Bending Aft Fuselage Sides

[GordonTurner]

The forward edges of the aft fuselage sides bend in toward each other 14 degrees.

This edge is longer than my little harbor fright brake, so curious before I screw it up how others have done this. Can I clamp the inch or so that gets bent between two boards and just bend it?

Gordon

[WesRagle]

Hi Gordon,

I just radiused the edge of my build table with some sand paper. Then I clamped the piece to the edge of the table using the largest piece of angle aluminum I have (2.5 x 2.5) . Then I used either a rubber mallet or a dead blow hammer to tap the bend into the skin.

The only danger of using this method is not going slow enough. That is, you should make a small bend from one end to the other and repeat as necessary to achieve the desired angle. If you try to make too large of a bend in one pass you might end up "stretching" the edge. In that case the edge will be wavy.

Best of Luck,

Wes

[onex28]

I did what Wes didnby clamping the piece to my work bench at the desired bend line then used either a broom stick or iron pipe to progressively run it along the piece to obtain the proper degree of bend.

David

[Bryan Cotton]

I also did what Wes did, except I used a router to make the radius. At the time my tennsmith brake was across the airport at the EAA hangar and it seemed like a hassle to transport the sides over there. After doing the job I was wishing I had used the brake as the bend looked poor. Now that it is riveted up, I have to say it looks nearly perfect.

[SP1]

Well timed thread! I am reading the notes of the previous builder on this area. He used a torch to heat up the piece before bending. Did a similar thing to get the bend in the elevator spar. I take that technique is a no-no, because of loss of temper? Thanks!

[Bryan Cotton]

No way should you be heating 6061-T6 to bend it.

[Rynoth]

...used a torch to heat up the piece before bending. Did a similar thing to get the bend in the elevator spar. I take that technique is a no-no, because of loss of temper? Thanks!

Absolutely should not do this for anything structural as it weakens the material strength substantially. The only time that might be OK is when it's non-structural/cosmetic parts like fairings. I shudder at the thought of a spar being heated for bending in this manner. The fuselage sides are definitely structural as well.

[SP1]

...used a torch to heat up the piece before bending. Did a similar thing to get the bend in the elevator spar. I take that technique is a no-no, because of loss of temper? Thanks!

Absolutely should not do this for anything structural as it weakens the material strength substantially. The only time that might be OK is when it's non-structural/cosmetic parts like fairings. I shudder at the thought of a spar being heated for bending in this manner. The fuselage sides are definitely structural as well.

I thought as much. Thanks for confirming this.

[GordonTurner]

Thanks for the pointers. Doesn’t sound so hard after all.

Gordon

[Spaceman]

Here are some pictures of how I did it:
http://paegelow.blogspot.com/2017/09/af ... -2-35.html

Like the other guys, I just clamped it to the table, and then I used like a foot-long scrap of 2x4 to just press on the flange and form the bend. It took a little trial and error but in the end it was easier than I expected!