TIG or MIG? You Got us!
In the article on Vetterman Exhaust [“Exhausting!” January 2015] the statement is made that “MIG welding is used to build the exhaust systems.” That statement is followed by a description of the way the welding is done, which is clearly TIG welding. The two processes are considerably different. The welds look like TIG. Maybe a correction is in order.
–Lee Jones
This was but one of many letters we received taking us to task for our mistake, and the readers are right-we messed up. Thanks for all the letters-it lets us know just how many welders there are in the homebuilding community.-Ed.
Totally Tubular
I loved Bob’s article [“Tips for Tube Notching,” December 2014]. I have a few questions though.
1. In Figures 7 and 8, are you cutting halfway to your mark or halfway through the tube? Why is this being done?
2. For the tube with an angle cut on each end, how do you get the angles in phase or in the same plane? How do you get the 5.66-inch dimension correct?
–Jim Onago
Bob Hadley responds: Good questions!
1. The cut is partway/halfway toward the mark, and it is all the way through. You could also call it a “nibble” cut.
2. To assure the miters are aligned, you nest a short length of tube into the first mitered end and use a square or angle finder to line it up. Miter one end and then mark the cut-off length to the long end of the miter. You take a cut “proud of the line” and then nibble up to it with successive cuts. It would be completely reasonable to pull the tube from the V-block clamp to test the fit. You do this to see how long you are. If it’s too short, you start over! To reset it for more nibbling, you simply clamp it back in the V-block using the hole saw-still in the spindle-to realign the setup to the previous cut. If this does not make sense, or you need more clarification, let me know.
Buyer’s Guide Additions
Here are two companies not included in the 2015 Homebuilt Aircraft Directory: Lambert Aircraft, makers of the Lambert Mission (www.lambert-aircraft.com), and TLAC, makers of the Sherwood Ranger (www.g-tlac.com). Please keep up the good work.
–George Nielsen
Thanks for the tip! We try hard to include all of the aircraft we know of, and are happy to learn about kits we might have missed and need to add to our database.-Ed.
So Many Choices
The choice between a Xenos and “unnamed as yet” bush plane project [“Building again!” December 2014] shows that you might need to build two different airplanes to fulfill two different mission profiles. In our case, helping to build the One Week Wonder at Oshkosh led to buying the plans for a Zenith 750 STOL. The short-field capability and decent cruise speed are appealing. But beyond that, a Xenos type aircraft is very much in the planning stages!
–Harold and Edi Bickford
One of the great things about Experimental aviation is the vast amount of choices. Enjoy the ones you have made!-Ed.
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