tie rods, flying wires, filing the spar?

[Dot_AK]

I've finally got all the ribs repaired and coated along with the compression spars, and put them both on the spars loosely. Next up, I tackled the other assorted hardware, trying to place where it goes on the spars and what it does, much less how it attaches.

Given all these things came completely disassembled, I'm making decent headway for starting with no knowledge and twelve boxes of parts. But now I need help again, please?

1. about half my drag/antidrag wires look like steel, and about half are slightly thicker and shinier. Intuition suggests that some of these must be drag wires, the other half anti-drag wires, but which are which? Or did half of them simply get replaced with a different wire and it makes no difference?

2. Am I supposed to have those strange cone-shaped nuts at each end of each wire as well as the tiny regular-looking nuts? Some have both, some have just one, some have neither. I'm guessing that the wierd nnuts - somewhere between flanged and cone shaped - are involved in anchoring the wires in the end of the compression struts...

3. How do you clean all the paint out of the threads without damaging them? Paint stripper is great at removing most of the paint, but it's not coming out of the threads.

4. The tie rods for the wing strut fitting (if part numbers are same between 41 BL12-65 and the L-2 blueprints, it's A-844, goes between D-A80 & D-A81) are bent, and I think one is cracked. Checking the parts source thread lead to a whole lot of talk about the struts, and not much about their fittings. Where do I get replacements?

5. The holes drilled in the shiny new spars are about 1/4 inch off - outboard - from the rear spar butt fitting. Checking with my IA, he said "file about a quarter inch off the butt of the spar, then, and make sure to varnish it." I just wanted to check and see if this is normal, or a DEAR LORD NO sort of thing, because I really am loathe to start taking wood off my spars without multiple people who know what they're doing saying it's okay.

At least I know that I don't know the answers - please help me!

[crispy critter]

Re: tie rods, flying wires, filing the spar?

I've finally got all the ribs repaired and coated along with the compression spars, and put them both on the spars loosely. Next up, I tackled the other assorted hardware, trying to place where it goes on the spars and what it does, much less how it attaches.

Given all these things came completely disassembled, I'm making decent headway for starting with no knowledge and twelve boxes of parts. But now I need help again, please?

1. about half my drag/antidrag wires look like steel, and about half are slightly thicker and shinier. Intuition suggests that some of these must be drag wires, the other half anti-drag wires, but which are which? Or did half of them simply get replaced with a different wire and it makes no difference?

(1) The Drag anti drag wires are the smae size and material. Some one has probably replaced some in the past.If you have an equal amount of each I would recommend using the best looking ones as drag wires and the others as anti-drag wires because normally the drag wires carry the most continuous load.

2. Am I supposed to have those strange cone-shaped nuts at each end of each wire as well as the tiny regular-looking nuts? Some have both, some have just one, some have neither. I'm guessing that the wierd nnuts - somewhere between flanged and cone shaped - are involved in anchoring the wires in the end of the compression struts...

(2) Yes,you are supposed to have the small cone shaped nuts go inside the hole in the compression strut(make sure hole in compression strut is not oversized where the cone nut can pull through!!) the you thread the tiny nut onto the drag wire then the drag wire into the cone nut sticking out of the compression strut. The tiny regular nut is a jam/lock nut which keeps the wire from turning or coming loose

3. How do you clean all the paint out of the threads without damaging them? Paint stripper is great at removing most of the paint, but it's not coming out of the threads.

(3) I used a "brass" wire brush wheel mounted on a bench-top rotory grinder. the brass will not hurt the threads or run any risk of causing corrosion later. If you use this method just take your time and don't try to force it all at once. Simply roll the wire/threads in the opposite direction of the turning brass/wire wheel. DO NOT try to use the wire wheel against the direction of the threads.

4. The tie rods for the wing strut fitting (if part numbers are same between 41 BL12-65 and the L-2 blueprints, it's A-844, goes between D-A80 & D-A81) are bent, and I think one is cracked. Checking the parts source thread lead to a whole lot of talk about the struts, and not much about their fittings. Where do I get replacements?

(4) I made some replacements using extra drag wires. Or about any good machine shop can make them for next to nothing. Just make sure they use the correct type of wire rod.

