de-burring installed aileron bracket

Previous builder installed the aileron brackets without de-burring them properly or at all for that matter.
Searched threads and a bit of info from what another builder has done.
Any suggestions?
Remove - deburr - reinstall?
De-burr what I can installed but this would leave the middle of the sandwiched parts razor sharp agains each other which I don't like.

Thanks for your input.

Mike,

I just started work on the brackets for my wings. Those brackets were pretty rough when I started so I can imagine what yours look like.

My first thought reading your email was this probably isn't the only item that wasn't done "properly". I would want to do a very thorough check. I'm sure you have had similar thoughts.

To respond to your question I think I would remove the bracket and polish the edges. I clecoed the two pieces together, then I used my 1" HF bench belt sander to take off all of that rough stuff. Then I polished the edge with my scotchbrite wheel. I think you could probably go through a similar process without too much trouble. You won't need the clecos since it is already riveted together. If you are like me I would be looking at that bracket every time I looked at the plane otherwise.

Just my 2 cents.

rapid_ascent said:

Mike,

My first thought reading your email was this probably isn't the only item that wasn't done "properly". I would want to do a very thorough check. I'm sure you have had similar thoughts.

Click to expand...

You bet, was it that obvious? I look like inspector gadget with my magnifying glass going over this thing.

You must of de-burred the inside edges of the sandwiched pieces a little too right? I can't imagine leaving them razor sharp but also wouldn't want big radiusses on the inside edges if you know what I mean.

You want to polish the edges and then 'break' the corners. Doesn't need to be a large radius at all - the drawing in Van's instructions is an exaggeration. I concur, though, that you should disassemble and polish the part up. Those sheared edges have to be smoothed.

My opinion is that the goal is to remove stress risers, which would normally be considered to be scratches/notches *across* the edge. If you can remove the shear marks that go across the edge, then anything more is cosmetic. Whether you can do that without removing the part(s) is another question.

Why not just call Van's. It's built into the price of the kit.

(I'll bet that if you could get them to talk after some alcohol lubrication, they'd tell you that most builders these days are just way too anal.)

Charlie

off they come

that's what I'll do then. Off they come, glad I bought a rivet removal tool. Slick...

rv7charlie said:

(I'll bet that if you could get them to talk after some alcohol lubrication, they'd tell you that most builders these days are just way too anal.)

Charlie

Click to expand...

Sometimes while I'm patiently deburring every edge and rivet hole as per Van's instructions, I wonder if all those tens of thousand of planes built during WWII got the same level of attention? I doubt it somehow. Maybe they just assumed their service life would be shorter than their fatigue life.