Wing Jig building

Ron, You may do well to find some carbon fiber arrow-shafts like Rusty asked about, if you're going to make this wing-jig. I keep my jig with the "alum. rods" hanging "high from harm"... and I haven't actually used it yet. Carbon fiber would be much better. Once an aluminum rod bends (even slightly)... it's junk for building a straight wing. I may make a smaller jig w/shorter 1/8" dia. Carbon rods for wing panels 18" and under.

Roddie

My end-blocks are 1.5" square oak x12"L. and are drilled and counter-bored 8" o/c for mounting to a...

***base... of 3/4" particle board... about 12" x 40" would be a good size for 36" long rods... and it helps to square the fixture (12"...) at the same time. The end-blocks each have a "hanger-bolt" installed on center (6") for mounting the rod-clamp blocks, and have STOP-block on one end. The stop-block must be thinner than the rod diameter being used; or else the rod (which butts against it) won't be clamped down... very important!

My rod-clamp blocks are 1.5" x 1/2" x 10" oak. and are drilled o/c (5") to accept the hanger-bolt (machine thread) and are secured with a fender washer/wing-nut. It's an effective means of clamping the rods down. (when the clamp-blocks start to "bow" when tightening... the rods aren't going to move.)

Graph-paper taped to the base is a great idea. Lay-out your center-line, rib-stations etc. "beforehand", and you will have ultimate references for alignment, using a sm. square or a 90 deg. triangle.

As for "spilling glue on the rods"... I guess it's gonna' happen... but there are ways to deal with this; regardless of the rod type you use. You can (and should) spray alum. rods beforehand, with dry silicone-lube. This will help keep glue from bonding to the rods... plus it will make them easier to remove when finished.

You can also cut and slit "drinking-straws" in lengths between rib-stations... to act as sleeves to protect the rods from glue spills. Press them onto the rod (via the slit) in between ribs. Simply pull them off after... or if they're a larger dia, than the rod... they'll just fall off when you pull the rods out.

ROTATE the rods before and during removal... This will break a glue-bond to the rod if there is one... and it will also reduce "binding" on removal. When removing a rod, SLOWLY ROTATE and OBSERVE all ribs and STOP if you notice any ribs "bowing" excessively, and correct the problem... (it may just be a bind) or it may be a glue-blob you missed. Be patient and take the time to carefully remove the rods... you don't want to crack a rib... or even worse; stress all the glue-joints.




notice below; the rod "alignment-stop" must be thinner than the rod dia. and both stops must be square to each other, at the face; where the rod butts against it. Check for square when mounting the end-blocks to the base.