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Perry:
You are right about weldability.. 2024 absolutely cannot be successfully welded........ It is not difficult to weld aluminum with the proper rod using acetylene if you want to do it yourself. The tricks are.... clean clean clean..... and to remember that the oxide on the surface has a considerably higher melting point than the aluminum itself... the result is that you have to push the filler through the oxide. I use tig now that I have it but that is not quite like welding steel either. Aluminum carries the heat away from your work so quickly that heavy material requires a shocking amount of amperage.
What I was going to say however is that there is a filler metal available for aluminum which looks like aluminum but is something else that allows you to easily repair and "weld" aluminum so long as you keep the surface clean. The process would probably more properly be called "brazing" or something than welding, as the base metal never becomes molten because this stuff has a much lower melting point. The process is easy but again clean clean clean is the mantra as with any Aluminum process. I would encourage anybody who has a spirit of adventure to experiment with aluminum welding.... it is an interesting experience. The lack of color change makes it quite different. Good protection from the reflected UV is necessary when doing any arc process....there is a lot of energy reflected back at you.
H.W.
*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********
On 6/7/03 at 7:33 AM Perry Mick wrote:
>Paul, that is where my sump tank is located, on the firewall below the
>spar opposite side from the engine. Originally it was on the engine
>side, so I made it out of steel. Holds about 1 gallon and has two Mazda
>fuel pumps inside, fuel return is to this sump tank like Ed's. The
>selected main flows to this sump tank by gravity so it is mounted low.
>
>Maybe you can find a local welder in your area that can weld aluminum. I
>found a guy near me that does. I take water pump parts, intake manifold
>parts, etc. to him for welding. I just tell him they are for my RX-7.
>Design it yourself, get the sheet aluminum, cut out the pieces, and take
>it to the welder. I think 6061 is good for welding but 2024 is not.
>
>sqpilot@earthlink wrote:
>
>> Hi, Ed.....thanks very much for the information regarding the fuel
>> tank header. That's exactly what I need. Unfortunately, I'm not a
>> welder. Since I'm building a canard pusher, I plan on installing the
>> fuel sump/header tank on the firewall on the side opposite of the
>> engine. That is where my strake tank fuel lines lead to, and it should
>> be considerably cooler just under the main wing spar. If there are
>> any welders out there that might want to tackle this project, I'd like
>> to talk to you. I'd feel much better paying someone to do this right
>> than attempt it myself. Thank you. Paul Conner
>> sqpilot@earthlink.net <mailto:sqpilot@earthlink.net>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Ed Anderson <mailto:eanderson@carolina.rr.com>
>> To: Rotary motors in aircraft <mailto:flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
>> Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2003 5:54 PM
>> Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: Fuel Header Tank
>>
>> Hi Paul,
>>
>> My rectangular header tank was home made out of a piece of 3
>> 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 8" rectangular aluminum tubing caped with aluminum
>> plate. Welded in AN fittings for fuel inlets and outlets. Has
>> worked well for me, eliminating the need for a return line to the
>> wing tanks. However, being under the cowl is not the best
>> location for it. Picks up heat and with auto gas has shown signs
>> of fuel perculation on hot days. I have a cool air blast tube
>> cooling it as well as a low pressure boost pump that provides
>> enough pressure to keep it from purculating on a hot day. Better
>> location might have been the wing root location.
>>
>> Ed Anderson
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: sqpilot@earthlink <mailto:sqpilot@earthlink>
>> To: Rotary motors in aircraft
>> <mailto:flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
>> Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2003 6:18 PM
>> Subject: [FlyRotary] Fuel Header Tank
>>
>> I was surfing the net regarding 13B engine installations, and
>> I found some pictures of Ed Anderson's installation which
>> showed a rectangular aluminum header tank next to the fuel
>> pumps. Anyone know if this is commercially available, or home
>> grown? Ed ??? Thanks in advance for your replies. Paul
>> Conner, 13B powered SQ2000. Engine installed, trying to hook
>> everything up.
>>
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