reccomendations on 2-nd build table...

[fairchild]

I have mostly finished my first build table. Made it from 2 inch square steel tubing and 1 by 2 rectangular tubing. It is 4 foot by 9 foot and has 3/4 MDF top. I placed 3 inch long
#10 countersunk bolts to hold top down. I added small sheet metal shims between underside of MDF and steel cross tubes to level MDF where tubing wasn't.(level) Also installed 4
3/8 elevator bolts on bottom of legs for leveling. Done except for doing a bit more shimming and painting the top with white latex.

Now I m about ready to start on the mate to it. Not quite sure what shape to make the 2-nd half. One fellow I see- made his 2-nd tapered to narrow with tail boom and hinged
the connection between the tables. He could lift the table to follow the bend with the lower tubing. I had initially thought to simply make another table the same 4 by 9 size---

I am waiting for the Beta set of plans to appear--- My understanding is that the fuselage needs about 18 ( hence two 9 footers) and the wings need about 16 feet (4 place bearhawk).

I am wanting to be able to use just 2 table to do both wings and fuselage. If the wings are about 16 feet- since they are rectangular-- that would SEEM to mean that I need
at least 7 of the 9 feet of the 2-nd table to be the full 4 feet width. ( is that sound correct?) If that is the case it seems like I should just do another 4 by 9 similar to the first.

seems like the MDF wasn't as easy to work with maybe as ply would have been. Once I got the MDF cut- I figured that since this is central Florida and the summer humidity
is 120% for 3 or 4 months--- I fully varnished the MDF to prevent it absorbing water and warping. I expect plain 3/4 hardwood plywood would not need to be varnished-- maybe
a coat of white latex on both sides might be enough. (?) May use play on the 2-nd one.

Does anyone know if the BETA wings are longer than the standard 4-place enough that I need longer than 9 foot (18 feet total) ?


I think the tables are harder than the actual fuselage will be..... :-) I like the idea of using the wall mounted laser for leveling up everything. ( like the table tops to start with)


Any hints or post build wisdom on how you would do it if you had to do it again would be very much embraced !

Thanks- Tim

[John Bickham]

Hey Tim,

I'm in Louisiana with much the same humidity issues. Used MDF with white latex primer on top side only with no issues.

One consideration on the taper of the rear table at tail - there are a few parts that need to be laid out flat, jigged, and tacked during the final assembly while the top and bottom tubing assemblies are jigged in correct position. I used the extra space at the rear of the table to do that work. The firewall is one piece. I think I used this space for the cut and tack for bend of the door thresholds and a couple of pieces at STA M. That was my method, your approach may be different and better.

Firewall.JPG
Notice the lower longeron in jigged position in top left of picture.

[marcusofcotton]

I'd build another 4x9. The beta wings are not that much longer than originals. I built three 4 x 6 foot tables of wood frame with 3/4 plywood tops, no regrets in my limited shop. Currently while one wing frame is in the vertical jig, I have two tables together and one separate.

Regarding the humidity, one of the best things I ever did was to install a dehumidifier set at 55%rh. No more rusting tools, tubing, etc.

[Mark Moyle]

I'd add sacrificial sheeting. 1/4" or thicker plywood. You'll burn a bit of wood tacking the tubing. And you may find the need to create recesses in the surface..


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