On another recent thread Andy had reccommended .040 thick aluminum when replacing side panels.a good idea for the sides.It would be a little tougher and would lay flatter than the 032.
To pick up holes I drilled though existing holes on overlapping top panels.I replaced all stringers and lower "U" channel so all new holes from inside.To get holes in frames I had my wife back up panel on outside and center punched holes from inside with a punch bent 90 degrees.I did not want to drill new holes in frames and weaken them.
On the aft panel I used Vulkem.I ran out of Vulkem and used Sikaflex on the side panel.I prefer the Vulkem by far.The Vulkem stays wet for most of the day which is better for the rivets sealing as they are installed.In the heat and humidity I had here the Sikaflex is drying almost as it comes out of the tube ,a real pain.Clean up is much easier with Vulkem,could use varsol.With the sikaflex I had to use lots of MEK.I would only reccommend Sikaflex for edge sealing a panel or window.I'll use up what I have but never again.
At work they use a polysulfide sealant that has a 20 hr pot life.When I get back from vacation I'll see if I can get some expired sealant for other panels.
Because of the "c" shape of the frames you cannot pick up holes by drilling from inside without an angle drill.I could not borrow one while I was on vacation but will when I am back to work next week for other panels.
I was hoping that I could use a long drill bit - seems to me you could drill 1/8 then open up to a larger hole from the outside - do you think this would work?
I was hoping that I could use a long drill bit - seems to me you could drill 1/8 then open up to a larger hole from the outside - do you think this would work?
Ken
Pretty risky. If you held the bit tight against the outside leg, and cheated a bit to the outside of the inner leg, you would still end up with a hole that is wider than 5/32" but less than #21. Actual dimension if you tried to square it up from outside would be 0.1577" Not enough to be a problem, but each one would have to be perfect.
If you go to the center of the channel inner leg, the width becomes 0.1671", which is bigger than a #19.
Now that the streetside is done I'm moving onto the roof.i spent the last few days removing the air conditioner and the rest of the interior panels.Now I can see what happened to the trailer.It looks like a tree fell on it at one time and it was repaired with those explosine rivets.They spliced new rear sections of three top panels.The original three top panels were one piece each.Two of the frames had new curved sections spliced in and a third is in bad shape and should have been replaced.All of the joints were put together dry and leak a lot.It was raining heavy today and I could see water coming in at all joints with explosive rivets.
KEN , The fourth picture above is of an explosive rivet.They are no longer available.They are a soft aluminum rivet.You would install the rivet then hold a soldering iron to the rivet to ignite charge.They worked well but you had to get exact length or they wouldn't hold.
It took me about five eight hour days to replace the streetside panel.One day to drill off the old panel,two days to drill new and two days of riveting.
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