The front fuselage stand made from 2x4s

[mhorowit]

I've seen several images of folks having built a front fuselage stand out of 2x4s.
it looks like a "#". Could anyone who's built a stand like that verify you used 8' long studs?

- Thanks, MIke

[Mark Julicher]

Re: The front fuselage stand made from 2x4s

Mike,
You can start with full length studs but you will probably want to cut them down so you can work on the fuselage without using a step ladder. I think about seven feet vertical and six feet horizontal works out OK. Be sure to put the horizontal arms where you will smack then with your head and then say all the special words.

Play with it until you like it.

[Ragwing nut]

Re: The front fuselage stand made from 2x4s

I use 1x4 and yes they are 8'

[mulwyk]

Re: The front fuselage stand made from 2x4s

Mike:
I used 2X6's. The vertical members are 60" and the horizontals are 52". I bolted the verticals and horizontals together at right angles using eight 1/4" carriage bolts. You'll want casters on the bottom of the verticals to make it easier to move the fuselage around.

[mhorowit]

Re: The front fuselage stand made from 2x4s

Thanks guys -

I built a jig several years ago modeled after Rob Lee's and had been using it on the wings. now that the wings are at a stopping point, I want to focus on the fuselage; I built a fixture to bolt to the engine mount at one side, and a piece of pipe that fits into my "jig stand". I can use that (in combo with a saw horse) to remove as much rust (and then prime) at the storage location, then move the fuse home for more rust removal with my sandblaster, then some repair work (I'm trying to minimize the time the fuse is at home). Since the "jig stand" won't travel well over the grass, I'll use the "H" frame.

I plan on taking a piece of plywood and mounting that to the engine mount, then bolting the 2x4s to that. I have some 8" wheels on an axle that I can clamp on the bottom of the 2x4's so I will be able to push it around over the grass. - Mike

[VictorBravo]

Re: The front fuselage stand made from 2x4s

Mike, make sure that your wheels have movement around all three axes. I had 2x4's bolted to a Citabria frame, drilled into the lower 2x4's and inserted "stem casters" from Aerospace Depot. I thought I was real clever, but the swiveling feature did not work unless the 2x4's were vertical, which meant I had to lift the tail of the airplane! So either mount the wheels on some sort of hinging mechanism, or angle the casters so the wheel swivel axis is vertical.

[mhorowit]

Re: The front fuselage stand made from 2x4s

Mike, make sure that your wheels have movement around all three axes. I had 2x4's bolted to a Citabria frame, drilled into the lower 2x4's and inserted "stem casters" from Aerospace Depot. I thought I was real clever, but the swiveling feature did not work unless the 2x4's were vertical, which meant I had to lift the tail of the airplane! So either mount the wheels on some sort of hinging mechanism, or angle the casters so the wheel swivel axis is vertical.

ooops.
Thanks - Mike