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Tool to trim external step kit

Draker

Well Known Member
Looking for recommendations on trimming the steel external step kits. I'll need to trim about 1/8" off the inboard ends of the step tubes so the step flanges mate properly with the skins. They are too long and contact the baggage rib inside. Having not done a lot of steel cutting, I'm unsure of what would work best. I have a table saw and chop saw that are great at cutting aluminum angles, not sure about the steel tube. Could also use a band saw with a fine-tooth blade. Or a hack saw. Or maybe a tube cutter? What's a good choice?

The instructions also have you round the bottom-aft corners of the step flange where the skin conical bend is. I will probably try using a hack saw + grinder wheel for this.

Also these things look badly rusted after sitting around my garage for only 7-8 months. Should I go ahead and clean the surface of them off and at least prime them now?
 
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Angle grinder

I use an angle grinder with a 4.5" thin kerf metal cut off wheel. Harbor Fright sells one pretty cheap. I actually have a Ryobi brushless cordless. Both work the same.
Tip. Use a piece of heavy tape around the tube to draw a line or just use it as a cut line. Cut outside and grind or file to perfect fit.
 
I used a rather dull hack saw blade, it worked but a new one would have made it much faster! :D
 
I'm building an RV-10, so don't know what the RV-7 steps look like, but if it is a steel tube you are trying to cut, I would recommend a pipe cutter. Most plumbers will have one of these, so if you ask around you may be able to find one you can borrow. It is basically a large version of the tubing cutter you are likely using for your fuel and brake lines.
 
Using the belt sander with a 220 grit belt gave me a lot of control. The tube grinds away very easily.

grind.jpg
 
So many options. Thanks everyone! I'll just use a hacksaw and sand/grind the rest to fit.

Looks like I'll also be opening up the hole in the skin more for the weld bead to fit through (after I spent all that time carefully deburring it). I've had so many moments in this build where I should have read farther ahead in the plans.
 
Two other questions regarding these step kits:

1. When to drill them to the skins? Vans instructions (and all of the build logs I've studied) show the step kits being drilled to the skins and installed on page 8-12, after the canoe is flipped and the top skins are fit. Is there any good reason not to drill these puppies before the side skins are riveted together? Why wait?

2. The flanges of my steps that attach to the skin have developed a significant amount of surface rust while sitting aside in my garage. Assuming when the time comes I just scuff/clean it all off. Just checking if others' kits rusted too and if I should be concerned.

IMG_1497-M.jpg
 
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Steps

Ryan
I did all the install work and clekoed them in place to make sure they fit then removed them.
They went to a local shop and were powder coated. No more issues wth rust.
They are still on the shelf but I have removable baggage floors so I can wait. They have to go in before floors are permanently riveted.
 
I'd fit the steps now, but wait as long as possible to permanently attach them. Before I bolted on the wings, I kept bumping into the steps by accident as I walked around the plane...ultimately I wrapped them in cardboard and tape to cushion the blow!
 
Wait?

I am about to install the steps, is there any reason why I would not wait on the final install?

Also steel on aluminum is a corrosion problem, should I paint the stem and back of flange that goes against the skin? The steps are already primed with SW P60G.
 
Ryan,

Make sure you have the shape of the flange and the fit done before doing your final trimmin/sanding. Mine ended up just slightly short so I had to add a spacer plate. You want the tube to be as flush as possible with the block when you are done. That will give you maximum edge distance when you drill the tube through the block.

Take your time marking and drilling the flanges. The spacing can be critical and result in conflicts or not. I didn?t drill them all at once. I drilled a few checked in place then checked everything did a few more and continued this way. The last ones I drilled were the ones closest to the tube.

Ray
 
Ryan,

Make sure you have the shape of the flange and the fit done before doing your final trimmin/sanding. Mine ended up just slightly short so I had to add a spacer plate. You want the tube to be as flush as possible with the block when you are done. That will give you maximum edge distance when you drill the tube through the block.

Take your time marking and drilling the flanges. The spacing can be critical and result in conflicts or not. I didn?t drill them all at once. I drilled a few checked in place then checked everything did a few more and continued this way. The last ones I drilled were the ones closest to the tube.

Ray

Ray,
Is yours a -7 or a 7A? I?m installing steps on my tail dragger -7. If yours is a -7, did you cut any of the length off? I sent mine back to the manufacturer and had 4? removed from the length.
 
I actually ended up riveting mine in 3 months ago or so, before flipping the canoe. Turned out fine. Gooped some proseal between them and the skins to help waterproof. Have not tripped on them yet or banged my shin, but I stuck old tennis balls on the ends of them to remind myself that they are there. Also I am now paranoid when driving into the garage because it sticks out and if I hit it, that'll be bad news.
 
Just me

So i have decided to not install them until Very late in the build, like after wiring. I figure I can do this right before the floors go in. I will probably paint the back side with extra interior paint before pro sealing them on. This task was much easier than I imagined.
Thanks for the inputs.
 
I actually ended up riveting mine in 3 months ago or so, before flipping the canoe. Turned out fine. Gooped some proseal between them and the skins to help waterproof. Have not tripped on them yet or banged my shin, but I stuck old tennis balls on the ends of them to remind myself that they are there. Also I am now paranoid when driving into the garage because it sticks out and if I hit it, that'll be bad news.

Mine steps are fitted but not riveted. On the underside of the plate, there is a bit of a gap (where the fuselage curves away). Did you fill that in with proseal?
 
Just me

On mine one side had a gap so I was able to use the vise and a cresent Wrench and tweak it enough to fill the gap to about 0.032? . I figure riveting and proseal will take care of the rest. Once located, I had to enlarge the hole in the skin to allow the weld radius to sit in the hole and not hold the flange away from the skin.
 
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