BC-12D Instrument Panel Material Type

[Cal-Aero Mark]

Hi Everyone, I am part of a team working on a Taylorcraft and I wondered if anyone knew the type of aluminum used for the instrument panel. I thought it might be 2024. We have some cracks at lower left, and wondered if we should rivet or TIG weld if it is 1100, 3003?
Mark

[3Dreaming]

Not certain of the allow, but it should be weldable. If you have someone capable of welding thin aluminum.

[Hank Jarrett]

Just be careful because the aluminum is thin and the welding heat can start a lot of deformations that are hard to work out. I fixed a lot of cracks in a pre war panel (even THINNER aluminum!) by making a second thin doubler for the back side and dimpling the skins for CSK solid rivets. Later, used a metal block with a hole drilled in it to put the buck tail in so I could smooth out the front face and then used a VERY THIN filler to cover the line where the CSK rivet head was. Can't even see where the repair was. (OK, can't even see it from the front!) ;-) The late pre war and very early post war panels were really bad about cracking, especially around the instrument screw holes on the early post war panels. That's why they went to thicker material in 46. Afraid I never went to all the trouble to test for what alloy aluminum was used.

[Cal-Aero Mark]

Thanks, you guys. I have done a fair bit of thin sheet metal welding so I will give a small spot a try to see what happens. If it doesn’t puddle right I will get our rivet guy on the job! I hope it’s 1100 or something but hard to say.