Center Section – Control Column Mounts July 1st, 2010
The control column mounts is the pivot point for the control stick, and where the entire control system for the ailerons and elevators comes together. They come with a bearing pre-installed, so all there is to do is drill holes for the bolts that will fasten them to the center section.
I drilled the first hole on a drill press to the dimensions given on the drawings. For the second hole, I positioned the piece on the center section and made sure the mount was at 90 degrees to the flange of the center section.
I used a vise-clamp to hold it in place, and then turned the bulkhead over.
Before placing the mount on the center section, I drew a centerline as well as a line showing the minimum edge distance.
I then started the hole with a hand-held drill as shown below. The aluminum angle is very thick, and I did not think I could drill a straight hole by hand. I took the mount off the center section and finished drilling the hole in the drill press.
Here is the part after drilling both holes and marking the material to be removed for weight savings.
I then used a bandsaw to cut away most of the material. Here is the obligatory picture of me actually doing the work.
And this is the rough-cut part:
Finally, much nicer looking after polishing in the Scotch-Brite wheel.
