1. Home
  2. ⏣ General Metalworking
  3. Aluminum tempering for landing gears?

Aluminum tempering for landing gears?

I have messed with radio control models for years and I have worked in machine shops for over 30 years so Im familiar with aluminum 6061 T6.

Several years back I needed a landing gear for a plane and I knew that making it outta the T6 that if I put my bends in it that it want hold that shape. It will flatten back out if you press on it.

But I found a guy in SC that took my bent T6 piece and he did something to make it like a car spring. It not only held its shape when loaded it would go back to its original shape. I mean it was strong.

Now what did he do? Did he just raise the T factor higher? Was it a chemical process or just a way of doing it in a oven?

Dennis

Reply to
Mach 1
Loading thread data ...

I know when we were making real landing gear for planes, the aluminum was heat treated afterwards, then packed in dry ice and shipped to the hard coaters. That stuff was tough. We had to scrap one because the heat treaters warped it and we didn't find out till it went thought the whole process. When we were cutting it on a large, about 1/2 way though the cut the thing sprung shut on the blade and stopped the saw! We were amazed and alarmed at the same time! Wow. Russ

Reply to
Awesomewiz

Talk to the people at Grove Aviation in El Cajon Ca. They are at the airport there (Gillespie Field)and just make landing gears

Reply to
daniel peterman

I think the process is called "precipitation hardening"or "age hardening". I recall it vaguely from my metallurgy 101 classes of about 40 years ago. The process involves heating to dissolve some sort of alloying material, then sudden cooling. The material stays machineable if kept cold. After machining , it is "aged" at a higher temperature,and the alloying material precipitates at the grain boundaries,forming a much tougher and harder material.

On the other hand, I may have got it all wrong. Hell, some days I can't even remember what I had for breakfast!

Reply to
Tom Miller

Then there are the aluminum rivets that must be chilled till you use them.

Reply to
Don Stauffer

Yeah, but the reason that they are kept cold is because they have been annealed, and they naturally age harden back to a state where they cannot be driven/bucked.

Officially, for certified use, there is a heat treat schedule to follow, as well as limits to the times in and out of the freezer IIRC. For home use, sooting them with the oxy acet torch then heating them until the soot burns off serves pretty well, though the purists may shudder.

Cheers Trevor Jones

Reply to
Trevor Jones

Do you have anyway of maybe getting a phone number. Im way out here in N.C.

Oh, I just found this. Could this be it?

formatting link

Thanks

Reply to
Mach 1

That is what I meant- I should have said must be KEPT chilled till you use them.

Reply to
Don Stauffer

If you *must* use aluminum... go with 2024 or 7075. It will have to be heat treated to achieve the properties you desire. Try Carolina Commercial Heat Treating... if they are still around...

Reply to
Gene Kearns

But the thing is I had a piece of 6061 T6 done and it was like a car leaf spring.

Reply to
Mach 1

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.