Rotorhead

[scottessex]

Rebuilt the rotorhead, New bearings, new bolts, new cheek plates, all new and ready to bolt back on!

[Jazzenjohn]

You've got a really nice shop Scott. I like the rebuild too! Is that a Smithy I spy in the background?

[scottessex]

Thanks John, Yes that is my smithy 12-20, it works very well, it is a little small for big stuff, but it handles almost everything I need it to do.

[ben]

scott i like the color and the finish is that paint sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet

[GyroRon]

Wonder where you got the idea to do those fancy swirls Scotty!!! ;) Looks really good. Did you do the swirls yourself?

[Friendly]

Nice work Scott , now it matches Ben's avitor, is that where you got the ideals for the blue paint swirls???

[scottessex]

Yes Ron I liked the engine turning on your cheek plates, and panel.
I did it myself with a 3M rol-lok disk in a drill press, and the blue is translucent powdercoat.

Does anyone know how many degrees side to side the rotorhead should pivot? I want to check all this before I put it back on.

I am also replacing all the rod-end bearings on the control system. I looked at 2 different MFG's rod ends at aircraft spruce, The cheaper ones were hollow! So I went with the heim ends.

[CLS447]

Hey Scott looks great! What rod ends were hollow?! Not the Aurora Ones ?

What page & part # ?????

[GyroRon]

18 degrees total

[scottessex]

Thanks Ron,
Chris, I think it was the aurora, The other ones were spherco, and heim.
Just pull one out and see if the body of the threaded part is hollow.
I think the prefix was "MM" I am not sure of the page, my book is at the house.

[Curran3]

Scott,
If you get bored I've got most of the parts to make two more of those heads. I think all you'd need to get are bearings and those gizmo's that the rotorbolt slides into. I think I've got a bunch of the airframe plates too. Swap for something interesting?
Curran

[donshoebridge]

I did it myself with a 3M rol-lok disk in a drill press, and the blue is translucent powdercoat.

I'm glad you didn't say "anodizing". Blue anodizing is the worst when it comes to stranding up to weather. It fades real fast and turns into BLAH!

[Harry_S.]

Why is that, Don?!?

Sumpin' wrong with the blue?!

Thanks.

[Al_Hammer]

Don,I came across some references to "hot nickel acetate type sealant solution" as a way to protect anodized finishes from weathering. I know nothing about this, but it sounds interesting.

http://www.finishing.com/89/84.shtml

================================================== ====
http://www.turborick.com/anodize2.html
Sealing:
The sealing process hydrates the porous anodic layer, closing it, protecting it, and sealing in the dye.
For most applications, sealing is desirable.
Supposedly, this process can be done with boiling water, but I've only managed the following.
1) Simply leave the piece in the dye bath, and boil the dye bath for one hour. This will require removal of the excess dye afterwards and is not generally recommended.
2) 2% anodal MS-1 (again from sandoz chemical (though, nickel acetate should work as a substitute). The temperature of the bath should be between 70 and 87 degrees C, with a duration of 5-20 minutes (depending on porosity and thickness of coating . . . longer never hurts).
Note that after each step, the object should be rinsed with deionized water to avoid contamination. I did this all with distilled water, though deionized water should still work.
Important information about the piece. The purity of the aluminum is important. The higher the silicon content, the less likely the process is too work. Also, the product should be newly machined (for a shinier, more professional finish) or sandblasted (for a flatter, though less even, finish). All oil, dirt, glass beads, etc, must be removed prior to the anodization process. This can be done by thorough cleaning with acetone and methonal (soap is dangerous, since phosphates in the solution tend to negate the anodization process). For better cleaning, immerse the part in 1 tsp/200 litres NaOH (be careful). For small parts this is undesirable, since the NaOH actually removes aluminum.
After this bath, a smutty brown finish is obtained. To remove, rinse the part, and soak in a 10% nitric acid solution until a satin finish is obtained.

[donshoebridge]

When I worked for United Technologies (automotive) in Dearborn, MI, all of the test equipment/fixtures that UT owned were anodized in blue, bright dip. Within a year, these parts had very little blue color left in them. I don't know why, but everything else that we anodized other than blue held up longer - red, gold, green, black, purple, etc. Blue faded the fastest. I don't know why.

Tim Blackwell knows a little about anodizing. He set up a system at home to do it using $2 foam ice chests and a few electrical components. I think he posted something about it several months ago.