Eagler's Nest
Airframes => Single Seaters => Topic started by: boomhower on September 16, 2015, 04:52:54 AM
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Hi Everyone,
I'm new here and am planning to begin building the Legal Eagle and while I am getting my space ready and gathering tools, I have a question and wanted to tap the wisdom of my fellow Eaglers.
Why is TIG and OXY welding the only type mentioned? The reason I ask is I have a gas shielded MIG welding rig and hate to buy something else unless necessary.
Happy Flying!
Tim
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While MIG is used by a few companines- American Champion Aircraft, RANS, Maule to name a few. The method, set up, wire and stitch pattern is completely different than standard MIG welding. Even with the correct methods the welded cluster is 10% weaker. Now it can be easily said that the cluster at 90% strength is good enough, and I won't go into that rabbit hole.
But there will also be areas that simply can't be mig welded. i.e.- to thin, to tight or requiring movement (hinge parts) so you will need gas or tig there.
Lastly the HAZ (heat affected zone) can be a real problem done wrong with MIG, causing brittle or breaking clusters right at the welded edge.
In summation, if you have the perfect teacher, willing to show you exactly how this is done, and willing to spend the time with you for this one job, and you can get the right wire in very small lots, and can run .023-.025 wire, then go for it. If not, it may cost you far more in time in the long run as well as other un-intended results.
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Why is TIG and OXY welding the only type mentioned? The reason I ask is I have a gas shielded MIG welding rig and hate to buy something else unless necessary.
Tack it with the mig. Weld it with Oxy-Acet. Simple as that...
Chromo was invented to be gas welded.
The wooden WWI airplanes dint hold up well to being shot up, so Anthony Fokker came up with the welded steel fuselage.
You don't want to learn mig welding on your (any) airframe. In contrast, thousands have learned Oxy-Acet building their first airplane...
You can use the Oxy-Acet for other things around the shop and to facilitate bending the few places on your Eagle.
With a cutting torch you can rough out the fittings, and finish them by grinding.
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Thanks for the quick replies. That was exactly what I needed to know. I was figuring on getting an oxy setup simply for the ease and versatility and also to heat the tubes for bending. I'm no expert with MIG by any means and certainly don't want to gamble on learning when it's my butt in that seat.
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I've attached some informative documents regarding Oxy-acetylene welding.
In addition to some good internet reading, I also purchased an hour long DVD from the EAA.org store call "GAS WELDING: CHROMOLY" It's priced at $36.95 (members get a discount) and features instruction by Earl Luce, an EAA SportAir Workshops gas welding instructor.
- Start with knowledge, end with success!