Welding Tips and Tricks

Hello all:
Dan here. I bought an HTP 201t tig machine a while ago and have been using an old Lincoln Round Top 250 AC/DC transformer machine for several years to stick stuff together. I'm not much good at this and I want to get better. I have probably burned several miles of .030 mig wire in an electrical contractor fab shop and lots of 308L-17 sticking stainless steel strut supports to ancient steel structure in a 100 year old pulp mill.

That's my background, such as it is.

I know that Jody made a video review several years ago using the HTP 201. I can't find it now. Does anyone know where it is? His other reviews will be fine I'm sure, but I'd still like to re-watch the HTP 201 vid. I've been watching his WT&T introductory videos and have begun to put together a cheat sheet to help remember setting for various things.

I'm 67 Y/O, retired, working on some new gear legs for a little single seat biplane, planning on building a new home over the next couple of years which will include a nice big shop with room to separate my woodworking from my metalworking.

Cheers
Dan

Dan, welcome to the forum.

Welcome, Dan! I'm curious about your landing gear mod, post up some pics and let us know how it goes!

I searched for a video on the HTP 201 with no results.

Dave

Dan, welcome to the forum. I'm new here myself, and also an aviation buff. Started welding in A&P school back in the '70s, mostly gas welding. What type of biplane? I've worked on lots of antiques and homebuilts.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

dgapilot wrote:Dan, welcome to the forum. I'm new here myself, and also an aviation buff. Started welding in A&P school back in the '70s, mostly gas welding. What type of biplane? I've worked on lots of antiques and homebuilts.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It's a Starduster SA-100 which is the single seat biplane designed by Lou Stolp back in the mid '60s. I've got it mostly in pieces right now in the hangar. When designed it had little bitty short gear. Later, Lou designed a taller gear that would provide the 15 degree angle needed for a slower landing speed and better looks. Here's the way it looked when I bought it except that it had a bent prop by the time I found it.



Here's the newer gear design. Lot's of angles.


The engine was toast. I'm building up an O-320 for it now. I found a new case, serviceable crank and cam, new Titan cylinders, bearings etc. etc.

Dan

The longer gear will give you better prop clearance also. Be careful with wheel alignment. It usually changes from 3 point to level. I normally like just a touch of toe out for stability on pavement.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

dgapilot wrote:The longer gear will give you better prop clearance also. Be careful with wheel alignment. It usually changes from 3 point to level. I normally like just a touch of toe out for stability on pavement.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No help with visibility though. My welding practice has yielded mixed results with shielding but that's for another thread. All of a sudden it sparks and I get the black pin holes developing. That Spot function is super cool though. I ordered a stubby lens kit from Jody.....maybe that will smooth things out.

There is a Starduster guru named Dave Baxter that used to work for Lou and Starduster. He's building up his own SA-100 now and I may trailer the fuselage up to his place for a little guidance for alignment and cutting. He's got a jig for set-up. This will be his fifth biplane build!

Who needs visibility? I used to have a Howard DGA-15, and have flown lots of other airplanes with limited visibility. A couple years ago, I issued the Airworthiness certificate for Old Rhinebeck's Spirit replica. Talk about lack of visibility!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

dgapilot wrote:Who needs visibility? I used to have a Howard DGA-15, and have flown lots of other airplanes with limited visibility. A couple years ago, I issued the Airworthiness certificate for Old Rhinebeck's Spirit replica. Talk about lack of visibility!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I saw my first Howard DGA-15 at (I think), Sacramento Executive back in the '60s. I was on my first cross country solo. What an airplane! My wife's uncle flew them in the Alaska bush back in the day. A right base to final is clearly a faith statement. I never could make up my mind about the low wing vs high wing debate. So I chose both. Spirit of St Louis replica? Yes, I've read about that. I've got a partially built Zenith CH701 I need to finish too. I better get on it. Running out of time.

Seriously though, I took 10 hours in the pattern with Budd Davisson in his Pitts S2A back in 2003 or so. The biggest problem is of course on the ground. Even in the pattern I thought it was just fine. The Starduster is better than the Pitts. You can stick your head out the side and get a pretty good view of things.

With a Pitts, you can never really relax, you know at some point you have to land!

A couple guys in PA are working on building kits for Monocoupe 110 Specials. I've been working with them to make sure they still meet the 51%. That's another airplane you can't really relax in.

Good luck with the Starduster. There is a guy in NJ that is putting a radial on a Starduster, can't remember which one, I think a 220 Continental.

dgapilot wrote:A couple guys in PA are working on building kits for Monocoupe 110 Specials. I've been working with them to make sure they still meet the 51%. That's another airplane you can't really relax in.

I recall the Bud Dake and Jim Younkin contests between Dake's Lycoming Powered Monocoupe and Jim's "Mystery Pacer". This pacer would be my choice. I hope those guys are going to offer the bigger wing as an option. The 110 Special is pretty much of a monster.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q ... 6V6unW29dQ

Dan

Dan, but Bud's 110 was a great machine. Too bad he and Ken were killed in the crash. The Mullicoupes that Jim designed and were completed by Jim, Bud, and Red are quite the airplane too. Boy this airplane world is small! Bye the way, Jim naught the Pacer back last fall. He was drooling over it at Blakesburg last year. Guess when you put so much in an airplane you really never want to let it go.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk