Workshops – Composite, Riveting, Fabric & Maintenance

There will be Hands-on Workshops on Saturday from 9:00-11:30am & 12:30-4:30pm at the
Workshop Hangar. Viewing the Workshops is always free!
How many sign up for the workshops, will determine the format. There is a limit of 10 for each
Workshop, so sign up early. Get ahead and read instructions prior to Workshop!

Composite Workshop, 8:30-11:30am, will consist of fabricating a 16” long wing section with a
foam core and 3 ply wet layup. Everything needed for the task will be included in the “Composite
Kit” or be available for use. You will learn to Hotwire using templates on both ends of the foam
and covering the shaped foam with fiberglass & epoxy resin. Many homebuilt experimental
aircraft are built entirely using this moldless method.

Composite Kit - $24

(1) 4” x 8” x 16” Blue foam, (2) Wing profile template, (1) 8.8oz BID (Bidirectional) & (2) 7oz UNI
(Unidirectional) 16” x 16” fiberglass cloth, Mixing cup & sticks, (8oz) Epoxy resin & hardener,
Mask, (1) Brush, (1) Squeegee, (1) Pair of gloves & (1) 2oz Peel Ply 16” x 16”.

Rivet Workshop, instructed by Phil Peterson of Greenville Tech Aviation School, is from 12:30-
4:30pm, will consist of riveting a 5”x7” aluminum picture frame or a prefabricated aluminum
toolbox. The toolbox usually takes more than 2 hours. Practice on scraps is free!
The frame takes less time and most of the holes are pre punched but still introduces you to
riveting.
The finished toolbox is 4”H x 6”W x 16”L. This Vans Toolbox Kit comes with documentation,
along with all the parts and rivets needed to complete the toolbox. This training project consists
of several pre-punched parts that are riveted together to form the box and lid and a hinge to hold
them together. This will let you try several styles of riveting, using aluminum parts identical to
those that make up an airplane.

Toolbox Kit - $28 Picture Frame - $10

Fabric Workshop is free and is put on by Jerry Stadtmiller of BIPE and will cover a wing.

Maintenance Workshop – Eric Barnhill will show how to change a tire & tube, remove, clean &
test spark plugs, change oil & answer General Maintenance questions.

All fees are just covering costs.

You can pay at Pilot Registration with check or cash, which guarantees your spot, or just show
up & watch for free!

Checks payable to Gregory Bruns or you can also pay with PayPal to [email protected]
Any questions can be emailed or ask for me from anyone in a Staff shirt.
Composite Workshop Instructions
Read these completely prior to starting!
This Composite Workshop will consist of fabricating a 16” long wing section with a foam core
and 3 ply wet layup.
1. Mark a line 1-1/4” up from the bottom on both sides.

2. On the left side, mark a line 1/2” back from the leading edge.
3. On the right side, mark a line 1/8” back from the leading edge.
4. Spray a light coat of glue on the large & small template on the wood side & and on both
sides of the foam.
5. Wait a couple of minutes and adhere the large template to the right side & the small
template to the left side with the wing leading edge on the vertical line.

6. Place weight (bags, books, bricks, etc.) on the foam to prevent movement while cutting
with the hotwire.
7. With two people, heat the hotwire knife, and then gently start on top of the tabs protruding
and slowly go to position 1 and pause to wait for the lagging wire to catch up. Start going
to each number by both people calling out, one hundred thousand one, one hundred
thousand two and so forth. Go slowly!!! The person on the small template side will be
going slower than the big template side.
8. Flip the foam block over with the top part that was just cut in place for the flat surface.
9. Repeat step 7 for the bottom of the wing. Remove the templates.
10. Using a knife, cut the leading tab off and sand the wing core smooth with a long sanding
block.
11. Lay the top piece, top down on the table, with wax paper covering the cut surface to use
later as a setup holder.
12. Lay the bottom piece down on the table, with wax paper covering the cut surface and
place the core on top of the bottom piece.
13. Cut two pieces of uni-directional & one piece of bi-directional cloth (on the 45deg. bias)
and one piece of Peel-Ply at least 17” x 17”. Keep them clean.
14. Mix 3 ounces (84grams) of resin, hardener & micro balloons in a cup and coat the foam
core top & bottom and place back in the bottom piece.
15. Mix 5 ounces (140grams) of resin & hardener in a cup.
 16. Lay one layer of uni-directional on the core with half extending past the leading edge &
coat with resin. Lay one piece of bi-directional and coat with resin. Lay the last piece of
uni-directional on and coat. Lay the Peel-Ply on and squeegee.
17. Take the wax paper from the top piece and cover the Peel-Ply and then lay the top piece
over that. Now, take the entire assembly & turn it over as it was in step 11.
18. Gently cut the trailing edge of the core with a knife for the jog. Don’t cut the fiberglass!

19. Brush some micro or flox into the corner so there won’t be a void.
20. Fold the first layer and coat with resin then repeat for the next two layers.
21. Fold the Peel-Ply over and squeegee all the air bubbles out.
22. If overhang is more than 1/4", trim with scissors to 1/4" and not shorter.
23. Let fully cure and trim the overhang.

