Last annual my AI informed me that he found a dozen or more loose nails. He thought that I would have to cut extra inspection holes in my wing to accomplish the job 
. "NOT IN MY AIRPLANE" I thought. After close examination with available mirrors and borrowed bore scopes I found there was not enough room to see and work through the inspection holes. I had to think out side the box for a better way.
I went to Fry's Electronics and bought a small video surveillance camera with Led lights, mounted a small 12" TV on a portable stand and tried it out. It appeared to work quite well until I tried to do some work with it; the resolution was so poor that you could not focus close enough to see what you were doing. I went back and bought a larger camera (without lights) but with a focus able lens. I then used a florescent trouble light which worked great for light, but the camera still left something to be desired. The camera was mounted on a steel plate using the 1/4 20 screw in the bottom of the camera, fuzzy Velcro taped on the bottom so I could slide it around in the wing without damaging the fabric. On the back of the plate a small screw stuck up behind the camera so I could grab it with one of those flexible pronged dropped part retrievers 3' long, now I can steer the camera from another inspection hole.
This camera arrangement was so-so, the in focus distance was quite short 2 - 3", this made jockeying the camera around a pain. I went back to Fry's and got a manual zoom lens, I wanted an electric zoom, but the camera I would not accept the electric zoom. By now you guys might think I have spent a fortune on this stuff, but my total is about $120. If I had started out right I could have bought a camera with electric zoom for about $120. These cameras are about 2 1/2" sq. by 5" long, in color no less, you need color to see what you are doing. I upgraded my monitor to a 19" TV, big help. Now I can see what I am doing in close up color. A cheap little brad nail puller from the hardware store, I could pull the loose nails.
New Problem in finding the correct replacement nails. A call to American Champion got me "buy new wings" for big $$$ , a call to Safe Air ended at Wag Aero, they were clue less. I called Rainbow and received some ring shank nails from them, they were larger than the holes in my ribs. My original nails were smooth 18 ga. .048 dia., these were 14 ga. .074 dia., I did not want to spilt the spars with that large of nail. It took me a month to track down 16 ga. .062 dia. ring shank nails.
I can see what I am doing and I have nails, now how am I going to install these one handed? I figured I could make an end that would fit on a large spring loaded center punch and I could just push "pop" my way to sucess.
Wrong again. I need more "whack" to drive the nails. Back to the drawing board, I needed a miniature air nailer. A small air cylinder (5/8 bore x 3" stroke) was secured. The piston was modified with a 1.5" long free weight, a spring to return piston and weight, a nose piece to hold the nail and hammer, a foot valve to send air to the cylinder, and a long hose from floor to nailer.
I would load the nail and place a small piece of tape over the end of my nailer to hold the nail in, the nail protruded through the tape about 1/16" . I could feel when the nail went through the hole in the rib, 4 or 5 whacks with my nailer would set the nail, 17 nails in total. If it looked loose it was replaced - no new holes were cut in the wing. .
My AI was dumbfounded when I showed him what I had done, it has made it much easier for me to do the work with his supervision
If anyone wants to see pictures or has a place to post them contact me.
Morris ate@arotek.com
. "NOT IN MY AIRPLANE" I thought. After close examination with available mirrors and borrowed bore scopes I found there was not enough room to see and work through the inspection holes. I had to think out side the box for a better way.I went to Fry's Electronics and bought a small video surveillance camera with Led lights, mounted a small 12" TV on a portable stand and tried it out. It appeared to work quite well until I tried to do some work with it; the resolution was so poor that you could not focus close enough to see what you were doing. I went back and bought a larger camera (without lights) but with a focus able lens. I then used a florescent trouble light which worked great for light, but the camera still left something to be desired. The camera was mounted on a steel plate using the 1/4 20 screw in the bottom of the camera, fuzzy Velcro taped on the bottom so I could slide it around in the wing without damaging the fabric. On the back of the plate a small screw stuck up behind the camera so I could grab it with one of those flexible pronged dropped part retrievers 3' long, now I can steer the camera from another inspection hole.
This camera arrangement was so-so, the in focus distance was quite short 2 - 3", this made jockeying the camera around a pain. I went back to Fry's and got a manual zoom lens, I wanted an electric zoom, but the camera I would not accept the electric zoom. By now you guys might think I have spent a fortune on this stuff, but my total is about $120. If I had started out right I could have bought a camera with electric zoom for about $120. These cameras are about 2 1/2" sq. by 5" long, in color no less, you need color to see what you are doing. I upgraded my monitor to a 19" TV, big help. Now I can see what I am doing in close up color. A cheap little brad nail puller from the hardware store, I could pull the loose nails.
New Problem in finding the correct replacement nails. A call to American Champion got me "buy new wings" for big $$$
, a call to Safe Air ended at Wag Aero, they were clue less. I called Rainbow and received some ring shank nails from them, they were larger than the holes in my ribs. My original nails were smooth 18 ga. .048 dia., these were 14 ga. .074 dia., I did not want to spilt the spars with that large of nail. It took me a month to track down 16 ga. .062 dia. ring shank nails. I can see what I am doing and I have nails, now how am I going to install these one handed? I figured I could make an end that would fit on a large spring loaded center punch and I could just push "pop" my way to sucess.
Wrong again.
I need more "whack" to drive the nails. Back to the drawing board, I needed a miniature air nailer. A small air cylinder (5/8 bore x 3" stroke) was secured. The piston was modified with a 1.5" long free weight, a spring to return piston and weight, a nose piece to hold the nail and hammer, a foot valve to send air to the cylinder, and a long hose from floor to nailer. I would load the nail and place a small piece of tape over the end of my nailer to hold the nail in, the nail protruded through the tape about 1/16" . I could feel when the nail went through the hole in the rib, 4 or 5 whacks with my nailer would set the nail, 17 nails in total. If it looked loose it was replaced - no new holes were cut in the wing.
.My AI was dumbfounded when I showed him what I had done, it has made it much easier for me to do the work with his supervision
If anyone wants to see pictures or has a place to post them contact me.
Morris ate@arotek.com