What should I not forget to weld?

[Brad Ripp]

Wondering if any of you had any "I wish I'd have welded a...." moments after getting too far into it to want to weld again. Please add to the list of what I'm thinking already if I missed something
- tabs to strengthen throttle, mixture, carb heat, prop control knob attach points behind dash
- tabs to support an under dash tray to hold electronic misc (saw someone put a horizontal tray in the triangle V under dash front left and right).
- tabs for dome / interior lights
- tabs for gopros (interior and on tail)
- skylight framing
- possibly cut out/ reposition gear leg fairing to accomodate future large bush tires (anyone have experience on largest tire with good clearance with factory gear legs?).
- tabs for battery mount and ELT support
- tabs for possible wiring harness routing support (not sure about where this would be "needed."
- additional fairlead stand off to raise trim tab cables slightly above horizontal aileron cables.
- Rear float fitting attach point, external pulley attach point or fairlead to route rudder steering cables from rudder fwd towards rear attach point, veritical dorsal fin fwd attach point.
What am I forgetting?
Thanks!
Brad

[BTAZ]

Have you mocked up your firewall forward yet? May want tabs for firewall mounted items like an oil cooler or remote oil filter or brake reservoir.

Also, tabs for securing fuel lines/valve/gascolator

Handle(s) for maneuvering the plane around?

Antenna mount(s)

I also welded some U shaped pieces around the hinges on my elevator and rudder to make covering around the hinge area a bit more seamless.(I saw them in someone else's post)

Seat belt mounting?

Intercom/headset jack mounting

Those were probably the last things I welded.

Also look over the thread on adding a rudder servo as some of those ideas would need some pulley mounts.

But, every unused tab is extra weight.....

[whee]

You might consider welding on another handle to top longeron for moving the plane. That's one thing I didn't do but really wish I would have.

[Mark Moyle]

Fabric or Kydex interior? If Kydex...need tabs for dat.

[Zzz]

You're about in the same state of mind I am...currently doing many of the things you mention. Here's my list:

- Skylight finish welding (it's all tacked)
- Weld stringer saddles back onto fuselage back stringer mounts after straightening profile
- Electric trim mounting bracket in tail
- Additional hinge bushings to convert window hinges to full seaplane door
- Float fittings
- intermediate rudder cable fairlead at rear seat station that's not in the quickbuild fuselages
- Upper longeron grab handles
- Tail beef-up H-bracing
- Crossbar for bellypan and belly stringer termination
- Interior kydex panel tabs
- Gear leg trailing edge fairing re-shaping (DONE)


I like the suggestion to mockup the FWF so that tabs can be used for mounting things to the engine mount. Although perhaps adels should be used for flexibility.

[BTAZ]

"I like the suggestion to mockup the FWF so that tabs can be used for mounting things to the engine mount. Although perhaps adels should be used for flexibility."

Not so much the engine mount, but to the tubing just behind the firewall for things that mount to the firewall.

My thoughts are cushioned Adel clamps on the engine mount as(probably for no good reason) I wouldn't want "weld discontinuities" in the middle of the mount tubes.

[JCD23]

If you have pictures of how you did your skylight I would love to see it.

[BTAZ]

The "Firewall tabs" I mentioned were things like the oil cooler mount tabs shown in the attached, plus a few more for things like the battery box, a place to bolt the clamp for the heater box control cable, and others I have forgotten about.

The very last things I welded were the aileron pulley mounting brackets next to the strut mount.

[Zzz]

The "Firewall tabs" I mentioned were things like the oil cooler mount tabs shown in the attached, plus a few more for things like the battery box, a place to bolt the clamp for the heater box control cable, and others I have forgotten about.

The very last things I welded were the aileron pulley mounting brackets next to the strut mount.

I get what you're saying now. Excellent idea, though maybe challenging to pull off because of the layout planning of the firewall.

[BTAZ]

I first made a mockup firewall of aluminum and fully hooked up all the firewall forward "stuff" including everything mounting to(and passing through) the firewall. I definitely ended up moving things around so ended up with extra holes and also some re-positioned tabs For example, the first place I mounted the brake reservoir actually ended up under the immovable center section of the cowling instead of under the door so couldn't be topped ff with the cowl in place. I also made a few different tries at the fuel line pass though location to get the best line routing with everything else in place. Once happy with the final positions and with the position of the welded tabs, I remade the firewall in titanium as one of the final steps before tear down for sandblast/prime/paint.

You can see some of the "X'd out" extra holes below

So in the end, I didn't sandblast/prime/paint until I'd finished and assembled everything possible including the firewall forward install.

20160601_110034.jpg

[rodsmith]

I'm finally ready to sandblast and paint, so now after an extremely dry year, it has rained for the last week and supposed to all this week. This thread has been a good reminder of all that is needed. I nearly forgot tabs for the inspection panel at the tail and an ELT mount. I spent a great deal of time planning where all the Garmin boxes, Lightspeed controllers, alternator regulators and the two batteries are going to reside and made provisions for everything. I have planned out location of wiring in the fuselage and installed small tabs to mount adel clamps for wire bundles. One thing I didn't see mentioned was a mount for a parking brake and tabs for brake lines back to the gear legs. I know I have missed something, just trying to keep from burning off too much of the freshly applied paint.

[Archer39J]

Speaking of burning paint, how bad is roasting the stuff our kit comes painted with? I might be biting the bullet and getting a gas weld setup here soon and I've been wondering about that.

[rodsmith]

I don't think any of it is good to breath, would use a respirator.

[Battson]

- possibly cut out/ reposition gear leg fairing to accomodate future large bush tires (anyone have experience on largest tire with good clearance with factory gear legs?).

26" Goodyears, anything bigger (including 26 AABWs) needs a gear mod.