Welding Tips and Tricks

I think I can make these...just have to figure out how to bend the flat pieces. Maybe there OK to use as delivered . Getting frustrated at paying for things to save me time and then getting questionable parts. The thing that has me concerned a bit is the welds. I think I can make these but the time involved in making all the parts may not be worth it for pulley brackets. It isn't burnt up and it is thin...measures to be just under 040 thick. Think they should be made or just use as they are ?

Dont know what equipment you have but here's on way of making the bent piece.

Take a thick piece of rubber, place the sheet on top, place a pipe or rod on the sheet that has the diameter you need and press down. Hydraulic press or in a bench vise, not much pressure needed (unless the size are much larger than I guess... )

Can pipe be used? Just cut pieces from pipe and you don't need to bend anything.

At "just under" .040, those welds are more than adequate, despite the appearance. The HAZs suggest adequate penetration at the worst spots.

Is there "push-through" (or sugar, depending if they purged) to indicate the penetration?

I'd look over each one for poor penetration or lack of fusion at the ends, where the stress risers are, but, unless they'll be side-loaded, I'd think they're usable.

I would be more comfortable answering, if I knew the purpose for the pully brackets, and the anticipated load.

Steve S

There is a sugaring haze around the inside edges where the 2 sides come off the curved piece. Also some heat discoloring on the bottom....a very small indication of push through. Side loads only. Hard to get close up pics of these as they are small.
Thanks for looking as I may just use as they are.

What are these for? I wouldn't be happy if I was paying for welds that looked like that, depending on price.

They are airplane pulley brackets. Cable runs 90 deg off these. I guess I will order some material and try a few practice bends to get that right and make them myself. Should be easy after those are figured out. Makes you wonder when something flies overhead doesn't it? There seems to be a lot of questionable things being sold and used in aviation. I should have known better than to even order them. Just tried to save myself some time.....and more was wasted. Thanks for prodding me back to making things. As for the max load on them I would say at times somewhere in the 175ld range...usually more like 25-40 lds when the control is used.

NNNOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

If these are for homebuilt aircraft, REJECT THEM!

I apologize for missing the purpose.


These are, out of hand and without reviewing the specific application, JUNK for aircraft application.

If I were building a private sailboat for lake use, I might accept them.

If I had 1000' of runway behind me or 1000' of air under me, I would NOT wager my life on that handfull of "maybe".

Steve S

Hey, JackFlash,

Would it hurt you to mention the purpose for the parts? For all I knew, from the post, you were using these pulley brackets to hang your mountain bike from the garage ceiling.

Knowing the purpose dramatically changes the answer.

Steve S

Otto Nobedder wrote:NNNOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

If these are for homebuilt aircraft, REJECT THEM!

I apologize for missing the purpose.


These are, out of hand and without reviewing the specific application, JUNK for aircraft application.

If I were building a private sailboat for lake use, I might accept them.

If I had 1000' of runway behind me or 1000' of air under me, I would NOT wager my life on that handfull of "maybe".

Steve S

Yes that drastically changes things.

No way in hell would I be using them. Not only that I would be on the phone with the supplying company letting them know I was returning their crappy parts and would be letting everyone out there know where not to get them from. These look simple to build, let's see some pics when your done with them.

They are being returned. I kind of knew the answer before I posted...like I said it was trying to save some time. Seems it never works out. Pics when I get a set made....going to play with bending some scrap today to see what needs to be done....thinking a press with some tubing for a mandrel of sorts.

Know what a "PMA" (part manufacture authorization) is?

I'll bet you your next paycheck there was no paperwork that came with those things.

Even if they were for an Experimental Category airplane (read 'homebuilt'), they are too amateurish to be taken seriously, let alone installed.

Best advice I could give anyone building his/her own airplane: DON'T SKIMP !!

It's not just your life at steak but we innocents beneath you.

Take it from an A&P/IA who's seen his share of homebuilders come to grief.

Good luck.

so how did these turn out?

OMG! I'm just reading this, and let me tell ya when I first read the beginning I looked at the welds an thought man how can that guy sleep at night (whoever the welder is)...An then after you dropped the airplane BOMB on us....OH MAN....How in the hell does something like that slip through the cracks??? I'm not to aerospace quality but I hope to be someday. My uncle was an aeronautic space engineer for 25 years and Now does quality control for aerospace parts for the FAA....I borrowed your pic an sent it to him...Sorry I should've asked first. An yeah he basically said that's wrong on so many levels....I'd go after them people an get your money back AT LEAST!....They could've killed you/others...pure craziness. Don't give aerospace parts to weld to a guy welding for his 3rd time.

Agreed, all the way around.

Had these been parts for a small sailboat, as I first thought (Dumb of me, as I had conversations with the OP about aircraft in the past...), they were repairable as a cost-saving measure.

Once I realized they were "intended" for his homebuilt aircraft, I cried "foul" loudly.

Experimental category allows far more liberties than production aircraft, but whoever welded these should be sentenced to fly in the aircraft built with them!

Standards of quality still apply strongly, and unless you're building a "Part 103 Ultralight", ALL work must be signed off on by an inspector!

Steve S