If you want a challenge...I may have a few short pieces of 3/16 x .035 molly left over from my door latches I could mail you. I started off on 3/8 x .035 molly.....still have trouble running a straight bead. But then again I always seem to be drawn to the tough things first

Its going to be replaced. After thinking about it ...its not worth the risk. Torque tube for a flight control '46 Aeronca . We have already ordered new tube and planning to do the job this weekend...calling for several inches of rain...perfect time to make things right. You wouldn't believe the laye...

And after 2 or 3 dips of the filler....it puked all over the tungsten. Having already drilled a vent hole way out on the part to kill internal pressure I thought this couldn't be the case. Wrong again I was. There is a tube inside the outer tube after drilling a new hole closer to the repair area. Q...

It is 4130 x .035" tube...ER70-S2 filler .045"....55 amps w/pedal. I feel like a dumba$$ now for sure. No vent holes. I guess when the first attempt got hot enough to wet it blew through. Got it sealed up after it cooled. I guess a vacuum is what sucked the other side before it could wet o...

OK I have welded some scrap after the fact to make sure I hadn't lost today. This one tube was welded to my project about a year ago and welded fine, at each end. Now today I tried to weld on the gussets that were required and got a surprise. The gusset welded OK to the uprights. But when I tried to...

OK Made all of the pieces for the repair job. I welded up a couple test parts just like the joints to be repaired. I thought I would blow off the end of the tube where it feathers down to nothing on the ends...and it did to some extent. The welds are not as pretty as I would like...but function is i...

Tubes marked for cutting....proceeding with repair as stated in manual. My A&P with I/A auth. said for me to not deviate. Proven, time tested theory from the "30s to now. I simply said OK .

I get that they all get fused together...but do you think I could close the gap a tiny bit? I guess I need to make some practice pieces and just see what happens...then cut them and see what got fused. I'll get pix up when I get the tests done...thin and small pieces.
Thanks guys

This is out of my FAA repair manuals.....question is I feel like this suggested 1/8" gap is better suited for gas welding. The tube that is going to be replaced is all .035" wall and 3/8 , 1/2 OD. If I were planning to TIG all these splices as per the manual without that huge gap do you th...

Pic #2 is a weave I tried...cut off a piece and beat flat on the anvil. Maybe I am not testing this right...not sure if this will bend sharply at the weld and not crack thinking back on the bending radii needing to be about 3 times thickness to avoid cracking. I might be partly chasing my tail. If I...

See...flat as a pancake...no splits or anything. Maybe I should sell my TIG machine to pay for welding school....

Went out and burnt some more filler today...made a weld on .040 molly...cut in 3 pieces...going to look at nugget on 1, bend the other, and anneal at 900 F and cooled in sand as suggested before bending it. Both pieces broke in the same manor tested. I welded a piece of DOM tubing...smashed flat wit...

OK I give up. Welded a couple other pieces slowly today on the 1/4" steel table...left to cool slow-no breeze. Broke the same way as before. Do I have a batch of bad .035" filler???? 10 lds of it? Only other filler I have on hand besides 309 is .045" from a different manu. Or could it...

I feel like a real A$$ right now. After all the time spent learning about metals....and shot myself in the foot knowing these things. Guess I had to have someone say look what you've gone and done. I do have some 1/4" wall DOM tubing I can use for a piece to clamp them to. Will preheat before I...

It is 4130 Normalized condition from aircraft spruce, .040" sheet. As for a new file on broken section and 1 inch away...seemed about the same to me stroke for stroke...maybe a bit harder on the broken end. Hate to crap can the parts...but would rather be sure. I have made 5 pieces for actual u...

OK I have made a lot of small parts from 4130....mostly .040 welded to .060 formed parts. I have metal sheet stored in the building with light oil sprayed on it and wiped down. After I cut my parts on the bandsaw and get them shaped with flap wheel and deburred I usually soak them in acetone for a f...

Brake is done and works like a charm. Little overbuilt but only wanted to make one unit... has enough bite to clamp down on a 3/16" edge of 5" x .050" molly sheet stock and bend a 90 no worries. 3/4" split shaft for eccentric clamping action. This thing should last beyond my life...

Started working on a dedicated brake to bend some airplane parts. Some brackets .030" up to .065" thick and 4" wide. There were some brakes out there 2 weeks away starting at $300 up. No good for me. So here is what happened to some shop scraps...all that's left is the clamping mechan...

I would love to be able to afford and create such a beast... my FEA and modeling software wouldn't touch all that needs to be looked at on a complete airframe. Tough to beat 4130 for cost and proven track records....then came carbon composite....this is similar to what I am building. http://www.cubc...

I can't figure out how to keep the edge {corner of pieces} from going away with a simple bracket. I shot myself in the foot learning to weld tube right off the start I guess....maybe light up on a piece of copper then move to the corner to fuse it first? Tried getting a bead there and lighting up on...

They are being returned. I kind of knew the answer before I posted...like I said it was trying to save some time. Seems it never works out. Pics when I get a set made....going to play with bending some scrap today to see what needs to be done....thinking a press with some tubing for a mandrel of sor...

They are airplane pulley brackets. Cable runs 90 deg off these. I guess I will order some material and try a few practice bends to get that right and make them myself. Should be easy after those are figured out. Makes you wonder when something flies overhead doesn't it? There seems to be a lot of qu...

There is a sugaring haze around the inside edges where the 2 sides come off the curved piece. Also some heat discoloring on the bottom....a very small indication of push through. Side loads only. Hard to get close up pics of these as they are small.
Thanks for looking as I may just use as they are.

I think I can make these...just have to figure out how to bend the flat pieces. Maybe there OK to use as delivered . Getting frustrated at paying for things to save me time and then getting questionable parts. The thing that has me concerned a bit is the welds. I think I can make these but the time ...

Well it was kind of an inside joke that was going around....just didn't think much about it when typed out. That machine will do your bidding for a fee and most always gives you some issues sooner or later.