Help with Fuel Tank Tensioners

[N3UW]

Ok. I am not bad with aluminum but I suck at working with steel. It is a good think I am building the wings from scratch but buying the fuselage and the steel parts. I need some advise on drilling the holes for the tank tensioners. What is the best procedure for drilling straight holes through the steel rod and getting the two rods to line up. Any suggestions would be appreciated. My first attempt did not look very pretty.

[Gavin Chester]

Hi John. I made a drill jig like the one in the picture.

[Barry]

John, I like Gavin's drill jig for sure! I would also suggest using a drill press and a drill press vise if you do not go the with the jig. The drill jig would be better for sure. A vise is cheap and can be used for many other things along the way.

[jaredyates]

I use a drill press vise like this that I got from Harbor Freight for about $15. If you clamp the stock in the vise and drill the first hole, you can loosen the vise mounting bolts and re-position the whole vise without unclamping the stock. Resecure the vise in the new position and drill the second hole, and the holes will be parallel. Another option would be to clamp the material for drilling the first hole, then remove the stock and tap the first hole. Thread a 2-3" bolt into that hole. Then, position the work back into the clamp on the drill press and eyeball the bolt in the first hole relative to the bit. You'll be able to get it very close, certainly close enough for this application. With this second method, you could work with a long piece of stock, drilling all of the holes in one piece before you cut them into shorter pieces. Just eyeball the angle each time you move the stock.

[N3UW]

Thanks guys. I now have success. Did not have the material to build the jig that Gavin did but his jig inspired an idea. I took a 3/8" thick steel plate and drilled two guide holes on the drill press. I then took a piece of poplar and routed a 5/16 x 5/16 dado and attached the plate on top. I then slid the rod in and drilled with #21 bit and drilled the 6 piecES to be tapped. I then drilled the holes to #10 and drilled the other 6 rods . The all lined up. on to finish the tank straps now,

Happy New years

[marcusofcotton]

Sounds like a great solution John, good to hear various ways folks come up with to tackle the challenges!