A milestone of sorts

[mhorowit]

This weekend I picked up my sandblasted and primed fuselage and brought it home. My wife had been concerned that it would be an attraction and kids would wander into the backyard. One look at it and she declared it looked more like a radio tower than an airplane and she had no concern it would be an attractive nuisance. So it can stay as long as needed.

Last night I fought off the heat and mosquitoes and did my first welding; replacing a tab that holds the floorboard in place. My first weld on a certified airplane . Tonight I’ll complete my BOM and send in my tubing order. In the meantime I can build the second brake and fabricate the pulley supports from material I have on hand.

Things are beginning to look do-able. – MikeH.

[bashibazouk]

Re: A milestone of sorts

Goodonya, Mike!

Careful breathing the fumes from the baked-off primer when you're welding. The epoxy stuff is nasty. It doesn't seem to matter how far back from the weld area I grind the stuff off, it still fumes like crazy!

Congrats on the progress. It's much nicer to have the project close to home. Makes working on things much easier when you don't have to pack first!

Josh

[mhorowit]

Re: A milestone of sorts

Goodonya, Mike!

Careful breathing the fumes from the baked-off primer when you're welding. The epoxy stuff is nasty. It doesn't seem to matter how far back from the weld area I grind the stuff off, it still fumes like crazy!

Congrats on the progress. It's much nicer to have the project close to home. Makes working on things much easier when you don't have to pack first!

Josh

You are so right on the convenience thing!

Tell me more about burning off the primer; I was doing some repair on the horizontial stabilizer stub (which had been primed) and I spent some time burning the epoxy back; lots of smoke and something caught fire in the tube (which had been primed). Do you think removing primer by burning it off isn't a good idea? I'm sure not going to get it all removed by any other means, correct? - Mike

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: A milestone of sorts

I don't breath ANY welding fumes, which can be pretty difficult most times. There are all kinds of things on steel tube. Steel used to be lubricated by PCB (Polychlorinated Biphenyl) oil for forming (illegal as all get out now) and old tube could probably still have some on it. Know what you get when you burn PCBs? Dioxin!
Short-term exposure to dioxins may result in skin lesions, such as chloracne and patchy darkening of the skin, and altered liver function. Long-term exposure is linked to impairment of the immune system, nervous system damage, endocrine system and reproductive disfunctions and the big "C". NOT something you want to mess with!
Hopefully the small fire you saw on the tube is just the primer on the outside and the tube oil inside, but DON'T take any chances. DON'T BREATH THE FUMES!!!!! If you start getting pimples, pissing blood, twitching and shaking....., might want to get a good respirator.
Hank

What the heck, get one anyway.

[bashibazouk]

Re: A milestone of sorts

Probably tube (linseed) oil on the inside. It's pretty exciting when it *poof* -s out the end! Respirators are good. Hard to get excited about when it's 98 deg and 99 percent humidity, though.

That said, I tend to make sure I've got lots of air moving past me and the structure (not blowing directly on the spot I'm working, of course) and then heat where I'm welding just enough to burn off the primer. Then I use a wire wheel to knock everything off to bare metal. Careful with solvents, though:

http://brewracingframes.com/id75.htm

Alcohol burns off cleanly, as do mineral spirits. Be careful of chlorinated cleaners and heat!!

[mulwyk]

Re: A milestone of sorts

congrats, mike, on bringing your baby home. you must have a very understanding wife!

[mhorowit]

Re: A milestone of sorts

I also have a letter out to Mr. Clayton for his skylight STC - Mike