When Pigs Fly, or Canned Hams

This is a tutorial on how to rebuild your original Shasta wings, I only recommend doing this if you have the original edge trim, otherwise I recommend buying them.

I had one complete wing and one missing its core, the original cores had long since been rotted and actually shrunk, so using them as a template was not going to work. I used the original skins as a pattern.

ROT, ROT, ROT!

I chose to use Western Red Cedar, its light and fairly rot resistant. Some people use PVC boards but I am not one to reinvent the wheel or the wing, after all the original Douglas Fir lasted for 50 years!

After you make your cores you will need the following tools

1) Shears

2) Sharpie Marker

3) Leather Gloves

4)Tape Measure

5) Combination Square

6) Pizza Cutter

7) 4ft Level or Straight Edge

8) Blanket

9) 0000 Steel Wool(not pictured)

10) Windex(not pictured)

From this point on wear gloves! I used 26 gauge Aluminum, it was the left over from my roof.

I traced the wing core on to the Aluminum

Using the hand shears I carefully cut the pattern out. TIP: Don't close the shears all the way, if you stop about a 1/4" before the shears close you will get a clean cut and avoid little pinch dents.

I used the Combination Square and Straight Edge to transfer the score pattern from the original to the new blanks. Then put the blanks on the blanket, use the pizza cutter and straight edge to score the aluminum. I did three passes on each line applying moderate pressure.

Use the 0000 steel wool and windex to buff off the marker lines, make sure to go front to back, and not up and down or swirl.

Assemble, make sure to use Stainless Steel Screws. Patience is needed when installing the skins and edge trim. Predrill all screw holes

Install using #10 Stainless Steel Screws 8x 1 1/2" and 1x 1 1/4" used at the tail.