How did Donny do that!? Forming air scoops with the English Wheel

[@cyrus8020]

GREAT Instructional video. Thank you!!!!

[@donwtsn]

No worries mate, I’m glad it’s of use

[@CrashCustomsaz]

Really nice work and a well-informed how-to video. I can definitely slide this information into my world of hot rods. Thanks!

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate, I really appreciate your comments. Have fun playing with hot rods!

[@anonimus2278]

Wow this is incredible

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate. Great fun huh

[@AerialLensVideo]

Well done - You make it look easy! THANKS!

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate, I’ve had a bit of practice now

[@julianlockyear8824]

Great skills, thank you for sharing.

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate, no problem

[@goaway7346]

I am real looking forward to seeing the thing fly. In the meantime, your videos are appreciated.

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate. I’m really looking forward to getting flying too!

[@dalsbury1979]

Looks like fun. Very cool!

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate. Yes, it’s great fun!

[@davidreames7032]

Very nice result sir!

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate

[@manxman8008]

Nice work and training - thx - looks relaxing work

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate. Great fun

[@tomjohnson4524]

You are an artisan. I wish I had your patience. I love that you like building your airplane as much as I like flying mine.

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate. I do enjoy building very much…although I am also very keen to fly it!

[@nige135]

When working on small shapes like this i often would hold the work in one hand to guide it,and with the other hand rotate the top wheel back and forth,i find it is easier to prevent the unwanted exit of the edge from out of the wheels and the subsequent unwanted edge stretch or finger pinch👍 nice work,video without the huge ego. Thanks.

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate. I’m normally a little better at not running off the edge. I blame having to use the video camera to get the shots. Instead of using a hand to rotate the top wheel, I tend to rotate the bottom wheel for some reason

[@nige135]

My comments were in no way ment as a criticsm Don you did a fine job!

[@donwtsn]

@@nige135 all good mate, I didn’t detract any criticism on your part. Thanks for taking the time to respond. Cheers mate

[@stanhelmle5363]

Excellent! I peeked at the end of the video so I knew where you were going. Can't believe the change in shape. I'm working on a Radial Starduster Too and need to create a front windshield flange. I'm hoping that the flange will be like a large scoop with the center part missing. Thx again for the excellent video!

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate I appreciate that. A Starduster with a round engine would be awesome! I made a windscreen trim for both cockpits on Frankenstein. I can’t remember if I spoke about it in an earlier video(I think I talked about this in the engine cowling series for the air exit flange I made for the lower cowling). What I did was to use the flat wheel like I used for these flanges to get the material to form. I used a bigger skin with the basic cut out of the front section of the cockpit, then progressively formed the flange up in the skin where the windscreen would attach to. With a bigger skin you can control how the skin/flange forms better. For Frankenstein, and I’m guessing for the Starduster, the shape of the windshield piece follows the curve of the top of the fuselage as well as the shape of the cutout for the cockpit. That means the angle of the flange to attach the windshield to changes slightly from one side, to the middle, to the other side. Give the bigger sheet the shape of the top fuselage and slowly add the required stretch to the flange until you get the angle you want, then cut out the piece from the bigger skin to suit. If this doesn’t make sense, I do apologise. The work coffees were really strong today! Let me know and I’ll try and give you a better explanation

[@stanhelmle5363]

@@donwtsn Thanks so much for taking the time to point me in the right direction. I have been looking for some guidance on how to approach the project. You are correct in the assumption about the shape ("the shape of the windshield piece follows the curve of the top of the fuselage as well as the shape of the cutout for the cockpit"). We have the assembly for the rear cockpit but not the front. Your description makes perfect sense. I'm sure I'll destroy a bunch of aluminum before I'm done, but that's all part of the learning experience. BTW. The radial engine is a Continental 7 cylinder 220 HP 80 year old engine. It hadn't been started in over 20 years but came to life on the second revolution. If you're interested in taking a peek at the first engine start, here is a link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hITUkqCYe6hqhNk Thanks again!

[@donwtsn]

@@stanhelmle5363very cool! There’s just something about radial engines huh! An extra measure of awesomeness. The airframe looks great. Have you started to cover it yet? Take your sweet time when using the English wheel, especially when getting close to the right shape. Don’t be tempted to hurry things up by doing a couple extra passes. A lot of the time, one extra pass than what you planned is enough to overshoot things. Usually that’s when you discover new expletives! Fun times!

[@stanhelmle5363]

@@donwtsn Oh, yes! Discovering new expletives! Been there and done that. LOL! Regarding the fabric, we have the fuselage and all control surfaces done. Getting ready to do the wings. Never thought that I'd have to learn to sew (rib stitching) at age 74! We went with Oratex fabric. All black with the trim being a metallic flake blue. The avionics (Garmin G3X) are here and ready to be installed! Again, I appreciate your taking the time to guide me in fabricating the front windshield. I'll let you know how it turned out (hopefully with few expletives).

