>From: "Ron Eason" <r...@jrl-engineering.com> >If I may offer a alternate for sealing aluminum tanks it would be to solder >the seams with aluminum solder using a propane torch. There is a vender at >Oshkosh that offers a kit for about $85. Rivets and solder seam like a >alternate
I originally signed back on in an attempt to find any builders in Switzerland that I could drop in on, on my trip there shortly, so I really don't want to start anything but I tried this alternate method. In this picture I used the aluminum solder from the guy at SNF that I bought several years ago. The guy solders alum coke cans with it, but..............I made up this test piece using the same methods I used for Mark's tanks. http://rvflying.tripod.com/leak1.jpg This second picture shows the corner with a heavy aluminum solder buildup and the sides with a nice bead along the floor and side wall. I really tried to make a nice leak proof bond as I scuffed up both surfaces prior to soldering and dropped a bead on the rivet heads. http://rvflying.tripod.com/leak2.jpg This is about 20 minutes later http://rvflying.tripod.com/leak3.jpg I could go back in and try and find the leak but the original beading took me at least 20 minutes. In that time I could have used Proseal and totally riveting in a real leak proof tank bottom. I know it's builders mentality to try and come up with different ways to do things but for goodness sakes try it before you throw it out there for someone to use. In this application, one would have to individually solder each and every rivet head and along with seam lines. I'll take a flux brush and smear around a rivet while someone else solders and lets see how many leak free ones I do compared to the alternate method. I'll bet is over 10-1. Remember, I totally Prosealed and riveted together Mark's second tank in 3.5 hours. It's experimental, for goodness sakes do what you want to your own airplane. It's just my opinion that before one offers something as an alternative, you should have at least researched it properly or have tried it on a scale deemed appropriate to it's full scale application. This method may work for someone else, but it didn't for me......heck, I'm probably so far off base it ridiculous though........ Happy builder gang. Dana Overall 1999 & 2000 National KR Gathering host Richmond, KY RV-7 slider/fuselage http://rvflying.tripod.com do not archive _________________________________________________________________ Tired of spam? Get advanced junk mail protection with MSN 8. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail
