A Straight Slit

1
The tube-splitter—the blade is held in the slot (cut with a thin cutoff blade) with a C-clamp. Draw/push the tube through the hole in the tool.

I had the need to make a little edge trim on one of the interior panels on the Rocket project the other day, something that would fill a slightly wavy gap on the order of a millimeter or two and hide edge of the panel. A piece of soft(ish) black tubing (pitot/static tubing, basically) was just what I needed. But trying to freehand cut a straight slot for a foot of tubing was impossible—it wanted to spiral.

The split tubing goes right on the edge of the sheet metal with no twist. Slit more tube than you need, and cut it off to the right length.

Not to worry – the Home Shop Machinist (Robert Hadley – a neighbor) came to the rescue with a piece of hardwood (he also makes furniture), a hole one size up from the 1/4” diameter of the tube, and a slot to hold an X-acto blade. The pictures tell the story: hold the block of wood in the vice, clamp the blade in place, and pull the tube through the opening, making sure it doesn’t twist as you draw it though. The result?  A perfectly slit tube that slides onto the edge of the .032” panel.

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Paul Dye
Paul Dye, KITPLANES® Editor at Large, retired as a Lead Flight Director for NASA’s Human Space Flight program, with 40 years of aerospace experience on everything from Cubs to the Space Shuttle. An avid homebuilder, he began flying and working on airplanes as a teen and has experience with a wide range of construction techniques and materials. He flies an RV-8 and SubSonex jet that he built, an RV-3 that he built with his pilot wife, as well as a Dream Tundra and an electric Xenos motorglider they completed. Currently, they are building an F1 Rocket. A commercially licensed pilot, he has logged over 6000 hours in many different types of aircraft and is an A&P, FAA DAR, EAA Tech Counselor and Flight Advisor; he was formerly a member of the Homebuilder’s Council. He consults and collaborates in aerospace operations and flight-testing projects across the country.

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