Monday, October 27, 2014

Brake Pedal Progress


 I made a wood block, from a piece of 4x4, for a jig to hold the cable clip in position for welding to the rudder pedal, shaped like the Styrofoam mock up.  The end is cut tipping forward 28 degrees.  The side leans in 13 degrees.  The clip then twists 15 degrees.


 I carved some clearance around the weld area and clamped the clip to the block.  The pedal is clamped to the block with a stick of wood.

The block is made so one pedal is made with the clip at one end and the other end makes the opposite pedal.


 It was easy to weld with the joint very accessible.
 The bearing tubes for the rudder pedals are welded to the back of the rudder bar, parallel to the rudder bar pivot bearing, but rotated 50 degrees.

I made a block with a notch to hold the bearing in the correct position.  I clamped on a block of wood to align it with the bottom of the rudder bar.

With a cross ways block of wood I clamped the whole thing tight to the rudder bar.  It worked OK but you could only tack one side, in 2 places, then remove the block tack the other side and weld the joint.


 The block got scorched pretty good but wasn't damaged too much to weld the opposite bearing.
 All the blocks got scorched but they worked fine.
 The rudder pedals are finally in the bearings, we're getting there.
 Because some of the welds require welding on or near a previous weld so I clean each weld before making the next one.  The next parts to weld are the gussets on each pedal bearing and a piece of tubing to act as a return stop for each pedal.

 The Pivot Bearing also get a gusset which is not needed on the standard rudder bar.
 After the pedals are installed in the bearings the brace which supports the cable clip and be welded to the clip.  It just fits over the short end of the rudder pedal with a cotter pin to secure it.

 The cotter pin hole is drilled 3/32" dia., 3/16" from the end of the short leg of the pedal.  The hole is perpendicular to the plane of the pedal "L".  I marked 3/16" from the end of the tube with a pencil then burnished a line on the top and bottom of the tube.  Just rest a straight edge on one tube and gently rub it on the other tube to burnish a center line.  By center punching a hole on each side of the tube I end up with a hole straight through the tube.
I started the hole by drilling a pilot hole with the tip of a 3/16" center drill.  With a pilot hole on each side the 3/32" hole can be drilled straight through.


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