Tank Mount Frame

[Brian Jackson]

This question is more for Mr. Taggart, but I'm throwing it out here.

In the GyroBee documentation two of the lateral x-braces which surround the tank's bottom are undercut 3/16". I assume that's to clear the adjacent material's wall thickness plus leg radius.

My question: May I extend the laterals to contact the adjacent frame members and radius the contact edges such that they're flush? It's more work, but I'm willing. That way there's no gap between their unions which I find more appealing cosmetically.

Seems like a "just do it" kinda thing, but while I'm a newbie building and learning, the simplest assumptions are your most complicated enemies.

Thanks guys!

Brian Jackson

[banaari]

Hi Brian,
even with that 3/16" cut off, I found you HAVE to then file some sort of bevelled edge to allow the holes to line up. I'll be getting mine welded, so I'm not worried too much about the aesthetics in that area.

cheers,
John

[Brent_Brown]

Sure if the holes line up or are you doing fit now drill later like I do?

[KDOG]

Geez, Brian are you trying to make the rest of us look bad or something? Good grief!!!! :) You just keep trying to make yours a show bird huh? Just rubbin' it in with that neato CAD program and all.... ;)

But about your question, I don't see why not. If you want to make it look pretty go ahead!!!

[Brian Jackson]

Sure if the holes line up or are you doing fit now drill later like I do?
Drilling the holes on 2 sides, fitting, then transfer punching/drilling the other 2 sides after line-up. That ensures a gap-free fit. I don't forsee a problem as long as the inside clearance for the tank remains unchanged.

Thanks guys,
Brian

[Brian Jackson]

Geez, Brian are you trying to make the rest of us look bad or something? Good grief!!!! :) You just keep trying to make yours a show bird huh?
:) :) :) I just enjoy sweating the minute details I guess... gives me kind of an orgasmic rush when projects turn out so nice. Though I wouldn't say filing aluminum is better than sex or anything, there is a certain "rhythm motion" involved :D

[banaari]

There's no safe response to a post like that!!!

Brian, did you finally decide to anodise the Queen Bee? And if so, what colour scheme?

I'm assuming one would get the welding done BEFORE the anodising; does plasma-arc welding introduce any foreign metal into the join that would mess things up?

John

[Brian Jackson]

Hi John.
I'm anodizing all but the square tubing (mast, keel & tailboom). Pioneer Metal Finishing is doing a custom dye "bright dip" for QB that will look like buffed (specular) copper, so I'll be doing a lot of wheel-buffing to supply them mirror finished parts. Some of the plate parts will be anodized satin powder blue, and the remainder of the ship (keel, mast, tailboom and composite tail) will be pro-automotive painted Ivory mother of pearl with clearcoat.

Regarding foreign metal in the welding process, I honestly don't know. I'm hoping a welder here might chime in to answer that one. Anxious to see more pictures of your ship's progress. Do you have a color scheme in mind?

Cheers,
Brian Jackson

[banaari]

.Anxious to see more pictures of your ship's progress.

Done! I'm still waiting to order the mast/keel/tail/wheels etc. Was informed a few days ago that our summer holiday accomodation has to be paid in advance; there goes November's pay packet, damn it. So in the meantime, I'm fabricating on average about one piece a day... fuel tank mount, rudder pedals, seat mountings, engine mount etc. Am accumulating a pile of bits. :D


(1) most of a fuel tank mount
(2) axle struts, vertical shock struts and seat braces.

[Brent_Brown]

I was just thinking with all that for a tank mount and a tank and a seat. Why not just use a brock 5 gal. seat tank and be done with it? I can't see it being a weight thing?

