Replacement F-1236 Step Angles Match Drilled

The replacement part for the F-1236A-L&R step angles that were trimmed in error arrived from Van’s few days ago. The recent cold temperatures have been more conducive for staying inside and reading a good book than holding onto cold aluminum and tools. So for the last few days, there has not been a lot of enthusiasm to get into the cold soaked shop to work on the RV-12.  Getting cabin fever, decided to bundle up, toughen up and get some forward progress going in the shop.

The replacement F-1236 angle was marked and quickly passed through the band saw to create the two replacement F-1236A-L&R step angles. After a little dressing on the Scotch-Brite wheel, all the step angles were Clecoed onto the F-1212 step ribs and match drilled to the holes on the F-1202F bulkhead.

Replacement F-1236A-L&R step angles ... note the un-drilled side is wider than the side with the predrilled holes … quite different than the way I originally cut the parts.

Match drilling the F-1236A-L step angle to the rivet holes in the F-1202F bulkhead.

After all the F-1236 step angles were match drilled to the F-1202F bulkhead, the lowest hole in both F-1236B step angles are final drilled to 1/4". At this point the WD-1233 steps are temporally bolted onto the F-1202F bulkhead using the newly drilled 1/4" holes and the steps are to be leveled horizontally. The instructions inform the builder that if the steps can’t be made horizontal without the upper portion of the step being higher than the F-1202F bulkhead’s flange, adjust the step so the upper portion is positioned at the beginning of the flange’s bend to insure the step is lower than the upper flange on the F-1202F bulkhead. That was indeed the case for my RV-12 … so the steps were clamped at the point where the bend for the upper flange on the F-1202F bulkhead begins and a 1/4" drill was run through the upper bolt holes in both the left and right WD-1233 steps into the F-1236A step angles. The end result … the steps are a couple of degrees shy of being horizontal.

The left WD-1233 step clamped in position and the upper ¼" bolt hole is used as a guide to match drill the F-1236A step angle.

After match drilling the left WD-1233 step, the same procedure was used to match drill the WD-1233 step for the right side of the fuselage. By this time my finger tips were beginning to get numb so decided to call it quits for the evening.