Building C-140 Patroller Doors - Revision history

Elijah at 09:45, 19 December 2023

2023-12-19T09:45:08Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:45, 19 December 2023
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	[[File:20210107_223223.jpg\|600px\|Checking fitment]]		[[File:20210107_223223.jpg\|600px\|Checking fitment]]

	Here's another shot of how it looks going together.		Here's another shot of how it looks going together.

	The lower window has to be fit in place before it all gets riveted together - there is no way to remove it after that. I used Lexan and put some rubber "U" channel around it to protect from vibration. Then, just lots of riveting to put the doors back together.		The lower window has to be fit in place before it all gets riveted together - there is no way to remove it after that. I used Lexan and put some rubber "U" channel around it to protect from vibration.

			[[File:Patroller_door_installed.jpg\|600px\|All finished]]

			Then, just lots of riveting to put the doors back together. Had to put new springs in the latches, then mount the handles... and finally paint to match! More work than you would think but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

Elijah at 06:03, 5 April 2022

2022-04-05T06:03:01Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:03, 5 April 2022
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	Then, use a bunch of clecos to hold the skins in precise alignment. I think this is critical to making sure it all goes together well when we start driving rivets. Once the skins were aligned, I started drilling holes through the other side of the stiffeners and inside skin.		Then, use a bunch of clecos to hold the skins in precise alignment. I think this is critical to making sure it all goes together well when we start driving rivets. Once the skins were aligned, I started drilling holes through the other side of the stiffeners and inside skin.

			[[File:20210107_201952.jpg\|600px\|Outside skin with stiffeners riveted in place]]

			After that, I used a die grinder to carefully round out the corners nice. Primed it with zinc chromate, and riveted the stiffeners to the outside skin.

			[[File:20210107_223223.jpg\|600px\|Checking fitment]]
			Here's another shot of how it looks going together.

			The lower window has to be fit in place before it all gets riveted together - there is no way to remove it after that. I used Lexan and put some rubber "U" channel around it to protect from vibration. Then, just lots of riveting to put the doors back together.

Elijah at 03:41, 27 November 2020

2020-11-27T03:41:24Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:41, 27 November 2020
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	[[File:20200725_205510.jpg\|600px\|Inner doubler]]		[[File:20200725_205510.jpg\|600px\|Inner doubler]]

	~~Additionally, my~~ door had some cracks by the latch so I made a doubler to go inside this area. Next step is fabricating the 'Z' channel stiffeners. I didn't find a place to buy this stuff, it's kind of a specific dimension... so I made it on a sheet metal brake.		My door had some cracks by the latch so I made a doubler to go inside this area. Hindsight: putting this on the outside instead of inside would have done the same thing I think and looked nicer. Next step is fabricating the 'Z' channel stiffeners. I didn't find a place to buy this stuff, it's kind of a specific dimension... so I made it on a sheet metal brake.

			[[File:20200623_191735.jpg\|600px\|Laying out for bending]]

			I did some trials on little pieces of metal to set the brake up for the the desired dimensions/bend radius. Saved those dimensions and then laid out on the large aluminum sheet...

			[[File:20200623_201346.jpg\|600px\|Finished Z channel]]

			Turned out OK. This brake(and operator) is not that great and they are not perfect, but they're straight and within 1/16" or so of the dimensions on the cessna drawings.

			[[File:20200724_222413.jpg\|600px\|Door handle hole]]

			The door handle leaves a hole where you don't want it.

			[[File:20200724_224834.jpg\|600px\|Door handle patch]]

			I made a small patch and flush riveted it in place...

			[[File:20200725_205458.jpg\|600px\|Clean outside skin]]

			Stripped off all the old paint. There was quite a bit of it, I think this had been painted more than once.

			[[File:20200817_223752.jpg\|600px\|First stiffener]]

			Now, start attaching the stiffeners to the outside skin. I basically lined them up so the edge of the stiffener matches the cutout. Holes are drilled according to the cessna drawings...

			[[File:20200817_223803.jpg\|600px\|First stiffener view 2]]

			Another view of that.

			[[File:20200917_224808.jpg\|600px\|More stiffeners]]

			Continuing around...

			[[File:20200919_212608.jpg\|600px\|All stiffeners]]

			All of them in place! I basically cut them all to the lengths shown in the cessna drawings and they fit well.

			[[File:20200919_214348.jpg\|600px\|Test fit]]

			Next I put the skins together and here's how it looks.

			[[File:20201115_162813.jpg\|600px\|drilling holes...]]

			Then, use a bunch of clecos to hold the skins in precise alignment. I think this is critical to making sure it all goes together well when we start driving rivets. Once the skins were aligned, I started drilling holes through the other side of the stiffeners and inside skin.

Elijah at 03:16, 27 November 2020

2020-11-27T03:16:22Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:16, 27 November 2020
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	==Building C-140 Patroller doors==		==Building C-140 Patroller doors==
	Patroller doors are one of those things that look really cool but are pretty hard to find. A number of people have modified regular cessna doors to make them, and this is my attempt at that.		Patroller doors are one of those things that look really cool but are pretty hard to find. A number of people have modified regular cessna doors to make them, and this is my attempt at that.

			[[File:20200619_160950.jpg\|600px\|Standard C140 door]]

			This is the starting point. I marked out the cutout based on dimensions taken from the cessna drawings and then used a cutoff wheel to cut it out. Go slow, this will leave a nice cut that requires minimal effort to finish later. I left the corners like that so they can be rounded out nicely later on.

			[[File:20200619_161003.jpg\|600px\|Outside skin cut]]

			There's the outside skin cut. Had to drill out a few rivets to get that free from the inside skin.

			[[File:20200619_162524.jpg\|600px\|Inside skin cut]]

			Working on the inside. Notice how it's pressed outwards - that's for rigidity, but will make this modification a little more trouble because we need that to be flat now. Next step is to separate the door skins. This means drilling out a lot of 3/32 rivets. I used a 3/32 bit, drilled the head "just enough" and then used a pin punch to drive the rivet out the back. It goes quicker than you would think.

			[[File:20200622_212723.jpg\|600px\|Relief cuts]]

			This was my solution to getting the pressed inner skin to lie flat, making a number of relief cuts.

			[[File:20200725_205510.jpg\|600px\|Inner doubler]]

			Additionally, my door had some cracks by the latch so I made a doubler to go inside this area. Next step is fabricating the 'Z' channel stiffeners. I didn't find a place to buy this stuff, it's kind of a specific dimension... so I made it on a sheet metal brake.

Elijah: Created page with "==Building C-140 Patroller doors== Patroller doors are one of those things that look really cool but are pretty hard to find. A number of people have modified regular cessna d..."

2020-11-27T01:55:53Z

Created page with "==Building C-140 Patroller doors== Patroller doors are one of those things that look really cool but are pretty hard to find. A number of people have modified regular cessna d..."

New page

==Building C-140 Patroller doors==
Patroller doors are one of those things that look really cool but are pretty hard to find. A number of people have modified regular cessna doors to make them, and this is my attempt at that.