[KDOG]

Looking good banaari. I bet you are just chompin' at the bit to get the main pieces in so you can put it together for a dry fit, huh? ;) I did a little work on mine today sanding the edges of the fuel tank mount pieces and the engine mount pieces. I sent out another order to Wicks yesterday for some more 1x1 angle, 1.5x1.5 angle, and a foot of 2x2 angle (to fabricate the pedal pivots) as well as some nuts and bolts. I may go ahead and prep and paint the fuel tank mount pieces since they are done. Whaddya think? Yea or Nay?

[banaari]

Brent, paraphrasing Ralph: The seat in the 'Bee is a structural component, you can (and people do) use seat tanks, but you've got to be a bit crafty about creating an adequate shear web to replace the fibreglass seat. Scuttlebutt suggests also that the seat tanks are significantly less comfortable.

I too was curious, I weigh a LOT less than the 215 lb design weight; after I've flown it for a bit I'll be carefully evaluating ways to add fuel capacity. (We're not constrained by a 5-gallon limit in NZ.)

KDog: Yeah - really want to get my paws on the mast etc, and turn the BITS into an AIRCRAFT. Plenty of distractions in the meantime; have booked a solid week of residential instruction for January; will be swotting for the theory exam; spending the next weekend on a railway excursion on a section of line that doesn't normally carry passengers (separate thread warning here!!!)... damnit all though, I STILL want my mast!! Yesterday!! Whinge!!

Yep: Go paint the tank mount... get some protection on the pieces; should also give you a feel for how to proceed with the rest of it.

cheers,
John

[Jerseywing]

Aluminum is usually welded with a Tig (heli-arc) rig using high frequency AC. If done properly the beads will look like a row of nickels laying on their sides. The weldment is created using an aluminum filler rod so there shouldn't be anything but nice clean aluminum there when done. You can use a tapered deburring tool on a hand held high speed air grinder to smooth the weld out if you want or you can just leave the bead showing. (I like to see the bead -it takes alot of skill to do properly and is like the signature of the craftsman) If smoothing the weld go from the toe (edge) in to the center otherwise you may undercut the adjacent metal. I'm used to Stainless Steel and Inconel so I'm not sure how fast it'll cut aluminum but I imagine it won't take much presure to take off alot of metal. Take your time and you can get a real smooth finish. Just remember never use a steel wire brush on anything or it'll leave nasties that will rust.

[banaari]

Aluminum is usually welded with a Tig (heli-arc) rig using high frequency AC.
That clears that up... shouldn't be too hard to organise.


Just remember never use a steel wire brush on anything or it'll leave nasties that will rust.
That's somewhat disconcerting - I've been religiously cleaning up cut/filed ends using steel wool, as per the build documentation... :confused:

[scottessex]

Geeze man! You guys are going to extremes! Not that that is bad or anything. I am using zizz wheels, angle grinders with 3M abrasive pads to clean up my edges, just like we do at work, on the big stuff.
But it looks like both of you are doing a fine job, keep up the good work.

[Jerseywing]

Some things I know - alot of things - I don't know. I figure if I share what I do know - then it'll help someone else out there - who maybe doesn't know. I haven't started building yet, but when I do - I'll really know what i don't know...

Kinda sounds like Donald Rumsfeld huh?

[Brian Jackson]

Geeze man! You guys are going to extremes! Not that that is bad or anything.
Hope not. :D I guess for many of us it's our first Gyro and thus we'd rather go "overboard" in the details instead of the other way. Not just with the building, but in the understanding of them. I feel that can only be a good thing. I like seeing an interest of this level of awareness and safety thought out and openly discussed. Until today I didn't know how important 1/8" was until I read a New Zealand site that discussed Gimbal offsets, etc. That's why I consult this forum even for the most seemingly benign issues while building my gyro. Physics is indiscriminate.

Brian Jackson

[scottessex]

I was only joking about extremes, it is good to see someone take pride in thier work, and quality counts.
Question often about things you don't understand, and you will find the answers. there are No stupid questions. To me, building and fabrication are a sort of relaxation, I would rather be out in the shop, than on the couch watching TV. Most of the time anyhow.