Shop Talk

Impressed by the quality of the cheap headsets he encountered on a recent commercial airliner flight, Jim Weir dissected the airline unit and has come up with a way to replicate it in your own shop.

Columnist Jim Weir comes up with what he thinks is the optimal design for getting power from the 12-volt aircraft battery to the LED without wasting any.

Charlie Taylor, the Wright brothers trusted right-hand man and machinist, made their early powered flight experiments possible. And he built the engine using only a drill press, a lathe, a simple scale and more than a little ingenuity; by Bob Fritz.

This month Home Machinist Bob Fritz answers readers letters and passes along some of their better ideas.

Columnist Jim Weir puts two, two, two LED lights in one hole, angled to ensure the maximum nav light visibility in any direction. He explains how to put the system together and explains why heat matters.

Before you decide you cant build a plane because you don't have enough shop space, think again. After all, as author Bob Fritz points out, projects have been built in apartments. This article wont go quite that far, but it does detail some pitfalls to avoid and makes suggestions about maximizing the ease and efficiency of working in a limited-space environment.

Using LEDs for lighting an aircraft has much to commend it. Low draw, reasonable cost, long life, good visibility. This month, Jim Weir takes us through the beginning steps of building these lighting systems yourself, using off-the-shelf parts and a little ingenuity.

What do you do if you want to cut a longer-than-usual taper? Well, first you'll need to create a simple tool from some round stock that will provide target zones for your dial indicator, and then you may need to buy some more tools-what a shame! Home Machinist Bob Fritz takes you through the process. Hint: Choosing the right Morse Taper is critical.

If you've ever wondered who invented the ubiquitous light-emitting diode, wonder no more. Columnist Jim Weir explains the origin and evolution of LEDs, and how to wire them up for use in your aircraft.

Using a real computer-assisted design (CAD) program to design your panel has multiple benefits.