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drilling/tapping fiberglass tank

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carlisle

Joined: 20 Jun 2009
Posts: 72
Location: Sioux Falls, SD

Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 5:10 pm Post subject: drilling/tapping fiberglass tank

I'm going to install a clear sight tube so I can keep better track of fuel in my older Model 2.  Looking into partially opaque inside wall of tank just doesn't hack it, especially when the fuel is low and the butt rib and some cockpit tubing are in the way.



So, I'll empty the tank and tap in a couple of fittings.  How's the best way to keep the drill filings out of the tank?



Chris Carlisle

Model 2, 582, C box, Ivo light

Sioux Falls, SD

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Lynn Matteson

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 2778
Location: Grass Lake, Michigan

Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 6:32 pm Post subject: drilling/tapping fiberglass tank

I would use a heavy grease smeared into the flutes of the drill to  

contain most of the shavings/drillings/chips. When I did a similar  

job recently, I used an old sandblasting nozzle to suck the crap out  

of the tank right after drilling and tapping. The rest can be found  

in your fuel filters (I prefer Purolator glass filters...over 1000  

hours on the ones in my plane). Have you thickened the walls of the  

tank(s) with fiberglass? They aren't very thick to begin with, so  

just drilling and tapping isn't going to give you much to bite into,  

if your tank(s) is anything like the one(s) in the Model IV.



Lynn Matteson

Kitfox IV Speedster, taildragger

Jabiru 2200, #2062

Sensenich 62"x46" Wood (summer)

Electroair direct-fire ignition system

Rotec TBI-40 injection

Status: flying...1070 hrs (since 3-27-2006)



On Dec 1, 2010, at 8:10 PM, carlisle wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   



 I'm going to install a clear sight tube so I can keep better track  

 of fuel in my older Model 2.  Looking into partially opaque inside  

 wall of tank just doesn't hack it, especially when the fuel is low  

 and the butt rib and some cockpit tubing are in the way.



 So, I'll empty the tank and tap in a couple of fittings.  How's the  

 best way to keep the drill filings out of the tank?



 Chris Carlisle

 Model 2, 582, C box, Ivo light

 Sioux Falls, SD

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_________________
Lynn
Kitfox IV-Jabiru 2200
N369LM

carlisle

Joined: 20 Jun 2009
Posts: 72
Location: Sioux Falls, SD

Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 7:35 pm Post subject: Re: drilling/tapping fiberglass tank

Thanks Lynn.  I hadn't considered the wall thickness of the tank but what you say makes sense.  If you can see the fuel level, it must be pretty thin.  How'd you do it?  Did you just slather on some epoxy or something a little more refined?



Chris

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Lynn Matteson

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 2778
Location: Grass Lake, Michigan

Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 8:49 pm Post subject: drilling/tapping fiberglass tank

I roughed up the surface with coarse sandpaper, then added about  

1/4"-3/8" thickness of fiberglass, using fiberglass mat and resin/ 

hardener. I like using the 5:1 pumps of the West System. You have to  

have some fiberglass mat or cloth, and not just use a buildup of the  

epoxy. This gives the epoxy something to stick to, and prevents it  

from just running off the tank.  A little flox in the mixture will  

also stiffen the epoxy and prevent run-off. Using this method, I was  

able to tap the area on my tanks out to 3/8 NPT for installation of  

finger strainers...this was for front fuel ports on my IV.



I was just looking at a post I made concerning this same operation on  

Nov. 25, and I had said that I tapped them to 1/4 NPT...that was the  

size of the inside of the finger strainer, but the outside of the  

finger strainer was in fact 3/8 NPT. Those threads are quite coarse,  

so you really need to build up some thickness in order to get several  

threads into the side of the tank.



Lynn Matteson

Kitfox IV Speedster, taildragger

Jabiru 2200, #2062

Sensenich 62"x46" Wood (summer)

Electroair direct-fire ignition system

Rotec TBI-40 injection

Status: flying...1070 hrs (since 3-27-2006)



On Dec 1, 2010, at 10:35 PM, carlisle wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   



 Thanks Lynn.  I hadn't considered the wall thickness of the tank  

 but what you say makes sense.  If you can see the fuel level, it  

 must be pretty thin.  How'd you do it?  Did you just slather on  

 some epoxy or something a little more refined?



