Message-ID: <001d01c11fca$e94a4ca0$b8d9b3d1@walter>
From: "Walter Dodson" <coy0te@earthlink.net>
To: "LancairList" <lancair.list@olsusa.com>
Subject: bonding our composite a/c against static
Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2001 22:28:07 -0700
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I bought the static wick kit from AeroOptions and have not yet used any of
it, tho I will.  I purchased a 100' roll of 3/16" tinned copper flat braid
tape from Newark Electronics and have used that to bond everything so far.
The AeroOptions straps do come with nice nuts and c'sunk screws for
connecting the carbon fiber together but there is so much more to do.
Purchase blue Amp lugs to fit 3/16" bolts and 1/8" screws.  Use yellow lugs
when you double the tape over to continue a run.  Squeeze the ends onto the
tape and install under a bolt of each hinge mount and connect the hinges
together and to the carbon, too.  Use copper electrical anti-seize when
assembling.  Tack the tape to the structure with your excess Hysol after
doing some assembly job.  There is always some left over.
So far I have bonded my wings trailing edges and all hinge bearings across
the bearings to the surfaces.  These short bonding straps must not bind the
surface in any way!  Bond the surfaces the same as the fixed parts so the
discharge can get from everything and out the static wicks. Static discharge
will pit the surfaces of the bearings if they're not bonded. AeroOptions'
static wick kit is fine but you may buy the wicks yourself if you wish.
They are over$40 each.  You'll need 15 to do the job.  The kit includes nice
ss billets you can't make for the price, plus invaluable instructions.
Instead of silver epoxy (to get the billets to the carbon, electrically)
chop up carbon VERY fine and mix with Hysol. I can't emphasize FINE enough!
Use your pizza cutter and waste a blade on one batch.  You'll have a
permanent black spot in the HDPE chopping board when you're finished and not
much carbon dust, either.  It gets very small.
When you're finished every hinge, bearing and skin should be connected via
at least one bonding strap and all static wicks should have less that 5 ohms
from its base to any skin on the aircraft and the engine mount/engine, as
well.  Oh, did you get a BIG bonding strap for that?
Can anyone tell me why I can't get a resistance reading from the base of a
static wick to its tip?  I'm using a Simpson 260-7 among others, with no
luck.  Do I need a meggar?
Thanks,
Walter Dodson
ps: They didn't tell you that in the instructions, did they, Lance?

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