5. The holes drilled in the shiny new spars are about 1/4 inch off - outboard - from the rear spar butt fitting. Checking with my IA, he said "file about a quarter inch off the butt of the spar, then, and make sure to varnish it." I just wanted to check and see if this is normal, or a DEAR LORD NO sort of thing, because I really am loathe to start taking wood off my spars without multiple people who know what they're doing saying it's okay.

(5) First thing is first....did you order these spars pre-drilled from someone else? If so,send them back if there is a problem. Before you do, make sure your old spars meet the exact dementions on the blueprints. If you done them yourself then that is another story. If everything lines up good and all the other bolt holes are in perfect measurment then you can adjust it 1/4 inch and get away with it but you will have to be very careful when fitting the aileron ribs or it will rub or worse. Also,whoever made the spar might have simply left the butt end a little long to give them self some boo-boo room. Check your measurments from the tip in and see if everything is where it is supposed to be,if so then file the but and don't worry about it. If you decide to adjust everything 1/4 inch just be very careful and make sure you pre-fit everything.....also remember unless you match the other wing exactly you will have one wing slightly shorter, but I really don't think 1/4 inch will be noticable.

At least I know that I don't know the answers - please help me!

Read answers below each question listed above in the hi-lighted area.
I hope this helps

[Robert Lees]

Re: tie rods, flying wires, filing the spar?

Dot, here's a photo of the typical wing-wire assembly into the compression strut. As Kevin says, the little nut is a lock nut.

[Buell Powell]

Re: tie rods, flying wires, filing the spar?

Hi Dot,
I really understand what you are doing. I bought my first Project as a basket case and it seems every plane I get to restore is one that someone has taken apart and lost parts. I bet Kevin will sort things out but if I can help let me know--either a PM or call 830-935-2294.
Buell

[crispy critter]

Re: tie rods, flying wires, filing the spar?

Damn Rob....can I get one of those little tools? That looks really useful and it's slotted for different sizes too.

[Robert Lees]

Re: tie rods, flying wires, filing the spar?

Bicycle (or motorcycle) shops should have them. Spoke spanner (or similar) is what they're called.

If that fails, PM me a postal address...I'll post you one from Utah in December.

Rob

[crispy critter]

Re: tie rods, flying wires, filing the spar?

I am planning to go down to the bicycle shop tomorrow to get some chain for an aileron sproket......I mean for my daughters huffy,lol.

[Dot_AK]

Re: tie rods, flying wires, filing the spar?

Thank you for all the help! You're wonderful!

crispy critter, thank you VERY much for all the quick answers!

On further inspection my drag & anti-drag wires are a collection of rolled thread, cut thread, and stainlkess steel. The IA said no joy on the stainless ones, and discarded one other as unairworthy because the threads looked distinctly smashed and chewed. Yay for spare parts! He has me looking for a 6-40 die (I think that's how you write it), to cut new threads for the broken tie rods out of spare drag wires.

now knowing I needed all the cone nuts, I kept digging, and located a baggie of them in the bottom of a box - so now I have enough! On the other hand, while cleaning up the threads, I've found a good number of the little lock nuts are frozen. I don't want to force them - should I try solvent next? WD-40 or mouse-milk penetrating oil?

As for the spars - turns out that the holes are all drilled correctly, but the local guy who built them (I inherited them from the previous owner) wasn't a perfectionist. He built in a wriggle on the right rear spar butt - I say built in because the wriggle is also in the doubler plates. Because of this, the spar is 1/4 inch longer at the top end than it needs to be - so the wing attach fitting is 1/4 inch off when slid over the holes. The IA wants me to clamp it between two pieces of oak to keep the edges from splintering and very, very carefully shave off the wriggle.

I'm not that good at woodworking - I'm getting somebody competent to do it!

Rob, that looks like a wonderful shiny new tool. oooh. I'm going to look for one!

Buell, thanks for the offer and the moral support!

[Forrest Barber]

Re: tie rods, flying wires, filing the spar?

OR make the one up that they used at the factory. I think I had too many beers the day of the shoot. The spoke nipple one works great too!