July 5, 2011
       A little bit of surgical work to be done...
                    Dr. Jer is in the house...

Snapped the lines and dropped the weights... confirming what I had confirmed a few times before. I'll double check to make sure that the exact measurements that I got this time are the ones I'll base the modifications to the Main Landing Gear on.

As I had discovered before, both, especially the right Main Landing Gear, had moved. Plan "A" to be set into motion... with some surgical precision I'll cut both front pivot point bushings and realign the gear so that they're in the right position. I'll be putting some "toe-out" on them this time since I'm not building it on that straight piece of tubing that runs from one side to the other (as per the Skybolt Builder's Manual).

"Toe-out", I'm reading, should be between 0.5 and 1.o degrees. I'll have to throw the numbers up on DeltaCAD to see what the exact measurement in inches is.

Looks like I'll be taking more measurements and making a few jigs before all this gear stuff is worked out. Yes sir-ree fellas... I'm back in the game.

July 7, 2011
       Which way to point...my toes ?

Wanting to get out there to confirm the amount of movement on the Main Landing Gear... just to get a positive dim (it was a pretty quick measurement the last time I did it... knowing that I would be back for a VERY accurate measurement). Actually it wasn't all too quick of a measurement the first time.

Home from work tonight by 6:45PM. Looks like rain. Looks like I'll confirm this either tomorrow or Saturday. Not a problem... at least I've got the right mindset (thinking about getting out there to do it.)

Sitting down at the computer working up the 1° degree toe-out. Looks like 1/2" is the target number. Close to what Whitey gave to me as an estimate for toeing out (he said about 1/4"). Yeah, I know... it's twice the distance. Read a few threads on the biplaneforum and in one of them it was basically agreed that 1/2° to 1° degree of toe-out was the way to go... aka 1/4" to 1/2".

Most people's feet naturally fall toe-out... don't they ? just sayin'

July 10, 2011
       Dropping lines and f-bombs...

Learning from my mistakes...

Today I dropped several more points (plumb-bobs and f-bombs) than I originally did, to check how close, or far off, from the true measurements the Main Landing Gear is. Not looking good my friends. It's more out of wack than I originally thought; it's off in ALL directions

I've been down this road several times before... trying to correct something too far out of being reasonable to correct (at least in my eyes). I'm only fooling myself in the beginning and in the end, each time, I've spent more hours on a "practice piece."

I'm looking to do this only ONE more time. First thing on the list is to purchase more of that expensive streamlined tubing, along with the rest of the tubing needed and axles, and those brake-backing plates (I'm not going to make the new ones into a lesson in excellence... since I already went through that process).

Once I get all the tubing cut I'll be sure to jig the pieces with cross supports of additional tubing to keep things straight this time. I may even have a guy who knows TIG come in and weld it up... a LOT less heating (heating = twisting).

I'll order the tubing in the next day or two. I have plenty of new straps, etc. that need to be cut... things to keep me busy until the tube gets here.

July 26, 2011
       Eusocial little critters...
              detritivores ?...
                  or a new source of energy ?

Whatcha hear isn't always whatcha should know...

It's been close to two weeks since I've taken the dive back (I use that term loosely at the moment) into building the biplane... with one little detour. And with that comes a story...

It was my understanding that you were safe from those little critters that eat wood if there was nothing going from the ground up to the wood in your house. That's what foundations are for, no ? Hmmmm... looks like I was wrong.

Saw that some of the paint was "peeling" off of an out-of-the-way small octagon window and decided I was would scrape, prime and paint it. It's up pretty high, oh about 12 feet, so I got my ladder, climbed up and saw that the "peeling" was, what looked like at the time, dry rot. Looking at it closer I saw that there were these little critters with a 2-segment body, kinda creamy white color. Uh yeah... nice.

Called Mr. Termite Remover. He came out and checked... and yeah; "You got termites." Me; Huh ? What ? "Wait a minute... how could they get up into the wood of the house ?" Mr. Termite Remover; "You see this line going up the side of your foundation ? That's a mud tunnel they make looking for wood." To me it looks like a slight stain running down the side of the foundation.

Anyways... the reason for my long windedness is that I need to move things around in the garage so that they can drill and spray. No sense in leveling and starting on the Main Landing Gear if I have to move it (and once it's set up for making the gear nothing is going to make me move it until it's locked and loaded).

Took the day off today so that they could do their stuff so that I can get back to doing my stuff. Basically cleaned out the garage so that they could get at all the walls. A positive in all this is that the garage work shop is cleaned up and ready for some serious Main Landing Gear work.

Sidebar:
The U.S. Department of Energy is researching ways to replace fossil fuels with renewable sources of cleaner energy, and termites are considered a possible way to reach this goal through metagenomics. The only thing related to any type of energy here today was me expending it moving stuff around the garage in temps in the 90's. Fun stuff.. now back to your regularly scheduled program.

August 14, 2011
       Scratching my head...
              or scratching things on paper...
                  it all adds to the experience.

I've been "working" on the biplane over the past few weeks. I wasn't actually cutting, sanding or welding on it... but, I was adding to the overall expereience of the build.

