Cutting the SS firewall

Submitted by Anonymous on

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From: Marvin Kaye <marvkaye [at] olsusa.com>
Subject: Cutting the SS firewall
Date: Sun, 29 Nov 1998 04:35:04 -0500
To: <lancair.list [at] olsusa.com>

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I'm wondering if anyone would share their method of cutting the SS sheet

for the firewall... I don't have a deep throated variable speed band saw so

that's out.  While picking up an engine mount component from the local

welding shop yesterday I asked the owner about it and he said they could do

the job easily with their plasma cutter to rough in the shape and then trim

it to the exact final shape with some kind of fancy shear they have... cost

to get ot done by them is probably about $30 or so.  Alternatives, anyone?



    <Marv>

Cutting the SS firewall

Submitted by Anonymous on

From: Ed Armstrong <ed [at] testelectronics.com>
Subject: Cutting the SS firewall
Date: Sun, 29 Nov 1998 10:38:18 -0800
To: Lancair [Lancair.List [at] Olsusa.Com] (E-mail) <lancair.list [at] olsusa.com>
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I have not actually cut my 304 SS firewall yet either. I was wondering how

I am going to do that or if I am going to do that. If I do use the SS

firewall, I think I will simply scribe the area I want cut and go to a

local sheet metal cutting facility with a hydraulic sheer and have them cut

it. I think it will cost about $100 to have them do it. The next option is

to use the high tech matting that Lancair provides for the Lancair IV's

firewall. Does anyone have any suggestions on which method would be better

(lighter, quieter, stronger)?



Regards,

Ed Armstrong

Watsonville CA.

Cutting the SS firewall

Submitted by Anonymous on

From: <Bahahud [at] aol.com>
Subject: Re: Cutting the SS firewall
Date: Sun, 29 Nov 1998 20:25:37 EST
To: <ed [at] testelectronics.com>, <lancair.list [at] olsusa.com>
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why is everyone so concerned about cutting thin gauge stainless.  If you can't

do it any sheet metal worker can cut a firewall out in 10 minutes with hand

tools.

Cutting the SS firewall

Submitted by Anonymous on

From: by way of Marvin Kaye <marvkaye [at] olsusa.com> <Jimnordin [at] aol.com>
Subject: Cutting the SS firewall
Date: Sun, 29 Nov 1998 20:42:37 -0500
To: <lancair.list [at] olsusa.com>
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In a message dated 98-11-29 05:09:35 EST, you write:



<< probably about $30 or so.  Alternatives, anyone? >>



At that price why look for alternatives? Who does this work? I'd get them to

do mine.

Cutting the SS firewall

Submitted by Anonymous on

From: Marvin Kaye <marvkaye [at] olsusa.com>
Subject: Re: Cutting the SS firewall
Date: Sun, 29 Nov 1998 20:55:19 -0500
To: <lancair.list [at] olsusa.com>
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Jim Nordin wrote:

>

><< probably about $30 or so.  Alternatives, anyone? >>

>

>At that price why look for alternatives? Who does this work? I'd get them to

>do mine.

>



Lots of suggestions there, everything from tin snips, to aviation shears,

to having the work done by the welding shop that I mentioned and referenced

above.  That $30 is a WAG on my part, I just considered what I spent at the

local welding shop to have an assemblage TIG welded up out of 6061T6 AL

angle, I figured there was about 5-6 feet of welding and the bill came to

$45... considering the time they must have spent lacing together all that

1/4" material into a 1/2" assembly, I just figured it would take them maybe

2/3 of that amount of time to cut out that firewall.  Needless to say, I

could be off by 100% (or more) and might find out that they want $100 to

cut it.  Knowing what I know now, though, I'm going to get out my aviation

shears tomorrow and give that sheet a whack or two at a corner and see just

how tough it is.  Snips I got.



   <Marv>

Cutting the SS firewall

Submitted by Anonymous on

From: by way of Marvin Kaye <marvkaye [at] olsusa.com> <Jimnordin [at] aol.com>
Subject: Cutting the SS firewall
Date: Mon, 30 Nov 1998 09:43:16 -0500
To: <lancair.list [at] olsusa.com>
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In a message dated 98-11-29 21:17:38 EST, you write:



<< Knowing what I know now, though, I'm going to get out my aviation shears

tomorrow and give that sheet a whack or two at a corner and see just how

tough

it is.  Snips I got. >>



Yeah, no kidding on the WAG. I've done some of that. I cut my LongEZ ss

firewall with metal sheers and it worked out just ok. And I used the abrasive

wheel where needed. But it was just ok. A good electric or pneumatic nibbler

(have no idea if they're available) would be great. But at what cost for one

firewall? I'll ask at the Chapter 774 meeting next month for guidance. We've

got a hangar full of "old timers" every meeting that'll know. We have an

average of 70 attendees at these meetings every month.



