8KCAB Trim cable grommets in frame?

Bartman

Bartman

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would appreciate it if someone could post a pic or link to the tool used to set these grommets in the frame where the trim cables pass through. these are the grommets that are softened in water before being pressed into place. thanks!

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If u look at page 5 of my build there is a picture of the tool, call ACA and they will send the drawing of the tool. I tried to rent the tool and they said make my own. I had no success so I took sand paper and roughed them up then epoxied them in place then zip tied the aft portion in place and epoxied that as well. Soaking in water didn’t seem to make any difference. They should have told me about the grommets when I ordered the bulkheads and I would have paid to have them installed before sending them to me. Good luck and if you figure the tool out please offer to loan or rent it out to other builders. I bet I spent 2 days trying to install like the factory and destroyed the 2 extra I ordered to learn on before I gave up. Also there are 2 different lengths of these grommets.

The things we learn doing these builds.
 
Seemed like I did look for it with no success I went to local machine shops they had no interest in making it so I thought it is only a guide, no pressure if the cable do rub how much drags will there be, once the epoxy dryer I tried moving them and am satisfied they will not move. I did make something and got one to roll over like factory but could not repeat the success. There cheep enough so if your going to try get some extra so You might call rainbow Ron I think Cindy said her bulkheads came with the guides installed not sure why I didn’t call him but on the windshields inserts he suggested nuts and bolts where ACA used rubber inserts. Everyone has a trick to get things done.
I think I used an interior washer chrome because it has a dish shaped area similar to the drawing and washers with large pliers but holding it together wile forming was next to in possiblyable like I said I ruined 2 then glued them in. Scuffed the outside mixed epoxy little in the hole pushed through zip tied before it dried and a little epoxy around zip tie made sure hole was clean and done. If I was home I’d send a photo. Best of luck I bet I spent a week working on this befor the glue idea.
 
Bruce,

A friend of mine is a machinist and he's going to make me a set of dies for those eyelets. What do you think would be the best way to use them? C-clamp? Vise grips? Make them to fit a standard aviation hand rivet squeezer? I'd probably go for the c-clamp but a c-clamp might try to twist the eyelet in place once it starts to tighten up and starts to set it, no? Maybe just hold the die pieces in place with the eyelet and then squeeze it with a vice grip instead of mounting the dies to anything?

:unsure::unsure::unsure:

It'll be available for whomever needs it next. :TU:
 
I think I used a c clamp and as I tightened it was hard to keep square and this was where I damaged the eyelet. So if you could make a squeeze that stays square as you compress would be best I was trying to keep both sides even and has no joy. Not sure what he will charge you for the tool but it might be worth wile to make several. If reasonable I would like one. I think I may do another since I’m retired and need a hobby and the major portion on recovering is labor, this is my learning aircraft and the next will be much nicer finish as I learn what not to do. Like learning to have these installed before they are shipped or picked up. I had no idea I needed them till I had installed the bulkhead and was running the cables. I bet if you pressed them before mounting the bulkhead in a press it would be easy. One quick push to snap them over. Now that I think about it a welders vise gripe might work great welding them on just measure to width to keep it square. (Second cup of coffee kicking in)
 
I think maybe a nut and bolt through the middle might be the way to go. we're only pressing a plastic eyelet so it shouldn't be hard to turn a wing nut to set it into place.
 
Now that’s an idea, my thought was the quicker you can roll the lip over the better. When I used the c clamp as I turned it wolbled and only one side rolled at a time.
 
Bit late for the good idea fairy, but that eyelet die might have been a good application for 3D printing.
 
it isn't too late Ed! this first set of dies will go out to someone when I'm done with them, then to someone else, then they'll be gone forever! lol printing them would make them available to more people so we should see about doing that
 
I’m pretty sure ACA told me to soak overnight, I could be wrong let me know if the heat helps. I’m always up to new tricks on how to do things. So far I’ve learned enough that if I do another one it will go much smother and the results will be considerable better. Not that this is that bad but as you know it can always be better.
 
Picked up the tool from my friend Bob last night and took it over to the hangar to have a try at setting an eyelet into place.

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The eyelets don't seem to soften in boiling water so that idea quickly went bye-bye. Using the tool to set an eyelet in the steel fuselage former, the result wasn't so much a rolled end but simply a flared end. The eyelet doesn't really look any different and it isn't tight in the former but it doesn't want to come out either.

The next step is to send a request to Dale at ACA to see if he'll send me a photo of what their eyelets look like installed.

In searching the internet last night for ideas I came across snap-in grommets like this
www.superbrightleds.com

Hole Snap-In Strain Relief Bushing

Eliminates sharp edges and protects wires and harnesses passing through holes in metal plates and panels. Resists up to 35 pounds pull.
www.superbrightleds.com www.superbrightleds.com
 
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I wonder if you could press it quickly instead of slow press if it would snap over instead of flaring ( mine seamed to mushroom different word same result) maybe some form of lube to help it roll over as well.
Best of luck !
 
Heat the die half only that will be doing the forming of the grommet, if you heat the grommet it will deform. I had to heat the die pretty hot for that plastic to roll over but when you hit the right temp it rolls perfectly.
Todd
 
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