Cowl to Firewall fastening

Here's a question for the builders who may have longer term experience with using Skybolt or similar fasteners on their cowling. I am building an RV-8 and planning on using Skybolt fasteners on the firewall. The attachment metal is already riveted on and I have the hinges mounted along the cowl sides. My question deals with long term use of the camlocks and how it affects your paint job when you put the cowl on numerous times. I'm concerned, after putting the cowl on and taking it off at least 100 times (it's just clecoed at the firewall right now), that the protruding fasteners will mar up the finish on the forward fuselage boot cowl skin. I'm considering going with just #8 flush screws and washers going into platenuts on the top half and going back to hinges for the bottom cowl sides. There wouldn't be anything hanging down from the top cowl to scratch the paint and the only downside I can see right now is the time it takes to remove/install 14 screws (partially remedied by a small power screwdriver) during cowl removal. Any ideas? I already have the Skybolt kit. I've laid up glass and flox on the inside of the upper cowl lip to bring it flush with the boot skin and match the contour of the attachment piece, so I have plenty of depth to countersink for a flush screw and washer. What's the other downside??? Anybody done this?

Scott

Hello Mr. Scott Hersha ,
I've done this a couple times....standard camlocks on my RV6, skybolts on my RV7, and now skybolts on my Rocket. I 'think' you're saying that you have concerns about the skybolt 'stud' assy hanging down from the aft end of the upper cowl (possibly) scratching the forward section of the boot cowl behind your firewall flange??? I've had ZERO issues there with many many many on/offs as you can imagine. This is with me always taking the cowl on and off by myself.....just be careful. It's when you get a 'helper' when the trouble begins ! It's actually the painted edges of the cowl that you need to be concerned with....chances of chipping your paint there are much greater. That's why I always leave a hacksaw blade width all the way around the cowl lines......don't make them too tight or they WILL eventually start to chip.

Hope all is well buddy!

Zero Issues

I haven't had any issues with that - 370 hours later...

Rick is correct in that you really want to leave a nice even gap (hacksaw blade thickness is good) between your cowl lines so that the paint doesn't chip at the edges.

Scott
Ditto what Rick said about the "helper", and if I were you I'd ditch those SKYBOLTS and go back to the hinges, ditch the fastback, ditch the bent stick, ditch the custom side consoles,......... Oh what the heck, just start over!!!
JUST KIDDING!

Stay the course, the end is in sight!

Jon