Wing conduit

[JOHN TIPTON]

Hi Guys

I'm using the 'standard' black convoluted conduit tubing for the wing wiring on out -9a: what's the best way to make a neat (non-abrading) hole part way down the length for routeing (for example) the wiring for the AP servo.

John

[captain_john]

John, you went slow build, right?

You didn't put a hole there already in your ribs for the wires?

What is your level of completion on your wings right now?

There are a couple of tricks for doing this, depending.

CJ

[JOHN TIPTON]

Hi CJ

Slow build wings, but now up to the QB state ie ready for the botton skins once internals and wiring completed - we put the holes in the ribs as per 'Vans's' option for the conduit

John

[captain_john]

So are you looking to cut an additional hole?

What people have done is to get a drill bit extension for the Unibit.

They sell them here at Home Depot. I am sure you could get one near you.

Here is one on Amazon but it is only 6" long.

http://www.amazon.com/Wood-Boring-Drill ... B004CZJ1A4

Another option is to make one from rod stock.

Will that work for you?

CJ

[captain_john]

Here is the Home Depot one from Klein:

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/tools-hard ... 33054.html

CJ

[JOHN TIPTON]

Hi CJ

I'm sorry, you have got me at 'cross purposes', - what I want to know is how people have cut into the black conduit, part way along part way along it's length, so as to get wiring out, for (as I said) the AP servo

John

[hydroguy2]

you can either melt a hole using a soldering iron. or just cut a short section out of the conduit in the bay with an access plate. There is no need for one continous conduit..as long as you can access the area to jump the gap.

[captain_john]

OIC!!!

hahaha

GOTCHA!

Yah... what Brian said. I just used my Dremel to whittle a spot in the correct place.

Sooooo easy...

CJ

[BSwayze]

You won't hear this very often, but here's a contrary point of view.

Another option is to not use the conduit at all. My tech advisor back when I was building my wings built and flew 2 RV's without it and convinced me that it's not even necessary to have the conduit. In fact, there are some arguable reasons why you may NOT want it. I won't go into all the reasons, but the stuff is a fire hazard, for one. The airlines won't use it.

Anyway, I drilled all the holes in the ribs, but installed snap bushings in them. All the wires can be reached either through access panels or the ends of the wing to wrap them in spiral-wrap once you have the wires in place. They won't get hot inside conduit, are easier to inspect, and you don't need to worry about holes for places where the wires "branch off" from the bundle.

Just another option for you to consider.

[hydroguy2]

.....Another option is to not use the conduit at all. .........Anyway, I drilled all the holes in the ribs, but installed snap bushings in them. ......

Just another option for you to consider.

I concur with Bruce. I did not use any conduit either. My plane is simple and wanted to keep the weight down.

[Spike]

I did not use it. I placed holes in the ribs with snap rings and then secured where necessary with adel clamps. Worked like a champ, neat and clean.

Spike

[DaAV8R]

I've never figured out why the conduit is so popular. To each his own but it doesn't look like a big deal to pull a wire thru the snap bushings.

Robert

[airguy]

I put the conduit in both my wings, but I don't think I would do it again. It's easy enough to do everything you need with plastic bushings.

Now in the fuselage, I put 4 runs of conduit under the seats running from just aft of the baggage compartment to the stick area just aft of the wing spar bulkhead, and I almost ran out of room even with that. I'm using an aft-mounted battery and a lot of aft-mounted remote avionics, so my main battery cables running forward took up all of 2 of those conduits, one of the others is for "noisy" electrical like strobe/HID/Transponder power supply, and the other is for "clean" electrical like magnetometer, ADAHRS, trim, and ELT control.