I was hoping to finish up the fuel tank straps today but kept getting interrupted. I removed the one strap on the aux tank bay and cut it for tensioning hardware. I made the short strap pieces and then the 2 bottom straps. Then with everything in position I marked the straps 1 inch from the short straps then removed them and made the bend for the tensioning hardware. Even though when I did this for the main tank straps and it ended up too long I really didn't want to make it shorter. When I put on the rubber channel and put it all back together the straps were too short! I don't know what phenomena cause the main tank and aux tank straps to do the opposite of each other when I used the same 1 inch guidance measurement. Rather than make a new longer strap I figure it will be easier to just make a longer short strap.
I've made enough short straps now that it's actually quick and easy. I would have finished up but I just ran out of time.
For the bend in the straps I'm making a mark 1-1/2" from the end and using that mark for the bend. Then I'm bending the strap around the rod 180 degrees. Then I'm using hand seamers to bend the rivet flap up about 90 degrees. The last step is to bend the flap flat against the strap.
