Today's Message Index:
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1. 06:46 AM - Longerons (TBYH@aol.com)
2. 07:57 AM - Bending Wood - was Lower longerons (Don Morris)
3. 05:35 PM - Re: Mountain Flying (Rcaprd@aol.com)
Message 1
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Many thanks for feedback -- I'll just put the lower longeron in the jig
without steaming and go from there. The grain runs with the length of the fuselage
-- just like the many balsa wood models I've built over the years. Anyway, it
is fun to actually start cutting and gluing wood. I'll share some pics when I
get the sides finished and assembled. Got my Sitka and ply from McCormick
Lumber in Madison, WI, by the way. Nice folks!
Many thanks again!
Fred B.
La Crosse
Message 2
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Gecko/20040804 Netscape/7.2 (ax)
| Subject: | Bending Wood - was Lower longerons |
0.12 HTML_TITLE_EMPTY BODY: HTML title contains no text
Hi. I have to weight in my two cents worth.
Before I entered the world of aircraft building, I was heavily involved
in musical instrument construction. ( http://www.donsplans.com )
Actually, there are a LOT of similarities, but I'll cut the the chase.
I have bent a LOT of wood.
First, if you can bend the longerons without them cracking, this is
fine. If you take apart a 100 year old violin and try to straighten the
sides, the sides will crack! The wood will gradually conform to the new
line. If you feel that the strain is too much on the bend, moisture and
heat will help. Your idea of a long pipe is a good one. If you do
this, I would boil the longerons in water for at least 3 or 4 hours, and
5 or 6 would not be bad. Then, take out the longerons, and immediately
place it into the jig while it is still hot. Then, you will have let it
dry. This will take at least a week or two. Remember that the moisture
saturated wood will not glue properly until it is back to the same
moisture content as the rest of the wood. It will also tend to shrink
as it dries, so make sure that it has the same basic moisture content as
the rest of the wood before you build, or your fuselage will develop and
arched back as the bottom longerons dry.
After you are done, the wood will be just as strong as if you had not
done the treatment. However, as you can tell by the previous details,
it will be a rather large endeavor. My final "advice" on the project is
don't try to steam the wood. Bend it slowly into your jig, and don't
let the stress build up on any one point of the spruce. If you are
careful about your work, and the spruce broke while it was being
installed in the jig, then it was defective, and you just possibly saved
your life! Go get a clear 2x4, and cut a 1 inch square longeron or 3
from it. Practice with these until you can feel when the wood is about
to crack.
-Don Morris
P.S. There is a technique of bending with dry heat, but one must be
VERY careful as it is a fine line between enough heat and scorching the
wood.
TBYH@aol.com wrote:
> Probably an oft repeated questions, but here goes anyway. I cut some
> of that beautiful Sitka spruce into 1x1-inch strips for the top and
> bottom longerons. I can bend the bottom longeron into the jig, but
> seems like there will be an awful lot of pent-up stress if I just glue
> it up that way. I read the one fellow steamed the front portion of the
> lower longeron to get it to bend easier. What's the right way to do
> this -- I'm thinking of getting a length of two- or three-inch pipe,
> four feet long or so, capping one end, filling with water, heating to
> a boil and then putting longeron in there. If that's the right
> solution, how long should I leave the spruce in there? Will that
> weaken the wood after it dries? Some guidance would be greatly
> appreciated.
>
> Many thanks!
>
> Fred B.
> La Crosse, WI
> TBYH@aol.com <mailto:TBYH@aol.com>
Message 3
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| Subject: | Re: Mountain Flying |
--> Pietenpol-List message posted by: Rcaprd@aol.com
In a message dated 11/5/04 8:36:02 AM Central Standard Time,
dilatush@amigo.net writes:
<< Chuck G. and other Pieters,
In my earlier post, I forgot to mention the effect that altitude has on the
horsepower of a normally aspirated engine.
A normally aspirated engine will lose about 3% of it's horsepower per
thousand feet. Figure it this way: If you have a 65 hp Continental, at 7500 feet,
you really only have 77.5% of 65 hp available or about 50 hp at full throttle
available for take off and climb!
Another thing to keep in mind when planning your route.
Cordially,
John Dilatush
Salida, Colorado
Boy, I miss "Mountain Piet". >>
John,
I was hoping to hear some comments on flying in mountain terrain, from you.
Thank you, and everyone, for some very good advise.
I plan on bringing this subject up again some time.
John Ford,
Please let your son Collin (about 7 yrs old) know that ever since he and his
buddies, Tyler and Garrett Menache, fix my brake cylinders at Brodhead, I
haven't had any problems at all with them !!
Chuck Gantzer
NX770CG
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