---------------------------------------------------------- Pietenpol-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Fri 06/04/04: 7 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 09:14 AM - Nails and splitting (Hodgson, Mark O) 2. 09:34 AM - Re: Nails and splitting (Steve Eldredge) 3. 10:10 AM - Re: Nails and splitting (James Dallas) 4. 11:16 AM - Re: Nails and splitting (John Ford) 5. 02:57 PM - cross strut location (Richard Schreiber) 6. 07:47 PM - Re: Nails and splitting (Richard Schreiber) 7. 11:22 PM - Re: Nails and splitting (Clif Dawson) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 09:14:29 AM PST US Subject: Pietenpol-List: Nails and splitting From: "Hodgson, Mark O" --> Pietenpol-List message posted by: "Hodgson, Mark O" I'm using nails rather than staples to protect the capstrips/braces etc. from splitting while making ribs. I've got a set of alligator clips bent slightly as mini-tripods to hold the nails without having to spend much time making sure the nails are going in vertically. I'm using a 5 oz. tack hammer. I've still managed to split a couple of braces (nails went in straight and centered), and repair is no fun when a gusset is glued in with 3 good nails preceding the offending nail. Any suggestions to prevent this? Or suggestions to repair quickly? Or do you just say "what the hell, the gussets will hold everything together" and live with the splits (I definitely don't want to opt for the latter)? Mark Hodgson ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 09:34:25 AM PST US Subject: RE: Pietenpol-List: Nails and splitting From: "Steve Eldredge" --> Pietenpol-List message posted by: "Steve Eldredge" You will get some splitting. I chose to live with it. There wasn't much I could do about the problem. On the bad ones I pulled just the offending nail and let the glue do its job filling in the split. I switched from 20gauge nails after my piet project to a pneumatic stapler and wish I would have done it long before I drove 9000 nails with a tack hammer and needle nose pliers. Stevee -----Original Message----- From: owner-pietenpol-list-server@matronics.com [mailto:owner-pietenpol-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of Hodgson, Mark O Subject: Pietenpol-List: Nails and splitting --> Pietenpol-List message posted by: "Hodgson, Mark O" I'm using nails rather than staples to protect the capstrips/braces etc. from splitting while making ribs. I've got a set of alligator clips bent slightly as mini-tripods to hold the nails without having to spend much time making sure the nails are going in vertically. I'm using a 5 oz. tack hammer. I've still managed to split a couple of braces (nails went in straight and centered), and repair is no fun when a gusset is glued in with 3 good nails preceding the offending nail. Any suggestions to prevent this? Or suggestions to repair quickly? Or do you just say "what the hell, the gussets will hold everything together" and live with the splits (I definitely don't want to opt for the latter)? Mark Hodgson == == == == ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 10:10:51 AM PST US From: "James Dallas" Subject: RE: Pietenpol-List: Nails and splitting --> Pietenpol-List message posted by: "James Dallas" I didn't use any nails---just built one rib a day Jim Dallas >From: "Hodgson, Mark O" >Reply-To: pietenpol-list@matronics.com >To: >Subject: Pietenpol-List: Nails and splitting >Date: Fri, 4 Jun 2004 11:57:43 -0400 > >--> Pietenpol-List message posted by: "Hodgson, Mark O" > >I'm using nails rather than staples to protect the capstrips/braces etc. >from splitting while making ribs. I've got a set of alligator clips >bent slightly as mini-tripods to hold the nails without having to spend >much time making sure the nails are going in vertically. I'm using a 5 >oz. tack hammer. I've still managed to split a couple of braces (nails >went in straight and centered), and repair is no fun when a gusset is >glued in with 3 good nails preceding the offending nail. Any >suggestions to prevent this? Or suggestions to repair quickly? Or do >you just say "what the hell, the gussets will hold everything together" >and live with the splits (I definitely don't want to opt for the >latter)? > >Mark Hodgson > > ________________________________ Message 4 _____________________________________ Time: 11:16:16 AM PST US From: "John Ford" Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: Nails and splitting --> Pietenpol-List message posted by: "John Ford" Pre-drill them. This advice from someone who hasn't done any of this yet of course, so take it for what it's worth. :) John John Ford john@indstate.edu 812-237-8542 >>> mhodgson@bu.edu Friday, June 04, 2004 10:57:43 AM >>> --> Pietenpol-List message posted by: "Hodgson, Mark O" I'm using nails rather than staples to protect the capstrips/braces etc. from splitting while making ribs. I've got a set of alligator clips... ________________________________ Message 5 _____________________________________ Time: 02:57:07 PM PST US From: Richard Schreiber Subject: Pietenpol-List: cross strut location --> Pietenpol-List message posted by: Richard Schreiber I am well on the way to having my fuselage done (building long fuselage) but I am confused on one issue. The extended fuselage plans do not show the location of the top and bottom cross struts. For the most