I started off today pulling the peel ply, razor trimming the overhanging carbon fiber and cleaning up the edges of the right wing leading edge light lower flange.  As on the left wing yesterday, this completes the construction of the right wing leading edge light compartment.

I then started working the configuration and the placement of the light inside its bracket inside the left wing leading edge light pocket.  Just as with the drilling jig, I hit a snag as I realized that the bracket for the light is just a skooch too big.  As with too many things on this bird, I’m now in the realm of dealing with 1/16″ to 1/8″ clearances to get things to fit.

So back to the drawing board, er, uh, CAD modeling in Fusion 360.  I pulled up the wing leading edge light bracket CAD file that I had completed in January this year —nearly a year ago— and reworked its dimensions.  I narrowed the height by 0.11″ each side, so nearly a quarter inch total in height.  This may result in the light-retaining screws (middle 4 screws) overhanging the bracket a bit, but “engineering” compromises are king in this build.  I also narrowed the bracket over 3/16″ (~0.2″) as I brought the corner screw positions in closer towards the light body at an angle, so both vertically and horizontally… in line with my height and width reductions.  The single screw and standoff attach on what is the inboard side remained unmodified.

As per my modus operandi, I kicked off a 3D print of my new reduced-in-size light bracket as I headed back out to the shop.

Out in the shop I took 3 of the four 6″ lengths of 6061 aluminum rods that I had ordered eons ago from McMaster-Carr and cut them in half on the horizontal band saw.  I then chucked one up in the lathe, faced off the cut end before I drilled & tapped it with 10-32 threads.

Here we have the 10-32 thread tapping (pic 1) and testing the threads with a #10 screw (pic 2).

I knocked out drilling and tapping the left wing leading edge light bracket’s 3x support standoffs with 10-32 threads before calling it a night.  I will knurl and groove the other ends of these bracket supports since they will get embedded in flox/micro in 3 holes drilled into the leading edge light’s pocket aft wall (thus the drilling jig).

Yes, as quite often happens during this build, adjustments and redo’s must be done. Tomorrow I plan on verifying/finalizing the brackets’ new configuration and machining a pair of new ones.  If all goes well I may just knock out machining the final (also modified!) fuel cap security tabs as well . . .  pushing on!