Europa #435 G-RODO Build Journal - 1999 10

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day	notes	hours
16	Shape and glass top of Euro-chock under Neville Eyre’s instruction. Fly with Andy Draper in Rotax 914 monowheel G-GBXS. Ground handling seems OK, very pleasant experience overall.
17	Trim top layups flush with bottom edge, make flox corner and glass bottom of Euro-chock.
18	Collect cured and trimmed Euro-chock from Neville. Weighs 322g (not the heaviest on the course, despite some resin runs from base onto unmasked sides) and looks quite respectable until it falls off roof of car during loading, causing some scuffing. Load tail kit and drive home.
19	Order Microclene filter and Racal Airlite hood from APTC. Buy 4m x 25m roll of polyethylene sheet from Bence and 2 3kW fan heaters from Index. Both heaters on bring garage from 15C to 20C in about an hour — insulation is needed. Check small hardware pack contents.
20	Tidy wood and metal stock in garage to make room for tail kit contents. Bring out LST test tables with a view to making layup table with them. Try to decide where to install glass cupboard and resin cupboard. Unload car and check inventory. Wrap parts in polyethylene sheet — will not be able to start work for some time, still need to move some stuff out of garage to make room to work.
21	Microclene filter and Racal Airlite hood delivered. Buy tubular heaters & thermostat for glass & resin cupboards (design and positioning yet to be decided). Work table design emerging: manual recommends 8'x2'6" (~2440x760mm); LST test tables are 1200x800mm; could join them to make surface 2400x800mm, using old doors to form linear “legs” and support join along outside of long edges; then raise to better working height by adding bottom cross-battens and fitting castors. Could protect surface by laying old flush door on top. Hollow interior could provide some storage space. Could hang polyethylene sheets from a couple of the garage ceiling joists to make a smaller working area, about 4m long. As the lights are hung at present, it would need a dog-leg at the north end to clear them. That chunk of ceiling has 13 bays each approx 1300x500mm. A nominal 8'x4' insulation sheet would cover 4 of those bays. How to attach it to the ceiling? Move resins from garage to airing cupboard for better storage conditions. Instructions call for storage at 15-30C; garage is 11C today (and 74%RH!). Send e-mail to Tim Ward in New Zealand offering to buy his second-hand resin pump if still available.
22	Scott Bader (ex Strand Glass) catalogue arrives. They have a sales counter in Birmingham, near the Merryhill shopping centre. Tim Ward replies saying pump sold. Order Ohaus LS200 electronic balance from Fisher Scientific. Fix Microclene filter to garage roof joist. Test suction as advised with sheet of A4 paper (80gsm) on intake. After switch-off, it takes 26 seconds to fall free. Filter should be replaced when this time is halved. Gloster Strut PFA* birthday dinner. My chock is displayed on the table with the silverware (much to Wilma's embarrassment). * The Popular Flying Association (PFA) became the Light Aircraft Association (LAA) on 2008-01-01.
23	Downland catalogue arrives. Start to compare prices for gloves, aprons, scissors, tape, cups, mixing sticks, acetone, etc, between Scott Bader, Downland, Aircraft Spruce, and Viking.
25	Request forms from Customs and Excise for exemption from import duty when ordering parts from Aircraft Spruce.
26	Buy 2 pairs 11" stainless scissors from Wilkinson at £2.75 each. Price expanded polystyrene insulation sheets at Bence builders merchants.
28	Customs & Excise notice 770 & form C1317 received. There are some castors with speedframe sockets which could be used for the work table. The transverse sub-frame could be made from speedframe too if there are pieces long enough in stock.
29	Ohaus LS200 balance delivered. Prepare accuracy table for it, based on specification of +/- 3 counts or +/- 0.75%, whichever is greater. Smallest mass for 1% or better accuracy is 30gm. If mixing is single-cup, then range of batches that can with confidence be prepared on the balance is 150 - 200gm. It may be that the linearity and repeatability is better than the absolute accuracy, in which case smaller batches would be OK. Call Aircraft Spruce for guidance on completing C&E form 1317, fill it in and post it. Somewhat belatedly check the 11" scissors for cutting glass cloth. They seem to do fine, but time will tell how well they hold an edge. Check speedframe stock for work table sub-frame and there are several pieces over 800mm long. Looking again at the castors, although there are more than 8 castors, there are only 4 sockets. Would the load be a bit heavy on just 4 castors? Would a wooden socket be strong enough? The trolley in the workroom has the heavier tyred wheels — could swap those for the castors. Notice that Buck & Hickman and RS also list gloves & other protective items.

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