part it has been obvious where these should be, except for the final bay just in front of the Horizontal stabilizer. The short fuselage plans show the top cross strut at 16 from the rear. The vertical strut on the long fuselage is at 19 3/8. The location of the vertical strut on the short fuselage plans was 16 . The question is should the top cross strut mate with the vertical strut at 19 3/8, which would put it in front of the leading edge of the stabilizer or should the cross strut still be at the short fuselage position of 16 ? My fuselage is mostly complete up through the stage of all the top and bottom cross struts and diagonals. All of the bottom gussets and floor is in. The problem is I put the last cross strut in at 19 3/8. If it needs to be at 16 for support for the stabilizer, couldnt I just add another cross strut on the top at this location. I do not think that this one piece would be a weight problem, even with the long moment arm. Would the fact that the cross brace does not extend back the extra 3 to 16 in front of the tail be a structural issue? thanks for the help Rick Schreiber ________________________________ Message 6 _____________________________________ Time: 07:47:19 PM PST US From: Richard Schreiber Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: Nails and splitting --> Pietenpol-List message posted by: Richard Schreiber Mark, I used 1/4" light weight staples with a light weight staple gun. The model I used was a Stanley TR45 sharpshooter. I think I paid 8 or 9$ at the local builders supply. It worked fine. The staples held the gusset with plenty of pressure and I did not split any of the wood. Rick Schreiber Hodgson, Mark O wrote: >--> Pietenpol-List message posted by: "Hodgson, Mark O" > >I'm using nails rather than staples to protect the capstrips/braces etc. >from splitting while making ribs. I've got a set of alligator clips >bent slightly as mini-tripods to hold the nails without having to spend >much time making sure the nails are going in vertically. I'm using a 5 >oz. tack hammer. I've still managed to split a couple of braces (nails >went in straight and centered), and repair is no fun when a gusset is >glued in with 3 good nails preceding the offending nail. Any >suggestions to prevent this? Or suggestions to repair quickly? Or do >you just say "what the hell, the gussets will hold everything together" >and live with the splits (I definitely don't want to opt for the >latter)? > >Mark Hodgson > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ Message 7 _____________________________________ Time: 11:22:34 PM PST US From: Clif Dawson Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: Nails and splitting <40C1355D.6060006@netnitco.net> --> Pietenpol-List message posted by: Clif Dawson If you use staples that are lined up parallel to the grain you should not get any splitting as you are cutting the grain crossways. The staples are flat sided, like a mini chisel. The point of the nails you are using pushes the wood aside so if you remove the point by cutting it off with wire cutters you then have a blunt chisel shape. Place this crosswise to the grain and it will cut instead of split. This is an old carpentry trick. If you're building something large using 2 or 3 inch nails then you place the end on something hard like a sidewalk or rock and wack it. Thus blunting the end. The nail then crushes its way into the wood with no splitting. You could do the same. Just place the end on a piece of steel and hit it enough to take the point off then transfer it to the job. Sounds like work to me. If you use epoxy and have a little patience then there's no need for nails at all. In fact epoxy needs a definite film to hold properly, unlike resorcinal. You might get enough pressure from the nail or staple to starve the joint of epoxy, certainly part of it anyway. On the other hand, resorcinal needs more than the power of a couple of nails for full strength. Clif ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Schreiber" Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: Nails and splitting > --> Pietenpol-List message posted by: Richard Schreiber > > Mark, > > I used 1/4" light weight staples with a light weight staple gun. The > model I used was a Stanley TR45 sharpshooter. I think I paid 8 or 9$ at > the local builders supply. It worked fine. The staples held the gusset > with plenty of pressure and I did not split any of the wood. > > Rick Schreiber > > Hodgson, Mark O wrote: > > >--> Pietenpol-List message posted by: "Hodgson, Mark O" > > > >I'm using nails rather than staples to protect the capstrips/braces etc. > >from splitting while making ribs. I've got a set of alligator clips > >bent slightly as mini-tripods to hold the nails without having to spend > >much time making sure the nails are going in vertically. I'm using a 5 > >oz. tack hammer. I've still managed to split a couple of braces (nails > >went in straight and centered), and repair is no fun when a gusset is > >glued in with 3 good nails preceding the offending nail. Any > >suggestions to prevent this? Or suggestions to repair quickly? Or do > >you just say "what the hell, the gussets will hold everything together" > >and live with the splits (I definitely don't want to opt for the > >latter)? > > > >Mark Hodgson > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >