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Speaking of landing light cutouts...

FlyGuy65

Well Known Member
Any consensus on best techniques to actually cut the leading edge? RV-7, leading edge riveted together but not riveted to spar. 2003 era Duckworks kit.

Options readily available are Weiss snips, hacksaw, jigsaw, or Dremel with ceramic cutting disk.

I've read the hardest part is actually making that first cut....

Thanks!
 
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i have made many cutouts [including 2 land light] and never had a bad outcome with the dremel tool. i have always protected the area around the cutout but never had the tool slip or jump. measure twice cut once really applies though.
 
A dremel or other rotary tool is the most common choice. For me, a jigsaw is much more controllable, but you need to find an extremely fine toothed blade to use. I'm not sure they make something fine enough for the LE skins.
 
One technique

The technique that worked for me on an RV-7 and RV-10 - layout the pattern on the leading edge. Figure the centerpoint of the radius at the corners and drill a small (#40) pilot hole there. You can use a hole saw of the appropriate diameter or an annular cutter (my preference if you have one) and make the four corner cuts. Use a Dremel or similar tool with the small thickness disc and cut the straight lines between the holes. Use a file or pneumatic tool(s) to clean up the lines up to the pattern.

Good to stay inside all of the lines of course, to give some margin for error and clean up.

The lens is slightly oversized and will cover small misses.
 
I started with a unibit in 4 corners then used tin snips, sanding drums, files, etc. Just make sure you get the top and bottom correct. If you take a close look at the Van's RV-9A demonstator, they had to fabricate a filler piece because they cut it wrong the first time.
 
I taped off the area with masking tape and penciled in the cutout shape. Then I used a Dremel with a cutoff wheel staying away from the lines by about 1/8 inch, a bit more in the corners. Once the major cut was made and leading edge portion removed, I finished the opening using Dremel sanding drums of 1/2" and 1/4" sizes in course and then finer grits. The finished opening was then buffed with scotchbrite. This was a quickbuild wing.

Roberta
 
body saw

I have an air powered body saw, and it worked super slick for this purpose. Its just like a tiny reciprocating saw whose blade is much smaller and recips at a much faster rate.

Search for CP 7900
 
I have an air powered body saw, and it worked super slick for this purpose. Its just like a tiny reciprocating saw whose blade is much smaller and recips at a much faster rate.

Search for CP 7900

Exactly what I used.

Tapped off the area, drew on the tape with a Sharpe, drilled a hole near the edge, used a body saw to cut it out, and finished the opening with a file.
 
I used weiss snips for mine and it worked out fine. Stayed off the line by about 1/8" or so, then finished up to the line with a vixen file.
 
8 Duckworks leading edge light kits installed so far. First thing I did was to tape the whole leading edge of the wing in that area with 3? wide painters tape. Then taped the cut out template to the wing, and traced the cutout line onto the taped area on the wing. I used a Drexel tool to cut just inside the line. Then a 2? sanding cylinder in my die grinder to bring the cutout right down to the traced line. Touch up the cutout with a file and scotch-brite pad or wheel and you?re done. It has never taken longer than 20 minutes to get a perfect cutout.
 
It's a done deal - circular cutter for all 4 corners, combination of snips, sander, file, and reciprocating saw. I found it easier to draw the cutout on top of blue painters tape vs gluing/taping the template.

Thanks everyone!
 
If you take a close look at the Van's RV-9A demonstator, they had to fabricate a filler piece because they cut it wrong the first time.

So THAT's why I got the template bass-akwards on my own bird! I took the "free ride" at the Mothership, and I didn't notice the the replacement "eyebrow" in the landing light cutout at the time.

It must have planted a subliminal seed in my mind: "Build yours exactly like me...exactly like me...." :D

I stayed over at the weekend following a business trip to a certain large computer chip maker up the road a piece in Hillsborough, OR. If any of the folks on this board know the place, you may understand another source for a "Copy Exact!" voice in my head. :eek:
 
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