Even though I do everything that is possible to make sure there is no need for me to do building, repairing or maintenance, something always seems to go wrong!
I couldn't believe it when on Monday evening I was putting the fuz ballast in and the back of the ballast tube gave way. The ballast just went straight through the back.
I dropped a mail to Baudis, got a reply but wasn't really any use. I gave Rob a call but again completely useless.
After alot of pontificating about how I was going to fix this without removing the ballast tube I came up with the following method.
I cut a piece of foam that I could squeeze down the tube. I marked a steel rod so I was a able to ensure I would push the foam far enough but not too far. I wanted to create a foam bung as a base for epoxy to create a new solid end
I connected some tubing to a syringe. I had put the tubing in the ballast tube and marked it so I knew when the end of the tube would be resting against the foam bung
The fuselage taped to a dining room chair. Gravity would play an important part in this repair.
I mixed up a load of epoxy, filled the syringe with the epoxy and with the tubing balanced on the foam bung , fired it in
I left this overnight. The following day I rammed a steel bar down the tube and miraculously my repair seems to have worked. The end of the ballast tube now has avery solid epoxy bung in the end . Brilliant.
Martin
Your always going to have that doubt in the back of your mind... will that ballast break through to the back of the fuz when i yank on that elevator, possibly ending some dog walkers life?
ReplyDeleteRob
I am not fussed, I don't like dog walkers on Slopes!!
ReplyDeleteMartin
Its a Proper fix , Although a bit of wetted out carbon packed down the end now would make sure it dont come out on a nose in landing , cos as we all know at first your thrown forwards, then your recoiled back !!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe Dogwalkers are safe again .
Which , to be honest
Sux ,
Hope its all good Martin ;)
Bob