stevegauth30

Jigs are good. Thanks for the link. Im sure some good info there.

acerc

Hey! I have that article and it is a great piece of info.

stevegauth30

Yeah, no kidding. Short, sweet, to the point, and in a language everyone can understand. Printed out, and filed away for later reference.

Melchizedek

Melchizedek

2nd bend of the gear wire complete. Thought I was going to end up with two coat hangers but it worked out.
I used the Dog House to get the stager and angle of the bend.
I had some 1/4 inch thick aluminum with a 1/4 radius on one edge. Using the dog house to get the bend point. I super glued a wood stick on the bend line. Then clamped the radius edge up against the wood. Then popped the wood off and stuck in a bench vise. Then used 2 more pieces of aluminum clamped on the opposite side of the bend to keep the legs parallel. Then wrenched the bend. I bent it just past home on the first one then tweaked it into position. The second one I got on the first attempt. Thanks captain Lucky
The top bend will be a challenge as you will see in the picture. They get bent parallel with the ground and at an angle.





Also did the layup for the gear fairings. This was the easiest layup so far.
One jell coat and 3 layers of 3 oz. Two of the layers cut square with the grain, and the middle layer cut on the bias.

Not concerned if these are a little flimsy. They will need mounting points in them probably consisting of a rib or two. Not sure just yet.



Kevin

Melchizedek

Fairings have been trimmed.



Failure on bend three. Too much tweaking. This one (all 4 will be a bear).
Captain Lucky was out for a smoke.




Regroup !

Kevin

Melchizedek

The glass layup is complete for the gear. The fairings are about an inch long at the top. They eventually get trimmed to length to stop just short of the wing/fuse and then get a fillet around the top. Everything is just taped together except the joint of the spat fairing. The fairings are just resting on the cuff.
The rigidity of the fairing is very acceptable. When they get there gear wire mounts they will be very rigid.





Now if I can just give it a spine

Kevin

stevegauth30

You should be damn proud. You did an unbelievable job.

acerc

Absolutely outstanding!!!!

Melchizedek

Thank you Steve, and Robert.
It's been a long road to get to this point but am glad for the journey. Also glad you guys and others are such good company.
Much to do still. Have to get the spine right or the spats are homeless.

Kevin

Melchizedek

We have Spine!!! Yayyyyyyyyy

What a pain in the butt this was.
I started all over with two new sticks of 1/4 X 36 Music wire. When I got to the top bends my knees were a knocken.
As fate would have it, Captain Lucky came riding up.





Next up is to put the spring back into the wire. Then to weld a washer hub at each axle and to weld some thin steel plats at each top to tie them together.

This is the detail of the articulating gear.



Once the wheel hub and mount plate are welded on I will work up some sort of attachment structure for the spats and the fairings.
Will have to round up someone to do the welding. Kicking myself for not taking metal working in high school.

Kevin

acerc

Look's good from here, lol. Why don't you braze the parts together then re-temper all at once. Not sure actual welding on piano wire is a good thing. On the legs covers light expanding foam has worked real well for me.

Melchizedek

Robert,
My first thought was welding cause of the fill needed at the axle hub. The gear wire is at an angle there out of necessity. The hub will be 90 to ground.
If this were brazed, Would the fill be strong enough at this point ?

I would love to braze cause I could do this in house. Welding will require outside assistance.

Would silver solder and Mapp gas be sufficient ?

Kevin

acerc

When I speak braze, it is in my way of brazing. At least 60% silver brazing alloy, MAPP and Oxy with a pencil (literally) tipped torch. For what you are doing I would braze the perimeter with the 60%+ and then do a little fillet on the inside with a lighter 20-30% silver alloy (less heat) then grind and polish to suit.

And to answer your question, I think it would be strong enough. Attached is a few pics of heavy loaded objects that are still going strong. The first is my Waco tailwheel of five years. Secong is the small Pitts cabane, and you missed some good conversation leading up to me standing on it, and then the small Pitts L/G.

Melchizedek

All I have is the blast tip bottle top kind. Sounds like I will need to ask a favor of a friend who has a torch set up.
Or I will look into getting my own set up.
Sounds like brazing will be the way to go.

Thanks Robert

Kevin

acerc

Yea, I am a little slow tonight!! LOL!

Melchizedek

Got the gear wire ready to Braze. A friend from work brought in an oxyacetylene torch for me to use. He has the full size setup so I will take my gear into work and braze them there, probably this week some time.

Since my jig is wood. I had to figure a way to not burn it to smithereens. I cut the top down to make way for a brick. Then I had to cut the axle hub area away and mount a temp axle to hold the fender washer in its place. I will use a little welding shield blanket to cover the periphery of the area's that will be brazed.




I will practice on some scrap before commencing on the gear.

Kevin

acerc

Your going to have more time on those gear than I do on my Pitts, but I assure you, I understand very well!!!

Melchizedek

The gear have been brazed. This was a first for me. I practiced on some scrap to get the hang of it.
Seems like lots of practice is required to do a real clean job. More skill required than solder for sure.





The brazes are not pretty but adequate. Over heated one of the wires and melted a chunk out .
This chapped my hinny , Lost half the wire thickness (fourth pic upper left corner). This still leaves 1/8 of wire brazed to 3/32 steal at this spot. I believe it is structurally sound.
The gear have become very rigid.

Next up, back on the jig for internal spat and fairing mounts, then the FG halfs can be joined permanently.

Kevin

acerc

Ouch, you used a big torch didn't you!!!!! Looks great and should be plenty strong...

Melchizedek

A Binford 9000, should have used the 4000

Kevin

acerc

I guess we can start calling you Tim!

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Good ,looking gear all the same!

Melchizedek

Thanks Mike

And thanks Robert for your reassurance on strength.
All the same when I got to work this morning I took my practice scrap and tried to part it.
My practice was the same music wire and the same steel.
The practice brases were of less quality than the gear bases.
I tride to beat a flat blade screwdriver beween them to seperate them.
No can do without risk of harm to self.

Proof enough to me that chunk out of the music wire will be of no consequence.
Also since that spot got to welding temp, it just might of gotten welded.

Kevin

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

That was my thought you probably welded it. The only downside is you may have lost some of temper in the piano wire if it got too hot.