 Chris





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_________________
Lynn
Kitfox IV-Jabiru 2200
N369LM

carlisle

Joined: 20 Jun 2009
Posts: 72
Location: Sioux Falls, SD

Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:20 am Post subject: Re: drilling/tapping fiberglass tank

Thanks Lynn...Sounds like my fiberglass boat repair, which contains a sheet of fiberglass cloth and some epoxy resin might do the trick.



Chris

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Guy Buchanan

Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 1204
Location: Ramona, CA

Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:26 am Post subject: drilling/tapping fiberglass tank

On 12/1/2010 8:46 PM, Lynn Matteson wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   I roughed up the surface with coarse sandpaper, then added about 

 1/4"-3/8" thickness of fiberglass, using fiberglass mat and 

 resin/hardener.


	


I did the same thing with 1/4" G-10, which is pre-made fiberglass plate 

available from most plastics houses, locally or on-line. Make sure you 

rough everything well and epoxy it in place. Use at least 1 1/4" 

diameter pad.



Guy Buchanan

Kitfox IV-1200 / 582-C / Warp 3cs / 500 hours

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Guy Buchanan
Deceased K-IV 1200
A glider pilot too.

rose9065f

Joined: 30 Jan 2008
Posts: 10
Location: Pahrump, NV

Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:05 pm Post subject: drilling/tapping fiberglass tank

Fiberglass tanks seem to be one of the really major sources of posts here.  My KF2, which I did not build, came to me with aluminum tanks which have never given me any trouble at all.  So two questions.



1. In light of all the problems, why does the whole world, it seems like, use fiberglass tanks?



2. Are there any potential problems with aluminum tanks that I should know about?



How about steel tanks?  I wonder how much weight they would really add over fiberglass.



Jim 

KF2/582/Pahrump

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KF2 582

Guy Buchanan

Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 1204
Location: Ramona, CA

Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 10:54 pm Post subject: drilling/tapping fiberglass tank

On 12/2/2010 4:03 PM, rez wrote:  	  Quote: 	
		      	  Quote: 	
		  1. In light of all the problems, why does the whole world, it seems like, use fiberglass tanks?

  	
 	
 Purely subjective answers:

    Easy to manufacture, particularly in compound shapes.   
Relatively light.   
Corrosion proof, fuel corrosion notwithstanding.   
Very high fatigue resistance. 
  	  Quote: 	
		      	  Quote: 	
		  

2. Are there any potential problems with aluminum tanks that I should know about?

  	
 	
    Potential for fatigue failure, particularly at any attachments or baffles.

      
Corrosion due to water in the fuel.   
Corrosion due to water sitting below the fuel.

    
  	  Quote: 	
		      	  Quote: 	
		  

How about steel tanks?  I wonder how much weight they would really add over fiberglass.

  	
 	
 Just a guess, but I'd say - lots. Quite a lot of aircraft, certificated and otherwise, do just fine with aluminum tanks. I'd say stick with 'em.

 

 Guy Buchanan

 Kitfox IV-1200 / 592-C / Warp 3cs / 500 hrs.

    [quote][b]

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Guy Buchanan
Deceased K-IV 1200
A glider pilot too.

MichaelGibbs(at)cox.net
Guest

Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 11:51 pm Post subject: drilling/tapping fiberglass tank

 	  Quote: 	
		  1. In light of all the problems, why does the whole world, it seems 

like, use fiberglass tanks?


	


The explanation I heard from John McBean is that Kitfox and Avid 

wings flex far too much for a rigid tank to withstand.



 	  Quote: 	
		  2. Are there any potential problems with aluminum tanks that I 

should know about?


	


Yes, they come apart at the seams.  Literally.  Aircraft that use 

aluminum tanks successfully have wing structures that are much 

stiffer than the root area of the Kitfox/Avid wings.



Mike G.

N728KF, Kitfox IV-1200 Speedster

Phoenix, AZ



-- 



"My airplane is quiet, and for a moment still an alien, still a 

stranger to the ground, I am home."



   --Richard Bach

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