built-up rib material

[Dot_AK]

thanks everyone for the advice on the rivets, and sources for parts!

I got the rib repair kit from Wag-Aero, but the W-shaped channel in it is not the same as the W-shaped channel on my wings. Can I still use it, or is there some special tool that converts it, or do I need to find the correct rib bracing somewhere else?

Two steps forward, one step back - this is going to be a great winter project...

-Dorothy

[mike lutz]

Re: built-up rib material

If you can find some ribs from a piper (tri-pacer-colt,etc),the w from those should fit over the t-craft w perfectly.Also,the T section(rib top and bottom) of the piper rib,can be spread apart and slid over the t-craft rib T section.Use hand seamers to clamp everything together,then rivit together.This makes a very nice repair to the t-craft built up ribs.Have done this several times over the years and it works and looks great.Hope this helps you. Mike Lutz

[Dot_AK]

Re: built-up rib material

One minor problem: some of the sections are missing, not just corroded.

Otherwise, on the ones that just need some reinforcement, I'll try that this weekend! Thanks!

[astjp2]

Re: built-up rib material

I am flying into anchorage on the 1st of Oct. if you can wait until then,I can come by and give you a hand. You can use the w material it is just a little wider. Tim

[Larry Lyons]

Re: built-up rib material

I have to admit I am watching this thread with interest as I am at the very same point in my rebuild. I have ribs that need rebuilding, I have spare ribs to cut and splice with, I have a rivet gun, I have access to bucking bars, I have a box full of various rivets that I think are the right dia. (though not sure of that), I have a proper rivet cutter to cut them to length, I have absolutely no knowledge as to what H*ll I am doing! So I approach this job with trepidation, and read all I can find on it. One major problem is all my rib repairs are forward of the front spar. AC 43 does not address this directly but the Army repair manual for the L-4 (Piper) says no repairs in that area. Do I infer then that I too can not make splices there. Do I have to replace the entire nose of the rib? Has anybody been here and done that. When I asked my IA, earlier this year, he thought my repair would be fine, but after attending the forum on Piper rib repair at Oshkosh I now wonder. I do not want to make these repairs only to have someone later tell me they are wrong and not acceptable. My bird, a 41 BC-12-65 was stored in a dirt floored hanger with it's tail tied up in the rafters for 33 years, hence the varmint urine damage is in the lower front rib section. Several ribs have lost 2" to 4" of material entirely, plus the leading edge is gone too but that is not the problem.
Larry

[astjp2]

Re: built-up rib material

I repaired almost every rib in the one wing, to include every area. I was lucky enough to come up with some scrap cub ribs to cannibalize for raw materail. There is usually not enough material in the cub repair kit by itself. I even used some scrap cub ribs this summer to splice 5 ribs from damage I received last winter. I am lucky to have a special tool that makes splicing sooo much easier. I do not recommend using a rivet gun for working on ribs, they are not 2024, so the hammering action will probaby do more damage than help. A good 1-2" rivet squeezer with modified rivet sets is the best way that I have found to repair them. You must also consider that since the materail is not 2024, you will not be getting a full squeeze because it will damage the base material...at least that is my experience. Tim

[flybikefarm]

Re: built-up rib material

Larry, I have the die to make the W sections. Be glad to loan it to you. The instructions on how to make the stamp die is in the cub-club news letters, would make a good artical for t-craft news letter. How about it Steve? George

[Dot_AK]

Re: built-up rib material

Tim,

I'd really appreciate it if you could swing by - this project is just two girls, one a half-decent pilot and the other an apprentice A&P, muddling along and trying to figure it out. We've learned to squeeze rivets and drill them out, but not quite well enough to leave any as passing the "looks professional, will work just great" level of critique.

George,

I suspect I'm a bit too far away to be able to turn up on your doorstep with a six-pack of good beer or whatever bribe you like for a crack at making some W-section. If you have any lying around, what can I bribe you with to get it up here?

Also, and I was wondering this, what alloy are the ribs actually made from?

Larry & everybody,

D you have access to a camera? We made a mistake last night, and mixed our spare & original ribs. Now, we've gotten them all sorted back out - except ribs 9-14. We know 9 & 10 have the bakelite guide for the control cable, but some of these ribs have a rear end curve twice as wide as others. Which ones need that double-wide curved metal rear? Can we substitute one of them any place it calls for a single-wide rib?

Every single photo the prior owner took that could have answered this question still had the aileron cove in place, hiding the information we needed. I will not cry, I will not... I'm just going to ask for help.

Two steps forward, one step back...

-Dorothy

[Larry Lyons]

Re: built-up rib material

Dot I will look and take pics tonightas I have the 15 rib wing too. I have one wing still completely assembled without covering just for this kind of thing.
Larry

[Dot_AK]

Re: built-up rib material

Larry,

THANK YOU!

I promise to never work on the plane without adequate caffeine again. And if you ever get up this way, I owe you a big hug and a ride in 69V once she's flying!

[Larry Lyons]

Re: built-up rib material

Here are some pics if I have done it right. The outboard rib by the aileron linkage is the one with the double width. Pic number three is the one closer to the root. You will see that two cove sheet metal pieces attach (come together) there. If these files are too big, let me know and I will shrink them. Larry

PS: while up there in 04 and 05 ( Anchorage) I met two women that run a drilling business some where up North. Both young ( by this old codgers definition), and not hard to look at, but the local drillers say if you spend a day with them they will work you in to the ground. Now this is in a male dominated industry that is ruled by the fact that everything is heavier the H*ll and the work is cold, dirty, and wet!

[Larry Lyons]

Re: built-up rib material

Just to add here. Vans RV has a tool box kit that uses all the steps you will need to learn how to rivet. For only $26 I get a nice little tool box and some experience on something other then my precious ribs. So off I go in to the wild blue yonder of riveting.
Larry



PS: I am going to buy a rivet squeezer, as I can see that a gun will be way over kill. Anybody got one they want to part with or know of one for sale. On eBay right now they are bring pretty good bucks so may watch for a bit.

[astjp2]

Re: built-up rib material

Go find some busted up cub ribs and practice on those...Tim

[mhorowit]

Re: built-up rib material

I have to admit I am watching this thread with interest as I am at the very same point in my rebuild. I have ribs that need rebuilding, I have spare ribs to cut and splice with, I have a rivet gun, I have access to bucking bars, I have a box full of various rivets that I think are the right dia. (though not sure of that), I have a proper rivet cutter to cut them to length, I have absolutely no knowledge as to what H*ll I am doing! So I approach this job with trepidation, and read all I can find on it.
Larry

Larry - I went to my EAA chapter, found the riveting guru and away I went! You near someone building an RV-x or an EAA chapter? - Mike

[Dot_AK]

Re: built-up rib material

Larry, thanks again for the pictures!

Only have the four ribs (I think) left to repair, and I think I'm done with this section of the project! Rivet squeezer's working great. My riveting, not so great. But I'm learning quickly.

Next up - tried to slide the good ribs onto the old spar to see how everything looked, especially around the doubler plates, and ended up scratching the old (thank god it wasn't the new) spar pretty badly. Closer inspection showed all the places where brads were pulled out have points metal sticking toward the spar. Tim's already told me how to tamp this down - thank you Tim! But there's a lot of varnish stuck to the insides, too. I suspect this is part of what made them hard to slide on, and I ought to remove it.

Is MEK the preferred method of cleaning up varnish on the ribs, or is there a better way? I'm, ah, quite wary of working with MEK, especially as I don't have good ventilation in the hangar.