Jon Matcho

I slapped on a temporary thermostat on my makeshift epoxy hotbox so that it won't catch on fire. I have it set to heat up to 90 degrees, then cool down to 85, then repeat the cycle until I unplug. For those that may ask why I need 3 different epoxy systems, I don't. I am just experimenting with the various types (and have the West system as well).

Ah, that's my website for my build but is offline at the moment. I am thinking about turning on the Blog feature here and transposing everything into it when the new version is soon released. In the meantime you can find a PDF version of that page attached to this post. That's where I got the idea. http://www.cozygirrrl.com/lovac.htm Jon Matcho Simple Vacuum Bagging.pdf

Thanks for that... I am looking at that same unit. On topic of this thread, as it was getting late in the day yesterday I realized I hadn't done any work in the shop so I put myself in there and looked around for what would move the ball forward. After 20 minutes I had managed to claim 1 more unit of floor space by eliminating more "stuff". I also wrote down the next steps I need to do on my composite side project to get that out of my hands.

@Evan, I am an hour and a bit from Allentown. Hit me up if you need another pair of hands to help unload.

I got rid of some spare foam board and insulated my makeshift hotbox tonight.

Wow, you're traveling more than most Americans this year! It's hot, but at least it's humid in Florida right now. 😉 Enjoy the time!

That's awesome, well done! Whereabouts in the US are you?

Will the SkyBeacon unit be blinking in the nose while it's on? I understand you cannot turn off their lighting function (?) Good luck with your next steps... looking forward to your updates!

Better late than never @Kirk, but it's good to know your surgery was a success. Sounds like it was absolutely awful, but good thing you had some good distractions. Getting back to the spirit of this thread, here are some updates from my end (there's progress in here if you squint your eyes). I have been on a mission to eliminate the noise from my shop (my attached garage), getting rid of anything I no longer need and organizing what I do. I committed to getting the garage insulated and upgraded for all-out building this year, year-round, and the clock is running out. Still, it feels great to see much more wall, floor and table space. The honey-do counterpart of this is that I need to refurbish the small barn we have, which serves the purpose of what a garage would typically store (lawn mowers, my Cozy project in the attic, etc.) I also have a storage tent, which I have replaced the 2nd cover in about as many years from when we purchased the house. A month after the first replacement a tree feel on it, ripping through the cover and damaging the structure. That's been fixed and now holds some things that won't fit in the barn, along with a Quickie Q2 kit that I need to package up and make available for sale (since I already have a Quickie Tri-Q200 project to finish). I also did a repair to a Glasair III door which was messed up when the owner attempted to install it. Apparently they couldn't wait for my schedule, but now they're clearly 2 steps back. So I have this door needing some finish work in my shop. I wish I had nothing to do with it. It's one thing to say, "yeah, I can do composite repairs", but another when it comes to finish-quality exterior repairs -- it's very time-consuming. It's been said many times to spend time in your shop every day, even for 15 minutes. I have been practicing this as much as possible and feel like I have regained the path. I need to write down the steps as if it were a project plan, and keep true to that. All other hobbies need to wait. How about someone else? What did you do towards your plane/project recently?

(This is not associated with the Canard Zone whatsoever) Terry Schubert, former editor of the Central States Association newsletter, is offering 34 years of electronic issues on a thumb drive for $100. See the attached file for more information. 34-flash drive advert.pdf

You may already know this, but Terry will send you 34 years on a flash drive for $100. I'll put the info. up in the For Sale section here.

The listing says it needs an engine and there's no mention of the avionics, but it's worth a look. It's setup as a TriQ, which suggests it had (or should have) an O-200 engine in it.

Here's ACS' product page for Last-a-Foam: https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cmpages/lastafoam.php As mentioned, substitutes can also work but this stuff is ideal. It's light and very easy to work with.

You're welcome. Hint: Do NOT use them on anything but fully cured epoxy otherwise you'll transform your 80-grit tool into a 300-grit tool. Ask me how I know. 🙂 They do sell replacement paper which is metal-backed and very long lasting. Their rotary bits are quite useful as well.

Interesting on the West 105/206. Recall from another discussion that it's not an approved combination -- only the 105 w/209 super slow hardener is approved (for workable pot life). You'll have a better experience with MGS 285 (if you care to afford all the hazmat charges) as it's much easier to spread. Your 75 degree room would have been more than fine without a hair dryer. You can use whatever tools that make sense for you. Way back I thought to router a few sections for a straight edge, but found it too cumbersome and even dangerous (not to mention the glass was eating my bits). I now just use the Fein tool on a marked straight line, and then sand to "perfection" using the longest Permagrit sanding block for the area. https://www.permagrit.com/sanding-blocks/

I have a copy of those as well. Something happened in the late stages when Jeff Russell was selling the company, where he put the plans up as shareware for a few weeks on a new website at aerocanard2.com for download. The download included only the build manuals so one could not build from them. I suspect this upset the new owner and after some discussion Jeff took the site down. AeroCad continues to offer the plans here: https://aerocad.com/14-aerocanard-plans

I'm not sure I answered your actual question. Yes, high-speed steel (HSS) bits are recommended. The basic steel bits tend do lose teeth faster. I have no issues buying bits at Harbor Freight (or wherever). Fein is an expensive brand.

I find the circular bits are most forgiving and capable for what needs to be done. That's the rightmost bit above, either half-round or full-round. I hardly ever use the 3 to the left, but have on occasion (the leftmost straight bit is actually a knife, which I've never used for building).

That works, but requires you to be there at the right time; halfway before it cures. Consider using an oscillating tool, either the best from Fein or a patent copy from Harbor Freight. Several other popular brands now offer theirs at Home Depot. Be sure to get the round high speed steel cutter (the straight cutters most often shown in ads require some skill, but can be used once you get a feel for the tool). You don't need a variable speed model in my opinion. I find you have all the control you need to be as precise as required using just hand pressure. I've shown this tool to Lancair and other prior builders and they've all remarked that they could have built their planes in half the time. I know that's an exaggeration, but it's one of the most valued tools I have for building.

Ah, thanks. I had to do one last step in the configuration. Navigate to the Downloads section and you should be able to download the Dragonfly Construction Manual now. Thank you for getting this started! I have deleted the image files now that we have a single PDF in the Downloads section.

...and I of you! Sounds like a great set of visits!

Mark Spedding is giving a walk-through of his Cozy IV project tonight. Click below or view the calendar for more details.