Mid-April 2014
Just got a few days of good weather and took advantage by bringing the Taube outside and starting the engine up- for the first time since the sixties.
Good news and bad news, good news, it started fine and runs fine, bad news, it first developed an oil leak from the banjo copper washers at the oil pressure sender. Fixed that, ran two days later, more bad news. Seems that the oil return from the crank case back to the tank is too slow and oil accumulates in the crank case, and eventually comes blowing out the labyrinth seal behind the propeller. Messy at best, unacceptable. Need to find a solution.
Here are some moving shots first
In the shop
Leaving the shop on temporary dollies
Into the hangar
Sunlight-wow
Don't forget the Austrian flag
Getting ready for engine start
Ready, ready, ready
Start your engines!
First kick
She runs
and runs
But- first oil leak
from oil pressure sender copper gaskets
fix- run again
Note the Austrian flag in hangar, a must
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March 2014
Placards
Been working on the placards , using the old etched brass plate method. I first designed the label using Photoshop, then reverse-imaged them, had them printed on glossy photo paper, then heat -transferred them onto the brass plates. Next, etched them with ferrous chloride, cleaned them, painted them black, and then sanded off the high areas using 400 wet paper on a flat plate. Came out pretty good, considering first time experiment.
Design in Photoshop
Mirror Imaging
Heat transfer- could be better
Etch- need to get just the right time
Clean and paint
Wet sand high areas
Completed placards- acceptable
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March 2014
Elevator Bamboo
Starting to get the Tonkin Bamboo ready for the tail feathers. Had to buy them in bundles of 50 ( 10ft) and 100 (8ft) from an importer, very hard to find, then pick out the best and straighten them. Some were then joined into the strips connecting to the horizontal stabilizer.
A bundle of 100 8 footers
Picking the best
Straightened
Splicing to HS strips
the center one on the elevator
Joined to HS
Materials
Completed joints
