| Author | Message | ||
| John Wardell (Hitherandyarn)
Registered Member Username: Hitherandyarn Post Number: 1 Registered: 1-2007 Posted From: 148.64.18.116 Rating: N/A |
I'm looking at a 1983 MC9. It's in very good condition physically and mechanically, except for missing the exterior skin on the left rear quarter. The side panels have been removed from the windows down, from the drive axle to the back. I'd like some opinions on the best way to process to replace them. | ||
| Bill Glenn (Homegrowndiesel)
Registered Member Username: Homegrowndiesel Post Number: 20 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 68.162.69.148 Rating: N/A |
OK, Hit Her And Yarn? Aluminum, Steel, Fiberglass all easy, heat them all up as you rivet them in place. Original was aluminum. You can buy 10' lengths, .040. | ||
| Douglas Wotring (Tekebird)
Registered Member Username: Tekebird Post Number: 53 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 69.136.90.146 Rating: N/A |
1st question: Why did they de skin it? all the parts are avail new and used. | ||
| Robert & Debra White (Rob_n_deb)
Registered Member Username: Rob_n_deb Post Number: 8 Registered: 11-2006 Posted From: 24.116.249.100 Rating: N/A |
Bill, I have a question for you. you stated "heat them all up as you rivet them in place" heat what up and where,,,I am confused to why you would heat them up, I have replace many sections of Aluminum skins on aircrafts and never did we heat them up,,,thats why I am asking,we're still pondering about caps front and back for our mci when we buy it this year,,thanks for your information,,,Rob n deb | ||
| Bob greenwood (Bob_greenwood)
Registered Member Username: Bob_greenwood Post Number: 544 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 64.136.49.228 Rating: N/A |
I think the heating is silly too,I've been around airplanes & trucks & busses & it's just some old wives tale that somebody started. | ||
| norcal kyle (Kylexisxrad)
Registered Member Username: Kylexisxrad Post Number: 107 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 75.44.207.92 Rating: N/A |
call international bus and parts. www.1800intlbus.com OR 800-INTL-BUS. | ||
| Ross Carlisle (Rrc62)
Registered Member Username: Rrc62 Post Number: 165 Registered: 5-2005 Posted From: 67.142.130.35 Rating: N/A |
When you replace aircraft skins, you replace relatively small panels that are usually formed in one way or another (I've done a few myself). When you do a bus skin, you are installing a single, flat panel 10 feet long. If you rivet it in place cold and it gets hot later, it will epand and buckle. If you heat as you go, the skin will be in it's expanded state when you rivet and will not buckle when the noon sun heats it up. If you don't believe it, rivet one panel on cold and one hot, then put both out in the hot sun and see what happens. If you can't heat the skin by some mechanical means, at least let it lay in the sun and get warm before riveting it on. Ross | ||
| Bob greenwood (Bob_greenwood)
Registered Member Username: Bob_greenwood Post Number: 546 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 64.136.49.228 Rating: N/A |
I've been in a plant that makes airplane wings,for big airplanes,no little panels there,no heating either It took me & one ironworker 8 hours to do the windows on my bus,800 holes & 800 pop rivits,supposed to keep the metal hot for 8 hours??,silly silly people | ||
| Robert & Debra White (Rob_n_deb)
Registered Member Username: Rob_n_deb Post Number: 9 Registered: 11-2006 Posted From: 166.137.97.28 Rating: N/A |
I am more confused now before I asked that question...wow heat it up in the sun....sounds so unreall..ok I replace a small section of skin on a airbuss A400 or A300 it was a few years ago it was 4 feet x 16 feet we did not heat it up...the fuselage will and does expand when Pressurize....the skin expans and contract thuss moving the skin back inforth on the rivets known as a Working Rivet...I have never seen a buckled skin before unless it was damaged by some sort of impact..my thought about all this now is the lack of sufficient rivets and proper spacing... theres my 2cents worth.. | ||
| H3-40 (Ace)
Registered Member Username: Ace Post Number: 442 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 75.201.52.181 Rating: N/A |
If you look at most all the newer high end prevost coaches you will see that very little if any heat is applied to the sides when constructed because after they hit the road, they are all wavy looking. I think personally from knowing what metal does when heated and cooled that it would just make a better appearance more so than structural! I guess it really depends on what YOU are looking for as in final appearance! Keep in mind that if you DON'T choose to pre heat the metal that a wavy "look" COULD, but not necessarily occur! Time, weather, and material used will make all the difference! Ace | ||
| Steven Goodwin (Flynbanjo)
Registered Member Username: Flynbanjo Post Number: 1 Registered: 11-2006 Posted From: 71.99.204.5 Rating: N/A |
Just to add a thought. Have you considered the laws of thermal expansion. Temperature Change X Coefficient of thermal expansion = ____________ X linear inches. example: If the change in temperature = 50 degrees Coefficient of thermal expansion for aluminum = .00001244 (dependent of the alloy) Then: 50 X .00001244 = .00062 .00062 X 120in = .0744in or a little more than a 1/16in per 10 feet of aluminum It may not be a lot but it does show that the metal is growing. | ||
| H3-40 (Ace)
Registered Member Username: Ace Post Number: 444 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 70.212.168.62 Rating: N/A |
Yea and the more movement you have the more rivets you will lose in the end! Don't ask how I know that but my GMC and Eagle both suffered from lost rivets due to expansion! I didn't cover those windows though!  Ace |