Bending tubing

Share your thoughts, photos and general help to all builders

Postby jb88ci » Mon Apr 19, 2004 9:18 pm

I have a Series III to restore. It had a little accident before I got it and the lower hang cage tubing is toast as well as some damage to one of the wings. I'll have little problem replacing the broken ribs and fabricating the compression box but was hoping I could get some advice on bending the tubing for the hang cage.

Thanks,

John.
jb88ci
Popular Lazair Member
 
Posts: 76
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2004 4:43 pm

Postby JPXman » Tue Apr 20, 2004 10:22 am

I've heard some people are shying away from bending the tubes, in preference to rebuilding the cage with gusseted tubes. Are you talking about the "down tubes"? The ones that make part of the "A frame" for the wings/fuse?
User avatar
JPXman
LazairNUT
 
Posts: 627
Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2003 10:15 pm

Postby Guest » Wed Apr 21, 2004 8:17 am

Nope, I need to fabricate the lower ones that make the bottom of the frame and bend around your feet/rudder pedals....If anyone has some pictures of alternate installations, I'd be interested.
Guest
 

Postby Guest » Fri Apr 23, 2004 11:34 pm

The 6062-T6 tubing bends pretty well in large radiuses. The tube bending done at the Lazair factory was done using homemade benders built primarily out of wood. A form was glued up out of several layers of cabinet grade plywood, then turned to the appropriate diameter to optain the desired bend radius. The wheel was turned with a relief for the size of tubing to be bent. A second smaller wheel, made as above and mounted to steel arms from the first wheel, rolled the tubing around the larger wheel form. The steel arms extended out to form the arms to pull on to roll the small wheel around the large wheel, forming the tubing to the large wheel. A clamping device held the end of the tubing near the larger wheel. If you do a Google search, you will probably find a picture of a similar device, as they have been commonly used for many, many years.

You might get a kick out of knowing that the airfoil used on the old Quicksilver hang glider was listed as a 670-15 (IIRC). That's because the battons were bent over a 670-15 tire borrowed from a VW Beatle!

Chappy
Guest
 

Postby Chappy » Sat Apr 24, 2004 12:32 pm

Sorry, that would probably be 570 / 15, not 670 / 15. For some reason the forum machine seems to have forgotten who I was , so it wouldn't let me edit my first reply.

Chappy
Chappy
LazairNUT
 
Posts: 330
Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2004 9:57 pm
Location: Northern Virginia, USA

Postby jb88ci » Sat Apr 24, 2004 1:38 pm

I wonder if clothes line pulleys or something like that would work? I'm gonna have to experiment or find a good welding shop or aluminum fabricator maybe.
jb88ci
Popular Lazair Member
 
Posts: 76
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2004 4:43 pm


Return to Re-Building tips and info

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 98 guests

cron