·:[ Darryl's Coot Building Journal ]:·
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[4 hours] I salvaged much of the hardware for my Coot from a previous builder. One difference between my nosewheel box and the previous builder’s is that the previous builder used 1/2″ spruce framing for the bulkheads at stations 7 and 14, whereas I used 3/4″ spruce frames (see this post for a look at the old nosewheel box). In order to preserve the exact same geometry for the nosewheel and the nosewheel retraction arm, I had to cut a 1/4″ slot in station 14 framing for the #618 nosewheel retractoin arm bearing. I chiseled that slot in the frame, and shaped and drilled the 1/8 marine plywood (MPW) (lateral) and 1/4 MPW (medial) stiffeners for both the nosewheel retraction arm bearing (#618) and the nosewheel support bearing (#616). (Click on photos for a larger version.)

In this photo, the two bearings with stiffeners in place can be seen. (I haven’t glued these in yet.)

In the following two photos, the assembly can be seen temporarily assembled with the nosewheel and the retraction mechanism. The hardware is quite ratty, and needs to be sandblasted, inspected and repainted.

The fully retracted nosewheel gear self-locks over-center, so that the nosewheel is fully supported vertically in the inverted, level nosewheel box.

The nosegear retraction arm (#619), seen in the lower part of the assembly, is not built according to Molt Taylor’s original plans. Rather, it is the Rufus Howard/Hugh Jones design with a rubber shock absorber. I don’t have the rubber piece yet, but the shock goes where the shiny stripped piece of metal is seen (it’s a collar from a broken drill chuck).

The bottom photo shows the nosewheel in the fully retracted position.

[2.5 hours] Cleaned the inside of the hull today. I used acetone to remove 20 years of grundge. Next, I used an engine cleaning wand (low pressure sprayer) to wash down the entire inside of the hull with diluted Simple Green, followed by a second spraying with water.

I also began removing the old tape from the Keelson. The fiberglass tape had delaminated from the wood, which had evidence of wood rot in some spots. It will have to be replaced.

[5 hours] After gluing up the sidewalls of the nose wheel box, I realized that one of the walls was misaligned. Ugh! I spent several hours last month chisseling out the old plywood and cleaning up the spruce. I then cut out a new piece. Today I finally got around to gluing the new side wall in.

I also cut out the 1/4″ and 1/8″ marine plywood stiffeners to go around the axles of the nose wheel and the retraction mechanism.

Finally, I disassembled the gear retraction mechanism that resides in the nose box for sandblasting.