A Ripping Good Time!

[Ironflight]

Having finished up the tail surfaces on the Xenos, we decided we’d get started on the fuselage last week, and that meant cutting down the Longeron stock per the plans. Ripping 1” angle down to ¾” (for much of the length) might sound easy, but after doing some experiments with the band saw, we realized it was going to be pretty much impossible to get the cuts straight and true, even with fences. It was also going to take a horrendous number of blades before we’d be done!

So, referencing an article in Kitplanes from last year, we bought an 84-tooth, carbide-tipped blade for the table saw designed for cutting non-ferrous metals. It wasn’t cheap, but considering the cost of shipping ($166 shipping for a $16 piece of aluminum) a new 144” piece of aluminum angle if you screw one up, getting the job done right the first time was a priority.

We set the saw up in the middle of the hangar to give us plenty of room to move about, then Louise fed the work piece as I used push-sticks to keep it tightly against the table saw’s fence.


The chip production rate was stupendous! This is a Garmin portable GPS box and it is two-thirds full with the chips gathered after cutting four longerons. The long strings might end up on the Christmas tree this year…..


Fun with power tools!

Paul

[Sonerai13]

Lookin' good Paul! Sounds like you're making good progress. Keep us posted!

[Bruce593SX]

You don't need a special table saw blade to cut 6061 t6 aluminum... Any quality carbide tipped blade will work. Like on the bandsaw, a bit of wax rubbed on the line to be cut helps move things along.

Bruce Johnson
Sonex 593
Plans building near schertz tx

[XenosTed]

Paul, hard work - good job. What would we do without the Louises and Nancys in our lives?
About bandsaws - you found it tricky. I used my bandsaw to rip my longerons. Back in the day, I was a professional wood worker. I learned a trick. When my bandsaw cut started walking to the right or left, I got a whet stone and held it "gently" up against the side of the running band saw blade. As it touches you get sparks (clean the innards of your saw of any combustables before starting the truing process). Touch the side of the blade toward which that cut is moving. This is a "try a very little" then "test with a sample". I used scrap wood as test pieces. Of course, if you do too much and on both sides of the blade then you will have no set on the teeth and the kerf will be too small to let the blade pass freely. Gently, a little at a time. Also be aware that the blade can break - so use caution to keep yourself safe. Oh, yeah, don't forget candle wax when you do the actual cutting. - BoLube seems good too.
This works for me - your mileage .... (you know). Glad you found a good method for your project. Xenos is a great motor glider!
Saw on - it is worth all the care you give it. Eventually you will want to give it a name.
Ted Staton
builder of Dragon Lady Bug - Xenos 032

[N265DF]

Anyone thought about trying a jigsaw? I cut out every piece of aluminum for my plans built Sonex #265 with a jigsaw including the 3/16 inch stuff (and all the "redues"). Structure is complete, just trying to finish up some time consuming details. I got the idea for the jig saw from another Sonex Builder (an A&P) who built his Sonex in 11 months including all bucked rivets. Maybe most would consider the jig saw too slow, a bit o patience is needed for 3/16 but for 1/8 it seems to rip right along. Care is needed to maintain a straight line. Jig saw is relatively easy to handle. Ya take the jig saw to the part instead of the part to the saw. Probably lots a builders have tried it and considered it too slow but thought I'd mention it just in case. Darrell

[Bryan Cotton]

I built my hummelbird with a sawzall and a belt sander. There are some long cuts on the wing spars and longerons. When the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to view every problem as a nail.

Since those days I have discovered that a router and a good carbide bit work well and also make a heck of a mess. 6061T6 is truly the wood of the metal family.