Tool Box Assembly Instructions

Read completely prior to starting!
Inventory the kit

Remove the plastic coating and debur the edges of all the parts.

Cleco the ends to the outside of the tool box body with a cleco in every other hole. Match drill
the open holes with a #40 drill. Move the clecos to the open holes and drill the rest. Debur both
side of all the drill holes. Mark one end left and one end right. Dimple the end holes in the body
and ends making sure to dimple the outside of Left and Right ends.

Rivet the ends to the body with AN426AD3-3.5 flush rivets. (3/32” flat head)

Cleco the front stiffener to the body with the bend toward the inside of the box. Reverse the
hinge segments and determine the hinge length. The lid segment of the hinge fits inside of the
lid flanges. The hinge segment for the lid will have the eyelets facing down and the segment for
the body will have the eyelets facing out from the body. Cut the hinge to length. Leave the pin
long for now. Clamp the body segment of the hinge to the body with the eyelets even with the
top edge of the box. Remove the front stiffener. Match drill the hinge and body with a #40 drill
and cleco as you move along.

Replace the front stiffener with clecos. Position the lid and hinge in place and insert the hinge
pin. Mark the position of the hinge on the top by drawing a line on the exposed eyelet with a
Sharpie pen. Remove the hinge pin and the lid and clamp the top hinge in place. Match drill the
hinge to the lid with AN426AD3-3.5 flush rivets.

Now match drill the front stiffener with a #30 drill. Debur all the holes and rivet the stiffener to the
body with AN470AD4-4 universal rivets (1/8” round head).
Put the top on the body and insert the hinge ping. Put the bottom latch half in the closed position
and hold the hook portion up against the wire bail. Mark the hole position and drill the #30 holes
for AN470AD4-4 universal rivets. Rivet the hook into place.
Bend the handle from the .090” hinge pin wire supplied using the drawing as a guide.

Place the handle and the handle clips on the box lid in position. Mark one hole on each clip. Drill
and cleco one hole in the clip, then the other hole. Debur the holes. With the handle in place,
and a cleco in one hole, rivet the other side with an AN470AD4-4 universal rivet. Rivet the other
side with an AN470AD4-4 universal rivet. Rivet the other side of the handle clip.

Cut the hinge pin 3/16” shorter than the total length of the hinge and slightly crimp the end hinge
eyelets to retain the pin.

Stand back and admire your work.

The One Day Fabric covering Workshop at Triple Tree
In this fabric covering workshop we teach an overview of how to cover your airplane using
hands on practice with very little lecture. We will actually cover a wing surface through to rib
lacing. Students who want to learn how to finish the surface through to paint, and learn the tips
and tricks, should take the 2 day workshop.

We will cover:

• Surface Preparation
• Installation and securing fabric including use of fabric cements.
• Shrinking the fabric which also includes proper iron selection and calibration along with
precautions necessary to insure proper tautness and application of the first chemical coat
and the importance of bonding to the fabric for subsequent coats.
• We will then attach the fabric to the wing ribs using rib lacing techniques. You become
proficient in tying the modified seine knot used for this step, and we'll talk about other
ways to secure the fabric. Upon completion of the rib lacing, the surface is "dressed",
placing all finishing tapes, drain grommets, inspection rings, etc.
• The surface is then ready to spray. Spraying techniques are discussed along with
required coats, etc.

Jerry Stadtmiller will be the instructor.

Jerry owns and runs BIPE, INC., in Andrews, NC. Jerry has been restoring aircraft since 1960.
His specialty is the restoration - top to bottom - of Stearmans and other vintage biplanes such as
Waco, Great Lakes, and Cubs to their original, historically accurate configurations. Jerry has
performed restoration work for the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington. D.C. In
1995 Jerry was given the prestigious CHARLES TAYLOR AWARD.

Jerry has 20 years of teaching experience with the Experimental Aircraft Association, the
Stearman Restoration Association, and delivering workshops in his own location. He has trained
8 apprentices to become full fledged restoration craftsmen, many who now have their own
businesses and teach.

See our web site for more information: www.RESTOREYOURAIRPLANE.COM

Maintenance Workshop – Eric Barnhill is an A&P and IA that thinks YOU the Aircraft Owner,
and the Mechanic should be more involved in the Annual Inspection process and all your aircraft
maintenance! Eric operates a maintenance/restoration shop in upstate South Carolina and has
performed hundreds of Annual Inspections, Condition Inspections, and Major Alterations on
everything from Cubs to King Airs.
He sees many aircraft that aren’t legally airworthy because of paperwork issues. He spends a
lot of time straightening out logbooks that have been neglected for years by owners who don’t
know any better and mechanics that don’t care!
Eric has started and operated maintenances shops, a repair station, a avionics shop, operates
his own maintenance shop and restoration business (he loves old airplanes), is a EAA Technical
Councelor and was even the FAA Aviation Maintenance Technician of the year for South
Carolina in 2007. He has restored many aircraft and even won Grand Champion at Lakeland
and Best of Class at Oshkosh with his restorations. He wants you to know the short (and long)
story about what it takes to maintain your aircraft in Airworthy and Legal condition.
Have a look at http://myannual.net/