Good Video On The Use Of The Bob Stick - Plus The Birth Of a New Tool

[way_up_north]

Hey guys

got an exciting video here, there is not much online on the use of the bob sitck. This video does a great job of showing it used as a finisher to fine tune your rib

Plus the birth of a new tool. This gentleman took the RV style rib flange straightener and put a new twist on it. I asked the builder what he was using as a bob stick since it seemed thin but strong...his answer was oak with wire tied around for support...

[Chris In Milwaukee]

Which method are you using? Looking forward to seeing your project progress.

[way_up_north]

Which method are you using? Looking forward to seeing your project progress.

This is not a how to...anyone reading this ..please stick to plans. ....

I`m building the wing with no wing jig....so I`m going back and doing a refresher on how jigless wings are made....VAns RV / Zenith....ect...using flat surface and duel support rails to ensure no twist in the wing. The rails(metal square tubes)...support the nose rib and center rib....with the spar resting on the table

But this leaves a lot of the responsibility on me now to make absolutely square wing rib forms. The flange edge of the rib form has to be perfectly 90 degrees to the center line..not 89...not 91....because the flange edge of the rib form is the jig.....all the rib forms need to be machine shop accurate

I`m experimenting with a few procedures to get this done fast and easily with a miter saw....as i`m finding out even a costly miter saw can have play.

with no jig...all errors need to be eliminated from the forms.,..or they will be multiplied on the wing....

The wing jig does have its perks....you get a straight flat wing time after time even with sloppy wing rib formers....

so thats where I am today ....at square one....but trying to make a very square...square one.....

have a good one...

[svyolo]

Vans non-QB kits have "matched holes" already drilled. I am not sure how well you could use a flat surface to build the wings instead of a jig.

[Chris In Milwaukee]

I was asking because some folks are good at the Bob stick. It was problematic for me. I tried a few variants, but I didn't get results I was satisfied with. I ended up transitioning to the press method and was much happier with the results. I have seen some people do magic with that stick, though.

One other note, once you put the rib stiffeners on there, even a more aggressive tater chip is tamed with the exception of the spar-side edge. Even then, when attached to its attach angle is becomes straight.

[way_up_north]

I was asking because some folks are good at the Bob stick. It was problematic for me. I tried a few variants, but I didn't get results I was satisfied with. I ended up transitioning to the press method and was much happier with the results. I have seen some people do magic with that stick, though.

I was wondering about your procedure of flanging the center lighting holes first and then doing the edge flange 2nd....do you find less distortion with the method?....ive been following your Project "Expedition" over on homebuilt. you've not posted on it in awhile. is it on hold?...its an exciting project

[Chris In Milwaukee]

It's way easier (to me) to do the holes first with the approach I took because you can fit the whole assembly in the press more easily. There was some distortion, but not too much, since the whole surface was being pressed under the rubber mat. The first time I did it with the edge flanges first, they didn't come out nicely at all. But I was pressing the flanges similarly to the way that Eric Newton did his (not exactly, but close) and they bent up in a way that they were kinda icky. Localized stress versus distributed pressure, I suppose. But I didn't do the metal sandwich approach like he did. I just clamped them and pressed from the top. Likely the issue.

Regarding project progress, I moved last summer from a place with a great shop space to one with no shop space. I have some room to do little things, but I'm on spars now, and I need to make room for that and coordinate space usage with the better half. I can't get much bigger than those parts since I don't have room for it at the moment, and it's about to be -40F, so no way wife's car is going outside. We have been discussing a garage addition, so there is light at the end of the tunnel. I hope to have some spar progress in the near future, but it varies with work travel and kids' sports activities.

Thanks for following along!