[@donwtsn]

@@stanhelmle5363oh boy that’s going to look awesome! Hehe, at least it’s cool sewing huh! Hope it all goes well for you mate.

[@surfingcuriositywaves4046]

Well done. Thanks from yanks.

[@donwtsn]

No worries mate

[@peterrobins3708]

Stumbled upon your channel...love it when I have a win. Great video, well explained Brilliant, keep on keeping on.

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate, I really appreciate that. I’m glad it helps. It’s amazing what can be achieved with basic tooling, with a little patience huh.

[@blackbandit1290]

Great work, love it!

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate

[@adambergendorff2702]

Great skills you have with an english wheel, WOW!

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate

[@mofo1739]

Beautiful work .

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate

[@floridian7143]

Thanks for sharing!

[@donwtsn]

Cheers mate

[@stewcrane3441]

Great inspiration.

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate

[@123suzukisamurai]

Wow. Nice job

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate

[@Skullmonkey456]

Thanks, very informative

[@donwtsn]

Cheers mate

[@cherhanamiya1]

Don, So happy to have come across your channel. Its pretty obvious to me that you are a very talented Craftsman. I honestly feel that by the looks of your aircraft n ive not seem but a couple videos at this time, but I truly believe that the name Frankenstein is a name unbefitting the Beauty that youve created with this aircraft. I also see that at present your Subscription number is nowhere near where your channels content should be. I wish you every success for the future. Best Regards Bob

[@donwtsn]

Gday Bob, I appreciate your thoughts and comments. Hopefully my channel continues to grow, even if it is slowly. My mates started calling the aircraft ‘Frankenstein’ early on when I started to build it due to the fact that I was using a lot of recycled materials and parts, and not building from a set of plans. I wouldn’t have called it Frankenstein, but it stuck. I guess it’s an example of what can be done on a very limited budget. Cheers mate

[@Project2Aero]

your a wizard my friend!

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate

[@dirtywaterfab1695]

excellent demo, thanks for sharing. a question, if i may: i don't think i heard you mention annealing the work?

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate, I appreciate you watching. I didn’t mention annealing in this video as I didn’t need to anneal these parts to make them. I mentioned annealing in another video “extreme metal forming with only the basics”. Cheers

[@Luisantonio-yz8ng]

Saludos desde mexico mi admiracion y respeto, gracias por compartir experiencias de vida, artesanias es mas cerca del arte, muy buen desempeño.

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate, I appreciate your comments. I think when you treat it like art, it turns out better. Cheers

[@ashc5728]

excellent explanation mate - im subbing

[@donwtsn]

Cheers mate, I appreciate it

[@N17C1]

Great - that's given me the nudge I need to start on my engine cowls! I'll mess about with the air intake first, then go from there.

[@donwtsn]

Awesome mate! Go for it! I made a series a while back showing how I made the cowling for Frankenstein. Perhaps they might help, or give you more motivation

[@Makermook]

Great video! 1) Do you anneal the aluminum every so often? 2) Can thin mild steel be worked with an English wheel?

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate. For these little fairings I didn’t anneal them. Sometimes I do to get a higher lift out of the curved scoop and for forming the flange. On other things I’ve made I’ve annealed a few times during the forming process. You can feel if the metal is getting too hard and tough after a bit. I’m pretty sure thin steel can be formed in the English wheel, I guess you’d have to use a higher pressure and/or anneal it to form it. I might give it a go sometime and see, sounds fun!

[@Makermook]

@@donwtsn -- I've done some blacksmithing for years and I recently got into silversmithing. I know silver and copper work harden and need to be annealed or they can become brittle. Now I'm making a chopper (motorcycle) from scratch and forming the fender has been a bear. I didn't want to buy an English wheel for one project, but forming sheet steel with a 3 lb. hammer and a sand bag is tough work!

[@donwtsn]

Those are some cool projects you have going on there mate! It’s interesting to see how different materials behave when worked. The engine cowling I made for Rosie the Sopwith pup was initially made using a shaped hammer and a beater bag (I got hold of an English wheel about half way through the project) it’s a real challenge to hit in the correct spot and with the right power huh!

[@pm270100]

good job well done

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate

[@rc166honda]

Amazing 😮

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate

[@paulnewton943]

Brilliant! Can we see the rivets from start to finish please. I have just bought a 3X and have not as yet had any fun with it. Hint hint.