It's been awhile since I've placed the orders for the parts and pieces for the Main Landing Gear. So... I've been out to the fuselage a few times to double-check the double-checked measurements. Actually, with the grear already built one time, I can order the EXACT lengths that I need. (by the way... this is a photo of the old gear)

Yesterday, after confirming the size tubing, I placed the order with Wicks. As of today's date, the axles are the cheapest out there ($32.00 compared to $49.00 from Steen) and the streamline tubing is actually (get this) cheaper. It went from $22.40.00/ft to $15.00/ft. And, yes, I double-checked my double-check. It's the same dims AND the same product number as the last time I ordered. Hmmm... ???

Anywho... the tubing should be here next week. Oh yeah, placed the order for two $15.00 brake backing plates (learned my "Strive for Excellence, Not Perfection" lesson with the last two plates I made). With everything slated to be here late next week... I have my work cut out for me for the next 40, 60, 80 hours or so. I'm going to check into having someone TIG weld these puppies up... a little less twisting, as they say.

August 18, 2011
       Sometimes you back yourself into a corner...
              and no matter what...
                  there's no running away from it.
                            i do it quite a bit...

As mention in my last post... the other night, after all the re-figuring and re-checking of re-checks and exhausting all excuses not to order the 4130 for the Main Landing Gear... I ordered the 4130 for the Main Landing Gear. Kinda pulled the trigger on saying that I've decided to move forward on the build... tired of making excuses I suppose... Actually tired of not working on the biplane. Actually got the cash. Actually... there's a lot of actuallys. (wurd??)

I remember the last time I placed the order for the exact same metal... there was an air of mystery in it, going into the unknown... new discoveries. This time, more self confident... knowing that I've "been there before" and I know what needs to be done (or in the case of the last set... what not to be done.)

I'm off for a few days so I can get started on it (working it around some other things that I had planned on doing, such as working over at Mom's house... rehanging some porch screens).

With the fuselage here in the garage, although a little, make that a lot, tighter than the last place I built the Main Landing Gear, it should go a lot faster. 1. being that I've "been there before" and 2. I'm a door opening away from the project, instead of 20 miles.

by the way... ever have wasabi peas ?? Had some awhile ago, saw them at the supermarket last week and picked up a bag... having a few right now and they are good !

August 28, 2011
       I've been here before...
                            Not planning on coming back.

Re-read the Main Landing Gear chapter in the Skybolt Builder's manual from the biplaneforum.com web site. Looked over my R plans... the changes I have made to the width... made notes. Now I need to get out there and level this fuselage up and knock out the Main Landing Gear... again.

September 20 2011
       Kicking bad habits...

I haven't broken the habit of not working on the biplane when I think... "I've broken the habit of not working on it..." Sorta like a smoker that says I've stopped smoking as they put their half smoked pack of cigarettes in a drawer... for another day.

It's 10PM and it's one of those toss-the-pack-out-the-car-window-just-need-to-break-this-damn-habit moments. We live for those moments... don't we? A new beginning. Anywho, back out to the garage workshop to get things ready for building the Main Landing Gear.

Old gear on... now Old gear off. The last time I built the gear I didn't spend the $10.00 for the odd size bolts to hold the gear on so I used some tubing of the correct size... a few pulls on the end of the tubing and the gear is "free" to be its own misaligned self; 80 hours of Jerry in them thar gear. Gotta have a few learn from YOUR mistake moments, don't we???... NO !

It's gonna be a little bit tighter in the garage than that ol' 50' x 100' back building I built the originals in... we'll make it work. Positioned the fuselage as far to the one side of the work shop, as far as possible to the one side as to be able to use the garage for other things during the next few weeks (months?). Put 150 pounds of sand on the fuselage to keep it from moving... everything is in place for building the new Main Landing Gear.

we'll see...

September 27, 2011
       Let's just say...
                            it's a start.

It's 10:30... the Phillies just kicked the Braves arses and tied their franchise record of 101 wins. Yeah... the Phiten Phils ! After the celebration... I strolled out to the garage workshop to get something started on the biplane.

Been here... doin' it again. Get away from the project for some time and you're playin' catch up to just get started... aka... looking for things you thought wouldn't take long to look for, tools, measurements and 8' long 1.25" 4130 tubing.

Hey, at least I got the Main Landing Gear jigs locked on, the fuselage had to be moved and leveled again... and I found that piece of 1.25" 4130 tubing. Close to an hours worth of, let's call it "work", on the biplane. Next session I'll be cutting down the 4130 tubing to length, making sure it's at the right height and leveling it and then locating the axles on it. Hell, I might even start to notch a piece of tubing WOOHOO !! I'm on fire !!

October 1, 2011
       Overly cautious ??? Let's just say...
                            this will be the last time making this gear.

Out to the workshop tonight... after the Phillies won the first game in a "best of five" for the NLDS East Title. Kicked the Cardinal's asses...

More time than necessary was spent on just a few tasks tonight... was it just getting back into the "groove" or making sure that the initial set-up is correct before forging ahead ? I'd say that it was A Lot of both. Still having to track down tools that if I was In the groove I wouldn't have to look for... and, you should always take time to make sure your starting measurements are as close to dead on as possible. A lot of extra time spent here is well worth the effort/time.

It's a little after eleven pm. Enough for tonight. I'll measure for the gear height and center the 4130 tube... then "lock" the axels into place tomorrow so that I can start notching the tubing for the Main Landing Gear.

Oh yeah... earlier today I took a road trip to Harbor Freight... bought a new 4" grinder and $40.00 of other schtuff. Gonna be putting a hurting on that new grinder with all this notching that needs to be done.

Adios for now amigos...

More Main Landing Gear Making on the next page...