib next to the light housing until the housing is riveted.
3)That's a lot of rivets to catch later and I wonder what's going to be the best way to snug things up when time comes as the clamps will be long gone since you've followed the manual's order of building and shipped them out after placing the LE skins. I plan on using ratchet ties which I actually used in combination with the clamps since you could not get the clamps in the N brace bay.
4)There were five clamps shipped to me and I dutifully clamped as many on as I had room for. Study the picture in the forum and you'll see there is blocking between the spar and clamp which must be in place for the clamps to work. A 6.5 inch piece of 2 by 4 worked best for me. The 2 by 4s weren't shipped with the clamps to save shipping cost. Duh, no wonder the clamps ran out of travel before the LE skins were snug.
5)Start in the middle and work outwards in both directions is what the manual said, which is to allow the metal to move as you rivet it. The problem is, if you are not carefully with the order the clamps are tightened and tighten all the clamps the same amount at the same time, the skin does not have a chance to move away from the center. Does that mean you'll get buckling at the bottom when the clamps are removed if you don't do that? Don't ask. I'm guessing if you use multiple clamps, the centermost clamps should stay ahead of the next ones out in the tightening process, or maybe don't bother with putting too many clamps on at a time.
6)It is my understanding that one of the reasons for the washout block is to replicate what happens when you hang the wing and set the washout. If the block is not in place when you do the LE skins, you may get wrinkling of the skins when they are hung and the washout set.

Anyone else wanting to chime in, it would be helpful.

Lloyd

ps Second wing will go a heck of a lot faster

[dballin]

Just wondering who has the leading edge clamps and when they might be available.
Please email me off line

dballin@gmail.com

Thanks
Dan Ballin

[t.c.williams]

Just wondering who has the leading edge clamps and when they might be available.
Please email me off line

dballin@gmail.com

Thanks
Dan Ballin

A set was shipped to me Monday. Hopefully have by tomorrow. Should thate no longer than a week I hope. Will ship to whoever needs them.

[Mitch]

TC

Would you please send them to:
Gary Weaver
2247 W. Hwy 26
Othello, WA 99344
509-989-0125