Quote Originally Posted by RM1SepEx View Post
Get a kit, get access to the preliminary manual... Can't share, sorry

AL Panels brake cleaner, acetone, paint prep from eastwood... any solvent will clean them right up.

When I'm done there won't be that much to see... I've got a big roll of the adhesive rubber and aluminum sound deadening stuff, (fatmat?) and then there will be some sort of vinyl interior. My brother and I traded a Saturday of work for an industrial post machine when I was in college. We worked converting old MFG equipment from the old leather belts run off wheels in the river at the mill to electric motors. This thing will sew thin plywood, leather, shoe soles etc... Hell it could be over 100 years old, we have had it for almost 40!

They don't specify quality of the adhesive... go to mcmaster.com they carry 3 grades...

We coyuld do pages discussing the theory of these panels and construction.

My thoughts based on my engineering degree and race car design and mfg. The tubular frame AND tyhe aluminum sheets carry the loads to the chassis. Each 1/78 rivet can hold between 100 and 150 lbs in shear. The silicone helps to hold them together and helps to avoid squeeks. Th manual specs drilling the holes off the frame based on marking the tube and overlap locations. First this doesn't assure good final alignment where panels meet. Second some areas you drill through the panel but when on the car there is no way to drill the tube. They then have you put adhesive on the back where it meets the tube and position it over the location desired and drill the final holes and rivet through the squished silicone. This leaves drilling tailings in the completed joint and if it takes a long time the silicone can partially set during assembly.

I positioned and drilled everything in place and used clecos to hold them in position. when all holes are drilled. (my status right now. ) I pull the panels off and clean up everything with a shop vac and solvent. I'mn going to powder coat the panels and will need to pass a 1/8 drill through every hole. Then I apply the silicone and position the panel with clecos and then rivet. Riveting goes quick and you get a consistent seal and clamping. Do NOT drill bigger holes, that reduces the strength of the combined panel. Just like a unibody car every attached piece adds something to the rigidity of the chassis and we want the combined structure to carry the strees, not allow the tubes to distort a few thousanths and then have the rivet side to the edge and now add the panel strength top the assembly. TYou may need to reinsert a drill on a random hole but if you use the clecos you cabn get the panels to set down very repeatably along the holes. My trike has over 1100 rivets and no more than 4 or 5 required another pass with a drill bit.
Any chance you could do a video on the process? For those of us that have never done riveting?