Fuselage - Cabin

2006-08-20 - AFT seat floors and baggage floor access cover. (5.5 Hrs).

That's right, I was working on the AFT seat floors, and ended-up cutting a hole for an access plate in the right baggage floor--read on.

I finished-up the seat hindges for both the left and right AFT seat floor, including cutting out the center two eyelets for each hindge. When I was ready to rivet the right AFT seat floor to the seat floor ribs, I discovered that someone forgot to install the seat belt anchors. This needed to be done before the baggage floors were riveted-in, since there is no access to the seat belt anchor bolts once the floor is installed.

At this point I had two choices. I could either drill out several rivets in the baggage floors and try and pull back the seat floor enough to get a wrench on the seat belt anchor bolts, or I could cut a hole in both baggage floors for an access panel. I decided to go with the access panels, since I never liked not having access to this area in the first place.

Originally, I was going to go the nutplate route with the baggage floors, but decided against them due to the cost of the countersunk nutplates (about $35 for all of the nutplates). Also, I figured if Van said to use pop rivets, then why worry about having access to this area. After thinking about this, I have come to the conclusion that I didn't really need to install countersunk nutplates in the first place. The LP4-3 pop rivets that the nutplates and screws would replace are not flush, so why would I have to have flush screws. Therefore the cost would only be about $18. Also, I just checked Van's website, and the countersunk nutplates (actually listed as dimpled) are only $.30, not $.49, so the original cost would have been only $23, not $35. So my whole reason for not doing the nutplates was flawed.

Now that I have forgotten to put in the seat belt anchors, I am going to have to spend several days fabricating two access holes and covers to fix my screw-up. This is a lot more work to do with the baggage floors installed than if I had done this on the bench. Also, the quality of the access cover will probably not be as good as it could have been if done earlier. My advice is to either go with the nutplates, or cut access holes and fabricate the covers before you rivet-in the baggage floors.

Right side hindges drilled to the right seat floor and ribs.
We need to remove the center two eyelets on each of the seat floor hindges. This is one way, not sure if it is the best.
Followed by the belt sander.
This is another way to do the initial cut. This goes a lot faster than the rotary rasp.
All 6 hindges with the center eyelets removed and deburred. Note, I was not able to remove the ink on 3 of the hindges. I tried lacquer thinner, acetone, and MEK. The hindges still have a ghost image of the markings.
Getting ready to rivet the AFT seat floors to the ribs, but we have a little problem. Notice the rectangular hole in the seat floor. That hole fits over the inboard F-634 seat belt anchor, which was supposed to be installed before the baggage floors--doh! One more reason to use nutplates on the baggage floors. I can either cut an access hole, or drill out the pop rivets and center tunnel cover nutplates on the baggage floors.
Looks like I am thinking about cutting a few access holes.
Ok, I have a hole, so I guess I am committed.
Fabbed the nutplate ring for the access cover. This will be riveted underneath the access hole, and have nutplates to hold the access cover. I think it is a little big. It is 1" wide (1/2" inside and outside the hole), 1/2" is probably good enough).

Edit 8-26-06: Turns out 1" is about right, but the corners did get trimmed back a little in the final part.