Welding Aluminum

Tom-D said:
That would be an after market alternator for the 0-300-A and run off a pulley behind the prop. And yes they do break.

But they are steel brackets
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No Tom, it's a 182 with an O470L with an aftermarket STC'ed alternator that runs off a pulley mounted on the accessory case. STC'ed long ago on a planet far far away and no longer supported.
 
timwinters said:
No Tom, it's a 182 with an O470L with an aftermarket STC'ed alternator that runs off a pulley mounted on the accessory case. STC'ed long ago on a planet far far away and no longer supported.
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Actually the 0-470/0-520 and bigger are the exception to the TCM rule. they do have belt driven gen/alt.

but still, these brackets are steel.
 
timwinters said:
No Tom, it's a 182 with an O470L with an aftermarket STC'ed alternator that runs off a pulley mounted on the accessory case. STC'ed long ago on a planet far far away and no longer supported.
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Perfect description of Tom......:D:D:rofl::lol:...


Ps... That will get me banned again...:redface:
 
timwinters said:
No Tom, it's a 182 with an O470L with an aftermarket STC'ed alternator that runs off a pulley mounted on the accessory case. STC'ed long ago on a planet far far away and no longer supported.
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That STC is for the alternator up grade, it doesn't change any thing on the engine itself.
 
nrpetersen said:
You are not going to cold work a finished welded product.
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why not? Happens all the time
Post heat treat cold working can only be done on bar, plate and sheet stock only because of the forces etc involved.
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well, we just happen to be talking about sheet stock here.

This part failed presumeably because of the vibration environment.
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most likely
The weld repair worked and I suppose it would be ok as long assuming somebody is watching for the possibility of a repeated failure. But what about the next guy that owns the airplane? or the new guy that annuals it? There is a reason for the approval trail in certificated aircraft, just as there is an experimental category that allows non-standard repair processes. One also has to look really hard at why did the original part fail.
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Immaterial, the part is non-structural, and easily replaced. The OP stated that if/when it should crack again, he'll replace it.

On the other hand, how many 4 cyl Lycomings have broken generator/alternator brackets......!:dunno:
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a bunch of them, and many have probably been welded.
 
Clark1961 said:
It'll crack again unless material was added...welding fatigue cracks is a ****-poor fix...we've all done it but that doesn't change the quality of the repair.
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As a general rule, when welding a crack, material has been added.
And when properly done, it will be just as sound as the origional part. If not better.
If your only experience has been with some jackleg with a "buzz box" then you got what you paid for.
 
Clark1961 said:
Good idea to keep an eye on it because fatigue is cumulative and not relieved outside the heat-affected zone. What's worse is the weld could have created stress risers which would cause rapid failure in the fatiguing environment. I'm not specifically picking on your A&P on the stress risers but I still find undercut welds on field repairs...

On the cumulative fatigue part for the not-so-technical reader - what that means is that once a part has reached it's fatigue limit it will fail again in a short period of time if that part is repaired and placed back in service in it's original form and condition. There are some repair steps that perhaps can reduce fatigue but they aren't common in field repairs for the most part.
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After 12 years of successful service, I would think the person who welded it up, knew about heat related stress, and took proper steps to prevent that. It's actually easy and simple, if you know what you're doing.
 
Reading this you would think welding is a poor substitute for Elmer's glue.

The other day I noticed a tear in my loader bucket about 4 inches long right around where the pins attach the boom arms to the bucket. I could have replaced it, 200 miles each way to the dealer and $1500, IF they have one. Or weld it up in 20 minutes and go back to work.

I'm sure the same logic applies to airplanes. Maybe the part is weeks away and you need the bird. Maybe the cost is just this side of stupid and you don't have the money. Maybe the part is no longer made. Maybe… I would sure as hell rather have carb heat that is welded than be without until I can figure out one of the other options.

Most all of us trust our lives to welds on a daily basis.

It works.
 
I revert to my standard line regarding stupid debates:

Who gives a ****?
 
Alexb2000 said:
Reading this you would think welding is a poor substitute for Elmer's glue.

The other day I noticed a tear in my loader bucket about 4 inches long right around where the pins attach the boom arms to the bucket. I could have replaced it, 200 miles each way to the dealer and $1500, IF they have one. Or weld it up in 20 minutes and go back to work.

I'm sure the same logic applies to airplanes. Maybe the part is weeks away and you need the bird. Maybe the cost is just this side of stupid and you don't have the money. Maybe the part is no longer made. Maybe… I would sure as hell rather have carb heat that is welded than be without until I can figure out one of the other options.

Most all of us trust our lives to welds on a daily basis.

It works.
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So you have an aluminum bucket loader then? Or did you miss the parts where a few of us were talking about how welding aluminum is vastly different than welding steel? Welding heat treated and cold worked aluminum alloy reduces the strength of the metal by a large amount. If people don't understand this then they shouldn't be welding aluminium. By your logic someone with a broken wing spar should be able to just touch it up with a weld until they get it fixed. Good luck with that.
 
These debates make me laugh... "I'm not a expert, but here's my opinion on why you'll fall out of the sky...."

Reminds me of when I sold my last house myself, without a real estate agent. It was actually quite easy, and I saved a ton of money. So many people told me it was a bad idea...
 
Real estate agents and the whole home buying process is backward and inefficient. If the market is going up, it is a good time to sell, if it is going down a good time to buy, either way they get their commission.
 
Getonit said:
Real estate agents and the whole home buying process is backward and inefficient. If the market is going up, it is a good time to sell, if it is going down a good time to buy, either way they get their commission.
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You would expect them to work for free?
 
Norman said:
You would expect them to work for free?
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Where did I say work for free? I simply pointed out my opinion of them, of how they play both sides of the equation. The great and continuing recession of 2008 was caused in large part by real estate.
 
Getonit said:
Where did I say work for free? I simply pointed out my opinion of them, of how they play both sides of the equation. The great and continuing recession of 2008 was caused in large part by real estate.
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Perhaps by real estate, but more by the mortgage bankers giving government guaranteed loans to people who couldn't possibly repay them.
 
Norman said:
Perhaps by real estate, but more by the mortgage bankers giving government guaranteed loans to people who couldn't possibly repay them.
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Yeah... But, let's be truthful.... The realtors were on the front line of the crash, almost surely knew the clients could NOT afford the property they were selling /showing.... They then steered them toward a friend who just happened to be the banker, and another friend who was a loan processer, and another friend who was a crooked appraiser... It was a perfect storm being driven by greedy professionals and they got drunk on the massive amount of loan fees,surveys, banks got points and the realtors laughed all the way to the same bank with excessive commissions to deposit...

For instance, here in Jackson, which is on the highest end of housing costs. During the heyday 2004 -2008, anyone with a pulse was hired as a realtor... They would list a property in the morning, by lunch several buyers would contact them.. They would literally pick the best and richest buyer, take them to lunch , feed them a 20 dollar sandwich and a 15 dollar bottle of wine .. They would look at the property, before 3 PM the client had signed a contract.... Also keep in mind housing here is /was insanely priced, starter homes were over a million, average sale price was 3.6 million

So, in less then 6 hours they went from a "new" listing.... to a for sure commission of 200,000.00, and all their banker ,appraiser, survey, loan processor friends shared the transfer costs of 60,000-100,000... They too laughed all the way to their friends bank to make a deposit.. It was as close to perpetual motion as one can get.....

Then................... The sun came up the next day and they did it all over again...:mad2::mad2::mad:.......:rolleyes2:
 
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