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MARK'S WEB SITE
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Date: 4-21-2012
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Number of Hours: 8.00
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Manual Reference:
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Brief Description: Strap Hinges
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Well, I've been computer lazy again. This entry summarizes two or three building sessions (actually, two or three ATTEMPTED building sesions). It took four tries before I successfully built a strap hinge for the elevators.
As per Eric Newton's manual and Russ Erb's CD, I used a piece of 7/8" tube as a mandrel to do my welding. I slid the short pirce of hinge tube on, and clamped the the strap to it and the mandrel with vise grips.
The procedure is to now put tack welds on either side of the strap. Then, heat the strap near the welds and start hammering the strap over the tube so it wraps 180 deg around the tube, then finish weld. Simple, right?
ARGH.
Mistake1: You REALLY need to ensure that the mandrel is well cleaned and maybe gently sanded. Also, make sure the inside of the strap tube is well cleaned (and use a brake hone or Dremel or something to make sure). When you slide one onto the other it should turn really easily. Otherwise, once the strap is welded, it won't come off the mandrel no matter how hard you try. Sigh, throw one attempt away...
Mistake 2: Make sure the tack welds are heavy tacks, not wimpy tacks, otherwise when you start tapping on the heated strap to wrap it around, the tacks may break or move. Throw attempt number two away.
Mistake 3: When you are heating the strap to wrap it around, heat it well just where you want it to bend as you go around the strap. and use many, many gentle hammer blows as you go along to ensure the strap stays tight against the tube. Otherise you wind up with a strap that stands proud of the tube in a bunch of places (gaps). Throw away attempted number three.
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