For John Lawton
Regarding your words
"2 layers of 'bid sandwich a layer of "E" glass
> tape were applied to each mold extending out about 3/4" past the side
edges of the PVC to provide flanges"
Could you explain what "E" glass tape is please?
and yes I would like to see one or perhaps two photos to me off list.
J R (Bob) Gowing, UK Kit 327 in Oz working on adj seats after flaps in
working condition.
----- Original Message -----
From: <TELEDYNMCS@aol.com>
Subject: Europa-List: Wiring conduits
>
> In a message dated 10/4/2004 2:59:21 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
> europa-list-digest@matronics.com writes:
>
> > Andrew,
> > ...don't know the details of your 'ready made' module, but I
> > would suggest planning the routing for wires (conduits) before gluing
in.
> > There are a number of routes for wiring which may be arduous after the
> > insertion and now would be the time..... I had the advantage of
assembling
> > old-style and have imbedded drink straw routes through some of the
cockpit
> > where not structural, and included double length pullthrough fishing
line
> > for any future inclusion.
> > Like several others, I opted for alu fuel lines where they are
> > difficult to replace, hoping thereby to avoid scraped knuckles in 5
> > years...........
> > Cheers and good luck,
> > Ferg
> > A064
>
> Greetings all,
>
> I thought I'd chime in here since I just finished my conduits. What I did
was
> make a mold using PVC pipe, actually about quarter round of a 2" PVC pipe.
I
> cut the PVC lenthwise in half with a band saw, then in half again and
> flattened out the edges using a belt sander. Then a cut for the proper
length for the
> conduit was made, plus a couple of inches. Then I taped the 4 PVC quarter
> rounds to a piece of particle board and covered it in packing tape,
leaving enough
> space between them to allow for flanges of about 3/4" on each side of the
> PVC, thereby completing the mold. 2 layers of 'bid sandwich a layer of "E"
glass
> tape were applied to each mold extending out about 3/4" past the side
edges of
> the PVC to provide flanges for later installation with flox and a few
inches
> longer than needed. 4 of these were made. Two to go from the rear bulkhead
to
> the door sill and two to go from the forward edge of the door sills to the
> instrument panel. Installing them over the rebate between the upper and
lower
> fuselage halves results in the inside diameter of these conduits being
slightly
> larger than a BNC connector, so should I ever have to replace coax it can
be
> done. On the right side the rear conduit intersects the fuel filler cover
front
> and back, but isn't tied into the fuel filler cover. Slots were shaped
into
> the cover to accept the molded conduits.
>
> Next, and since reinforcement is needed under the door sills to keep the
> paint from cracking due to putting your weight on the sill during entering
and
> exiting the aircraft, I roughly fabricated foam molds, triangular in
shape, on
> the bandsaw, long enough to run the length of the door, plus a couple of
inches
> fore and aft. Then the foam was hot glued in place under the door sills. I
> then clamped the previously made conduits in place and the foam was sanded
to a
> nice shape so that it flows neatly from conduit to door sill conduit to
> conduit. This foam was also sanded to shape so that it ties smoothly into
the
> irrigation pipe conduit I made in the windscreen frame to feed switch
wires and XM
> antenna feed to my overhead panel. I then taped over the molded conduits
and the
> foam with packing tape and covered the door sill area with 3 layers of
'bid,
> including about a 1" overlap onto the previously molded conduits for and
aft.
> Once the door sills kicked, I removed all the molded parts, cleaned up the
> edges on the band saw, scuffed the bonding flanges and re-installed all of
the
> conduits with flox. Sanding and floating in the edges with a small amount
of
> bondo after the flox kicked and painting the cockpit with Zolatone
resulted in
> conduits which look like they are molded as part of the fuselage side. The
door
> sills are really stiff too. I'm very pleased with the results. It kills
two
> birds with one rock and the result is certainly worth the 10 or so hours
it took
> to make them.
>
> I'd be happy to send pictures off list to anyone interested in seeing this
> method. It really makes the cockpit look nice.
>
> I didn't leave a pull string, but what you can do is use a shop vac on one
> end of the conduit to suck a length of string through should the need
arise to
> add wires. I learned this trick from an electrician friend and it works
great!
>
> Regards,
>
> John Lawton
> Dunlap, TN
> A-245 (Working on the tailpost and rudder between glider tows)
>
>
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