Here's my first shot for a Tech Week. A little while ago, I needed to make some window garnish mouldings for one of the projects in the shop. I started with strips of 3003 H14 .032 thick. The width of the strips varies with the width of the window sills you're trying to cover. I started with between 3" and 4". Don't be shy, they'll get trimmed later. After cutting, the strips are marked 1" from the edge. </a>[/IMG] Next I looked through the s**** pile and found a piece of 3/4" steel rod. With plenty of heat and manual persuasion, I bent it into a radius that I liked and welded on another piece of s**** for the foot. <a href="http://s1207.photobucket.com/user/AeroCraftsman/media/Cabin%20Waco/DSCN1977.jpg.html" target="_blank"></a> Now I used the straight sections to bend the strip over. I did anneal the strip before starting. Not the whole thing, but along the bend line. It just makes it a lot easier. <a href="http://s1207.photobucket.com/user/AeroCraftsman/media/Cabin%20Waco/DSCN1978.jpg.html" target="_blank"></a> Now here's where is gets a little tricky. How do you stretch that flange enough to fit the radius tool? I used my planishing hammer with flat dies. By pulling pressure at the same time you're hammering, it will pull around into the nicest little corner. I hope this video link works, because it's much easier to see than describe. When you stretch the flange, it reduces the thickness from .032" to about .020". It also takes the radius out of the corner and sort of squares it up. <a href="http://s1207.photobucket.com/user/AeroCraftsman/media/Cabin%20Waco/DSCN1982.jpg.html" target="_blank"></a> The planishing action also causes the aluminum to start work hardening, so another annealing is in order at this point. The part is then clamped into the radius fixture for some finishing work. Again it's a lot easier to show than describe. I prefer to use vise grips that have a mind of their own and fly off at inconvenient times. After a little hand working. you'll have something that looks like this. </a>[/IMG] Time to start fitting it to the ship. </a>[/IMG] Now it's just a matter of fit, remove, trim, fit, remove, trim, etc........ </a>[/IMG] Make another corner, fit it to the ship and fit it to the first piece and tack them together. Works best if you clamp them to something straight. </a>[/IMG] Finish welding. </a>[/IMG] Lather Rinse Repeat... Make 4 corner sections, fit each one to the ship then fit and weld them to each other. 3 welds, the top joint is an overlap for installation and removal. Grind and finish the welds on the side that shows. A little primer and sanding and they're off to the wood graining guy. <a href="http://s1207.photobucket.com/user/AeroCraftsman/media/Cabin%20Waco/DSCN1998.jpg.html" target="_blank"></a> Here's what it looked like after coming back from wood graining. </a>[/IMG] Probably a lot of other ways to do it, but hopefully you guys will find something useful in there.
"I prefer to use vise grips that have a mind of their own and fly off at inconvenient times." I knew there was a reason for the background music.... helps drown out the cussin' when they fly off. LOL... Great work !
Thanks! Metal shaping tips are my favorite. Nice Radial back there too! My dad's friend Bill Whitney had a 450 Stearman. The guy rebuilt 20 or so Stearmans for other people. Ever since then I loved radials.
AeroCraftsman...First, BEAUTIFUL piece, and a great "tech" presentation. Secondly, at first I thought Staggerwing, but that rear door angle is rearward, instead of forward. Then I thought...Cabin Waco, but the rear-sloping angle on the trailing edge of your door looks to be too much of an angle for a Waco. I'm having a hard time thinking of anything else with a rear door like that. So, I give...what is it? DD
Well, what the heck do I know? Appreciate your reply. You probably realize that you're doing something right in return for the opportunity to earn your living by m***aging and stroking these "jewels", and smellin' the smells, every day. You're a lucky man. DD
When I first saw that you were using flat aluminum strip, i thought Oh, this isn't going to end well. Well slap me on the *** and call me Sally, cuz that was some first cl*** work that really came out nice! Good Job!!!
When I first saw that you were using flat aluminum strip, i thought Oh, this isn't going to end well. Aluminum because its an airplane. I read the entire post and never looked thru the window molding to see the aircraft parts. Ago
Now see! Stuff like this makes you want to give it a try. Thanks much, you made it look easy. We know it isn't.
Thanks for the compliments. I'm glad some of you guys are finding it helpful. The one thing I want to stress is that you have to pull with a lot of force to turn that flange while planishing it. If you don't pull hard enough, it'll just flatten out the flange and ruin it. If you pulling hard enough though, each time it gets hit, you'll feel it yield a little bit and turn the corner. Like anything new, you'll s**** a few before you get the feel for it. I sure did.
You are going to put those little Chinese guys outta work! Don't let BoB Drake know what you are doing!
Wow! this will be so helpful when I need to make mine, because I don't think I'll ever find stock ones for my plymouth. Nice post
That is very well presented and the subject piece turned out great. And you make it look a lot easier than it is.
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