Eagler's Nest

Airframes => Single Seaters => XL => Topic started by: Shay King on August 24, 2026, 10:35:00 AM

Title: Welding fairlead holders
Post by: Shay King on August 24, 2026, 10:35:00 AM

Hi again guys, I’m about to weld on those 12 fairlead holders and I’m not really looking forward to it. I’ve been experimenting on scrap pieces to try to find an easy way of attaching them. Using the plans method of tube to tube I’m having to put in a lot of heat to fill the gaps. The inside of the thinner tube gets a bit blobby.
I had some box steel spare and I’ve split some 1/2” pieces of it to make mounts for the fairlead rings. The welding is easier. Photos below.

Title: Re: Welding fairlead holders
Post by: Dan_ on August 24, 2026, 02:52:36 PM

There is a welding trick that works for these short pieces of tubing for failrleads or hinges.  One can take a stack of washers with a nut stacked between each fender washer. Thread the stack onto a bolt and turn this down on a lathe until it barley slides inside the fairlead or bearing tube.  Now weld it and the washers are a good heat sink to keep the blobs and crust away.  There was an article on this is Sport Aviation years ago...

Title: Re: Welding fairlead holders
Post by: Shay King on August 25, 2026, 03:08:42 AM

Thanks Dan, I’ll have a look for that article. It’s the thinner fuselage tubing I’m trying not to overheat.

Title: Re: Welding fairlead holders
Post by: Dan_ on August 25, 2026, 02:40:37 PM

Attached...  See figures 3 and 4.

Title: Re: Welding fairlead holders
Post by: Shay King on August 26, 2026, 11:08:06 AM

Thanks Dan, that's a good article.