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  1. L

    Welding Aluminum any Pro's on here?

    My first bit of advise is to find an expert who does repairs on parts like what you have. Second, I would not attempt to weld that part with out a 250 to 300 amp welder. To do this job properly you will need a top level welding machine. Next is getting the proper filler rod for the aluminum...
  2. L

    Learning how to "back drill"?

    What I do when I have a lot of holes to duplicate is make a template of the hole patters. Most of the time I can make the template from the part I am replacing. I then use the strap duplicator to drill locating holes for new part and the template. Then I can Cleco the template over the new...
  3. L

    Learning how to "back drill"?

    You are looking for a tool called a "strap duplicator" You get a tool for each size drill you are using. www.aircraft-tool.com/shop/search.aspx?keyword=strap+duplicator One side of the tool has a pin the size of the rivet hole and the other side has a drill bushing that same size. You fit...
  4. L

    Taildragger Wheel Alignment

    Pops, Thanks for sharing your experience. Back to the work bench and drawing board.
  5. L

    Taildragger Wheel Alignment

    I guess that is another part to scrap. I built the parts sometime ago and I have not given it a thought until now. What size rod ends are you using? I wonder where the failure point will be as the strut becomes stronger. Will it be else where in the gear or will it be the fuselage and the...
  6. L

    Taildragger Wheel Alignment

    Pops, Thanks for the advise about airfoil tubing. In my race cars I use airfoil tubing for push rods. The buckling forces are way beyond what the airfoil tubing can take so I have a round tube pressed inside the airfoil tubing and I have a line of rosette welds joining the inner round tube...
  7. L

    Taildragger Wheel Alignment

    You made me spend a few hours modeling the main gear on my 4p Bearhawk. Here is what I found: Toe increases (inward) .002 inches per inch of vertical wheel travel. Camber increases 4 degrees and the track increases 1.7 inches over 1 inch of travel. It may be that the increase in track at...
  8. L

    Taildragger Wheel Alignment

    Bump steer in racing is when the axis of the wheel (toe setting) relative to the center line of the car changes as the wheel goes up and down. When I check bump steer of a wheel, I move the wheel through 3" of travel. That is down 1 inch and up 2 inches. I measure how much the toe changes...
  9. L

    Taildragger Wheel Alignment

    It is not bump steer. Think about how a motor cycle turns. It turns by camgering the tires, you lean the bike into a corner. I did not get an understanding of the camber thrust issue until I started working with radial tires. The turning tendency is simply related to the camber of the...
  10. L

    Taildragger Wheel Alignment

    I have no experience with airplanes other than as a pilot with some tail wheel time (J3 and C180). I do have a lot of experience with race cars. I think the tire wear is telling you something is really wrong. I think you have one tire cambered out and the other tire cambered in. If the...
  11. L

    Recommendations for a digital torpedo level

    For short runs the electronic levels are great and real time savers. I have a couple. But they have their limits. I would not use one for setting a wing. The spars on my wings are 167 inches long. The levels shown above have a 0.1 degree resolution. To me that means a potential error of...
  12. L

    Recommendations for a digital torpedo level

    How accurate do you need to be? I have found that digital instruments are not accurate enough for measuring level over 6 feet. I use a machinist levels and an extruded aluminum bar. The levels are calibrated in thousands of an inch per foot. The other system I use is a transit level and a...
  13. L

    Bearhawk Dual Cargo Doors

    I am building a scratch built 4 place Bearhawk. My day job is designing and building tube frame formula cars. I am not a trained engineer so what I say is only my experience. As pointed out, having a cargo door on one side does reduce the structural strength of the fuselage. All to often...
  14. L

    How to finish this almost finished cut?

    This type of file gives a great finish. https://www.mcmaster.com/#hand-files/=1bbei70 You want a Scratch-Free Rectangular Files. It is also called a curved tooth file.
  15. L

    Which Tig Welder???

    I have used a similar model Lincoln for close to 10 years. Never an issue. Prior to that I had a Miller Dial Arc 250 and a 300 APB. This Lincoln is more versatile and will easily weld thin materials that the Millers were difficult or impossible to do the same job. This is a very capable...
  16. L

    Bending Brake issues

    Here is a press brake I built years ago. This one is 48" wide. The top plate has a grove cut the length so I can change the tools I use. The tooling in the press now is to bend a 1/4 inch radius. The bottom has two tubes 1.5" square and 1/4 wall. This tube has a nice radius that I have...
  17. L

    Why battery-powered aircraft will never have significant range

    The test I was referring to was not what you describe. In that test the rules were written and contestants built vehicles for the competition. There was a very substantial prize for the winner. Your criticism is way off base. Sorry that I was not more specific about the test I was referring to.
  18. L

    Why battery-powered aircraft will never have significant range

    One advantage I can see for liquid fueled airplanes is that as you expend the energy you during a flight, you reduce the weight of the aircraft. With batteries, your take off weight and landing weight will be very similar. Now with solar plus batteries you may be able to help this power to...
  19. L

    Welding thin aluminum

    Have you set the high frequency to continuous or cleaning on your welder. This is necessary to weld aluminum. The settings should be AC and continuous high frequency. When I do .32 aluminum I use 30 amps as maximum with my foot control.
  20. L

    OT(?) - Composite Chip Repair

    Another trick I use that really improves the look and quality of a repair job, I will call "country boy pre-preg". I learned it from a composite guy who does a lot of work for the Indy cars. Take a sheet of relatively thin plastic. I use what is sold as painter's drop cloth. Lay it out on a...
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