Progress Update

[orchardair]

Just to show that I am not 100% lazy or anything, here is the next step - welded (although not very pretty):

1494379763623 (1).jpg

Next will be cutting the excess metal, and shortening the tubes to required length.

[orchardair]

Much lighter now...

metal removed.jpg

The one edge of the (rectangular tube) pieces which is laying on the bench is sometimes shown as being metal. In my case it is air. I did not weld anything on that edge - just removed a bunch of metal.
Since the longer of the two 3/8" tubes goes all the way through the rectangular tube, I figured it is sturdy enough for this non-structural part.
In other words - I added lightness.

[Bitshifter]

20170520_165508.jpg

I needed to throw in a progress update since I finally got it pushed out of the garage.

[1964m20e]

looking good

[HC85]

NICE!!!

I love it!

Looking forward to the day when my ship is at that level of completion!

[orchardair]

What a beauty!

[orchardair]

One of my "How did you ..." pictorial essays.
This time, perpendicular tube-in tube with doublers. This is used several times in the Hatz Classic. Specifically in this case I am working on the landing gear parts.

Step 1:
I drill the hole for the bushing tube before I cut the long tube to length. This gives me freedom to drill wherever the drill bit hits the tube. Also leave enough length (1/2" ?) at the short side of the tube beyond the hole, to make things easier.

Drill pre-cut.jpg

Step 2:
Cut the bushing tubes over-sized, ream the hole, cut the long tube to size (measure twice!).

Cut to length.jpg

Step 3:
Tack-weld the bushing, but only on the part that won't be cut off (see later).

Tack weld.jpg

Step 4:
Using a combination of angle-grinder, bench grinder, jedi-force and any other trick you have, cut the long tube to shape.

Shape.jpg

Step 5:
Prepare the doublers. In this case I don't think these are on the files you can download for your waterjet cutter. I just used my angle grinder to cut them from 0.050 sheet, finished on the sander.

Doublers.jpg

The next few steps will be in a separate post. I guess there's a limit to how many pictures or size a single post can have.

[orchardair]

...(continued)

Step 6:
Position and tack-weld the doublers.

Tack Doubler.jpg

Step 7:
Heat and bend the doublers.

Heat bend.jpg

Step 8:
Ready to weld around the doubler.

Ready to weld.jpg

[mmarien]

Nice. I haven't started on the metal other than the compression tubes but there is nothing better for building confidence than someone else making it look easy.

[orchardair]

Here ya go, welded all around:

DSC_1868.jpg

Need to ream the small tubes to 5/16", shorten them to the correct length and drill the holes in the longer tubes.