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Well, I’ve had a big success I’d like to share. Might as well include everyone since everyone had something to do with its accomplishment. With the exception of sandblasting, priming and covering, I’ve completed the rudder.
I’m going to leave out some stuff like “take some time off and learn how to do basic welding” and “buy Ron Fourier’s ‘Sheet Metal Handbook’ and learn what Mark Julicher ment by hammerforming” and that ever favorite, “drag my welding examples to every A&P in the area to see if the welds are acceptable.”
I took the fabric off the rudder and was faced with a rusted-out lower trailing edge, rib, and a pitted lower leading edge.[picture]. Leaving out some of the blood ( remember the two week adventure trying to get the “T” shaped thing that turns the tailwheel out of the rudder leading edge? Or the episode where we struggled to insure new holes would be aligned with old holes and the trick with the washer to insure the drill bit would pass as close to exactly thru the center of the tube as possible?
Bent the trailing edge by filling it full of sand, plugging the ends and bending it around a form[picture]. Reinforced the lower end of the leading edge with an external splice (after drilling the famous holes}. Welded in the trailing edge using a jig I saw in the EAA Welding book. Now for the rib.
Built a bending brake (take two weeks please) but it didn’t give me the results I needed. Re-read Mark’s suggestion to hammerform the rib; ordered Fournier’s book to get a bit more on sheetmetal work. In place of MDF, I went with oak, planed to ½” thickness. Cut the form and clamp, and formed the rib. Here it is shown in place. [picture]. Also shown are the forward and aft welds securing it to the leading/trailing edges.[pic][pic]
And here she is.[picture] For the next week she’ll be in the back of the car while I'll show anyone who will sit still long enough what I did, and to thank everyone for their patience.
Next… we open up one of the ailerons and see what lurks behind the Dacron!
I’m going to leave out some stuff like “take some time off and learn how to do basic welding” and “buy Ron Fourier’s ‘Sheet Metal Handbook’ and learn what Mark Julicher ment by hammerforming” and that ever favorite, “drag my welding examples to every A&P in the area to see if the welds are acceptable.”
I took the fabric off the rudder and was faced with a rusted-out lower trailing edge, rib, and a pitted lower leading edge.[picture]. Leaving out some of the blood ( remember the two week adventure trying to get the “T” shaped thing that turns the tailwheel out of the rudder leading edge? Or the episode where we struggled to insure new holes would be aligned with old holes and the trick with the washer to insure the drill bit would pass as close to exactly thru the center of the tube as possible?
Bent the trailing edge by filling it full of sand, plugging the ends and bending it around a form[picture]. Reinforced the lower end of the leading edge with an external splice (after drilling the famous holes}. Welded in the trailing edge using a jig I saw in the EAA Welding book. Now for the rib.
Built a bending brake (take two weeks please) but it didn’t give me the results I needed. Re-read Mark’s suggestion to hammerform the rib; ordered Fournier’s book to get a bit more on sheetmetal work. In place of MDF, I went with oak, planed to ½” thickness. Cut the form and clamp, and formed the rib. Here it is shown in place. [picture]. Also shown are the forward and aft welds securing it to the leading/trailing edges.[pic][pic]
And here she is.[picture] For the next week she’ll be in the back of the car while I'll show anyone who will sit still long enough what I did, and to thank everyone for their patience.
Next… we open up one of the ailerons and see what lurks behind the Dacron!
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