I genuinely hope that you're enjoying your build as much as I enjoyed watching your craftsmanship! Great attention to detail and the high-quality work product shows it!
Excellent tutorial! Attention to all the details that come from experience and reflection. A step by step explanation well thought out and presented, clear minded, 100% solid information, no fluff, nor filler. Subscribed.
Thanks for the views---- I have sort of gotten side tracked a little--- a friend had bought a spare pa22/20 airframe just to get the engine-- and he had to move his project to a much smaller place-- so he sold me his spare airframe for a good price. It was converted to a 20 back in early 90's-- but the man who did it got cancer and passed away about 5 years later. It went through 2 or 3 more owners after who didnt do anything to it. It was running the risk of being scrapped-- and the homely puppy followed me home from the bus stop. ! My plan is to work on the bearhawk when there are lulls in the piper resto. To complicate things--- I will probably be moving to central Tn after new years (if that goes well--) Last left off making the big middle ribs--- so that where I will continue---but not much different than the nose ribs on technique. Next new thing-- I need to fab up some kind of pressing took that I can put on the main ribs that I can use to deform the front and rear inch of the flanges so the skin wont see a bump. Like a jog about the thickness of the rib material. Like to make it fit onto the ribs after they are formed--- Thats probably the next "interesting " thing that might be useful to someone - maybe.. Had some rotten bottom longerons on the piper from snow/mud prob. laying on the tab for the tail wires. Replaced them and added liner tubes to those and to tail post as is best practice for piper re-builds as they sooner or later fracture the tubes back there from the tail wheel flexing everything. Started repairing from the rear and working my way forward. All most ready to prime and paint from tail wheel to baggage area..... Tim
hi all--- some of you were asking about where to get rubber. My thinck blocks were gotten about 25 years ago at a rubber supply house. They are long gone now. as an experiment-- I went to tractor supply and bought a rubber horse stall mat (about 1/2 inch thick) I cut it up into 12 by 16 pieces and made a stack about 3 inches thick. That worked just as well as the solid blocks. could see no difference in the part. I think the mats are about 18$ and one will be plenty I think. Tim
Hi all---- I have had some more "side tracking" as I have moved from Fl. to TN. I have to do some work inside the new shop--- like install electrical outlets and overhead lights and LOTS of shelving. I accidently acquired ANOTHER Piper PA-20. This one has rusted out lower longerons but came with a possibly good O-320. In the mean time I will hang the skeleton from the ceiling and use that room for the other piper. That will make me room to get the bearhawk going again. Got all the thick main ribs done-- next I will be making the MDF tooling for the .025 main ribs that are flanged. The center rib sections dont seem to be as hard as the nose ones-- I guess because of having less curve. Anyway- I am still unpacking tools-- its aggravatingly slow getting the shop workable. The floor looks like it was poured by a 12 year old-- :-) ---- I will try to publish another vid when I have some progress. A video I should have made was hand forming a reverse trailing edge for a fairchild. It has a section where the TE meets the fuse.--- about 3 feet long and that section sweeps to the rear--- about 14 inches back. That was a tricky thing to bend up as the opening is forward and the sweep is back. Probably childs play for old timers who know how to do it. :-) Got a good one on the 3-rd try though. Similar to piper TE except curved. T
I've seen an Industrial version of pressing ribs for the wing build of Biz Jets.... great process when it goes right and they come out perfect..... aluminum flows like it is melted ... not sure how many Bars of pressure they use (LOTS) but it sure works just fine.......with some skill and a safe design a 3500 psi pressure washer ( source )and a well built part container is a near perfect option to do this.
Hi all---- just about have my new basement/shop functional. after a year of working on it. I hope to resume work on the wing parts in the next week or two. The steel tube kits are on hold from bearhawk due to tubing availability issues--- they hope to have them available again before the end of the year. Probably the next "project " is building a home made 8 foot sheet metal brake for the wing spars. Going to try to have in mounted on the edge of the build table. Stay tuned. Tim
Thanks, that was a great video. Most helpful would be either the durometer of the rubber or source for it. I tried some dense rubber, but it was to dense to work.
Thanks for making a video like this, I watched the whole thing and you did a great job. Please consider making more videos of your progress, I'm also making a Bearhawk b model.
Question? (Step 1 ) hydroforming wonderful and produces bent over edges approximately 30-40 deg. (Step 2) You used rubber dead blow hammer and the jig to get the bends closer to 90 deg. (Step 3) You used the "long handled bending device (nameless)" on your work table to complete the 90 deg bend. Is it possible to go directly from the hydroforming ( step 1) to the (step 3) "long handled bending device (nameless)" ? What benefit is the second step compared to going directly to step 3.? Any guidance helps as I have no experience. Thank you for your helping me learn from your video.
I’m making my aileron for my wag aero design and my aileron ribs and bulkheads just came out of the press and into the ten degree straightener, no rubber mallet. They all came out great.
Great video Tim. I'm hoping we can use you method to make some nacelle and wheel door ribs for our DeHaviland Mosquito build up here in Windsor Ontario. I was wondering what you are using for aluminum, thickness and hardness. Our ribs need to be 0.040 in. and T3 hardness. We could use T0 and get it hardened after. What were the ribs in your video?
rubber supply place that closed 20 years ago. Probably amazon rubber will have big thick pieces. you can also use tractor supply horse stall rubber floor mat. tried that--- worked about the same-- just have to get enough to build it up to the desired thickness. seemed to be about the same durometer as the thick blocks. The solid pieces are just more convenient. Did you find the video helpful ? Was it worth my making it ?
sorry my english, but why not make this last step 90 degree, not use pliers, make inner wooden mold and then outer press and roll bearing tool, roller last degree in to mold, then sheet stay to 90 degree and not curve sheet, mean, inner have wood and outer have 2 bearing make tool were have bearing, but this to open degree sheet edge press tool to sheet and roll all edge down to inner wood mold, then edge press to 90 degree, i not can tell you good at english what i mean, idea same than bead roller but press all short edge area down to 90D. not come wave and rolling edge traight and nice degree. not need hammer and pliers.