[@donwtsn]

Not a bad idea! Grab the popcorn and I’ll see what I can come up with

[@jeremyhowes8059]

Hello, Don. Do you know of anywhere I can buy similar air scoops ?

[@donwtsn]

Gday mate, I don’t know of many places that make these. I’m sure some coachbuilders would. For me to make them, posting them outside of Australia adds a bit to the cost

[@jeremyhowes8059]

@@donwtsn Are you on Instagram, or X where I can direct message you ?

[@curtisshawkassociation5276]

"A bit whoopie"......that's "crazy?"

[@donwtsn]

Hehe, cheers mate

[@curtisshawkassociation5276]

@@donwtsn Cheers....I'm Polish too

[@andrewference1479]

Wow, that came out really good. Would it take less time to block out the bulk of the shape with a hammer & sand bag and then smooth/planish on the wheel?

[@donwtsn]

Cheers mate. It probably would be a bit quicker that way, although you’d need to be pretty careful with such thin material not to stretch it too much and split it (which I’ve done before doing just that).

[@animal_engineering]

awesome job. and really good explanation to. might have to give that i go i think

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate. I hope it helps. It’s great fun

[@faroironandcustoms6577]

Nice!!! Not really into flying but enjoy the wheeling. Sub sent!!!

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate. I appreciate that cheers

[@RafaelTurporamos-ev6iv]

Mucho gusto amigo eres un verdadero artista

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate

[@gagis99]

How many hours is needed for one piece? Thanks for your reply Greetings✌️

[@donwtsn]

I wasn’t really counting. But I reckon it was less than 2 hours total, including polishing

[@kobiroar4221]

So how long in all would you say it took you to make that

[@donwtsn]

I wasn’t really counting, but I’d reckon less than a couple of hours to finished, including polishing

[@kobiroar4221]

I’m impressed truly

[@donwtsn]

@@kobiroar4221 thanks mate

[@flyingkub]

I like it.

[@donwtsn]

Cheers mate

[@Freebird67]

Thanks Don enjoyed the video now subscribed UK hot rodder

[@donwtsn]

Thanks mate, I appreciate that

[@Thebullrunexperience]

How much time do you have in making this piece?

[@donwtsn]

Around an hour for each piece.

[@robert5]

Hay Don, ever try making a NACA duct out of aluminum?

[@donwtsn]

Gday mate, I have made ducts and scoops on other aircraft a while ago. Fun times

[@josecarlospoggian149]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👍👍👍👍

[@jareklotz]

tip: start with bigger metal piece of metal, what provide better and easier handle, then cut of unnecessary material

[@donwtsn]

Cheers mate. I’ve noticed extra material tends to interfere with itself when forming. I normally have a little extra material and trim down to size during and after I’ve formed it up

[@jareklotz]

@@donwtsn Okey, so left just a 5mm extra with small hole and put a screw with narrow handle. So no extra material will impact forming process

[@donwtsn]

@@jareklotz not sure about the hole and screw thing. The risk of cracking would be very high. I normally start with 5 or 10mm extra, then trim as soon as it starts to bind up on itself. Depending on how far I’m forming it, that could happen pretty soon during forming. Maybe forming such thin material is different to forming thicker material

[@sociopathicnarcissist8810]

Using some leather gloves would make it easier on your hands.

[@donwtsn]

You’re right, although I’ve found that I lose too much dexterity for the finer detailed work I tend to do. I’ve learnt relatively quickly where my hands need to be to keep any injury’s to an absolute minimum

[@sociopathicnarcissist8810]

@@donwtsn I understand. I work primarily with my head doing analysis and I'm an old fart now and am finding that I'm losing too much dexterity with my bloody brain...

[@donwtsn]

@@sociopathicnarcissist8810 heheh, that worries me a bit. I find own brain doing the same thing sometimes, and I wouldn’t call myself an old fart yet. Things to look forward to huh

[@huizdeeze1075]

you could just start with biger piece easier to handle stratch out with mallet your shape wheel out and cut a half your tecnique is a joke

[@donwtsn]

Never said this was the only way to do things. Your suggestion would work, however you might’ve heard me talking about the material 7075t6 and the thickness. Bashing it with a mallet is guaranteed to put little splits in it everywhere. Maybe that’s the desired effect. I’ve noticed even with 5005 in that thickness, it is really easy to overstretch with the bashing technique. I’m glad you found it entertaining, cheers

[@ShannonpdpHammond-yy7yh]

Wheres your video??? Ufts ...read that backwards

[@horacerumpole6912]

Flow forming is faster, and more repeatable-

[@donwtsn]

Yes, but a lot of work making a form block for a one off

[@donniewatson9120]

Nice!!!

[@donwtsn]

Thanks!