I saw a post yesterday, maybe earlier, that all it takes is a pair or snips

and a roll of paper towel. Don't forget the paper to sop up all the blood. I

hate cutting that ss. That's what prompted the comment that $30 was nothing

compared to all that blood not to mention the bandaids. Maybe with all this

talk I'll buy stock in the bandaid business. That way I can afford to have

somebody lose their blood. I have a friend that has a computer driven metal

router... but I think ss may be outside it's ability. But it does a great job

of instrument panels of aluminum or softer material tho.

Cutting the SS firewall

Submitted by Anonymous on

From: John Cooper <heyduke [at] digital.net>
Subject: Cutting the SS firewall
Date: Mon, 30 Nov 1998 12:25:14 -0500
To: <lancair.list [at] olsusa.com>
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I used the Firewall 2000 product available from ACS on my L-235.



The SS face is thin enough so it can be cut with a utility knife.



Any gaps are "caulked" with a 3M fire-barrier compound.

Cutting the SS firewall

Submitted by Anonymous on

From: Peter Fieldby way of Marvin Kaye <marvkaye [at] olsusa.com> <pfield [at] mdc.com>
Subject: Cutting the SS firewall
Date: Mon, 30 Nov 1998 20:01:31 -0500
To: <lancair.list [at] olsusa.com>
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     Re cutting out the SS firewall.  All I did was carefully

draw out the firewall outline on a cardboard sheet, cut the

cardboard out, check the cardboard outline for fit on the

airplane, transfer the outline to the SS sheet, and cut it out

with a good pair of tin snips.  A few strategically drilled holes

makes for easier cutting on the tighter radii.  It might have

taken me 20 minutes and made my right hand a little tired,

but that was all there was to it.  If you have access to a

grinding wheel or have one for a hand held drill you can

easily make final adjustments or do as I did, just trim with

the snips.  Avoid dull snips, obviously.  I used the same

technique for the fiberfrax insulation.  A fresh set of Wiss

snips goes for $16 -18 in the Wicks catalog, but I've seen

the same snips in local hardware stores for around the same

price.  Good Luck!



Cheers,

Pete

Cutting the SS firewall

Submitted by Anonymous on

From: Marvin Kaye <marvkaye [at] olsusa.com>
Subject: Re: Cutting the SS firewall
Date: Tue, 01 Dec 1998 20:29:19 -0500
To: <lancair.list [at] olsusa.com>
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Well, I did it.  Thanks to all of you out there who recommended snips for

the job... stupid me, I never even checked the gauge on that stainless

sheet before I went to the welding shop so didn't realize it was only .023"

thick.  I could have saved us from this whole thread <g>.  



Anyway, to be a little more precise, for those of you out there who are

going to cut out that firewall SS someday, let me recommend (and second the

motion on) a sure-fire system.  First of all, create a cardboard template

that fits _exactly_ where the SS ultimately goes.  Trace around the edge of

the cardboard with a really fine marker and cut with a pair of Wiss offset

shears... don't even bother with regular tin snips or standard aviation

shears... I tried both and was very unhappy with the effort involved.  The

offset shears (tool number M6R or M6L) allows the material to pass freely

over & under the cutting edges while both of the handles stay above the

work.  Makes it a piece of cake.  I did put on a pair of leather gloves

before starting and never even got as much as a single nick.  I also found

that I was able to fine tune the fit using the same shears, as they would

cut a 1/32" curl from around the edge without any trouble at all.  No

filing, no stock in band-aids, and a very nice smooth edge.  If it was

going to be exposed at all I suppose I would file the edges, but since it

fits so nicely into the firewall opening I'm just going to glue it up with

the silicone and be done with it.  Total time expended, including creating

the cardboard template... just under an hour.  Actual cutting time on the

stainless, including final trimming and getting a perfect fit, about 25

minutes.  Not a bad deal.



   <Marv>

  



 

Cutting the SS firewall

Submitted by Anonymous on

From: Tom McReynoldsby way of Marvin Kaye <marvkaye [at] olsusa.com> <tomcat [at] gigapixel.com>
Subject: Re: Cutting the SS firewall
Date: Tue, 01 Dec 1998 21:48:28 -0500
To: <lancair.list [at] olsusa.com>
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  I think the trick can be cutting all the holes, rather than the edge. Small

holes may

need cobalt drill bits. Larger (eg 2" or 3" holes) can be hard to get looking

nice and symmetric.



        -Tom