Stringer Material

[Skybolt540]

Was the message threadProject Update


Here’s the scoop on the stringer material I used. It’s long and involved so be prepared.


I selected the material based on Hale Wallace’s recommendation, including the addition of an internal strip at the location previously mentioned.


I’ve been building now for 15 years, in which time I scrapped one fuselage, and built the yellow one you currently see in my photo gallery. I bought the first set of stringers, the same material as I have now, in 1996. After moving 3 times, building the second fuselage, and using the stringers for setup and welding, they were pretty beat so I decided to buy more in 2006.


As luck would have it, I ended up living in the same area so I went back to the same company. In ‘96, they were making windows, doors, etc. from raw materials and knew exactly what it was I wanted. When I went back ten years later, the business was more distribution. I showed them the old receipt and had a sample with me. They said they didn’t carry that anymore; hadn’t used it in years. I prodded them a bit and asked to speak with someone who might have been working in the shop ten years ago. They called in a guy, looked at the material, and asked me to follow him out to the shop.


We went to literally the farthest corner of the building where old stuff goes to die, and up against the wall was (2) big boxes of the stuff. It wasn’t on their books, but there it was. I asked to buy some; he took me back up front and went to ask the manager how much to charge.


I paid $3.06 per piece in 1996; the guy came back and said the manager told him to charge something like $60 per piece for them. I showed him the old receipt to recalibrate his thinking and he sort of looked over his shoulder, said “How many you want?” “Twelve.” “Gimme $60 bucks.” ($5 each).


I jotted down the hand-written part number on the box which was BARB516020SW.


That doesn’t make sense if you look at the BayForm catalog; it looks like this might be this is the material that is used with the BARB516… material.


The first stuff I bought was white; the latest material I got is a taupe color. The factory paint was not very robust; I intended to repaint it all along anyway. I repainted them with white Polane.


So.


The company I bought them from is Yale Industries Inc.,
2725 Needmore Rd.,
Dayton

OH. They called it “screen mullin” on the original invoice, part number #63001 – white but that didn’t mean anything to them when I went back the last time. It comes in 12’ lengths. The stuff was in the far, northwest corner of the building on the floor. I think they had the taupe and dark brown; I took the lighter of the two shades. It’s lighter in weight than the Aircraft Spruce material.


Do they still have any? Probably.


Would they know what you’re talking about if you called them? Probably not.


Would they ship them if they could find them and still had some? I doubt it.


I thought about going back and offering to buy it all up and redistribute it to those who might want it, but it would barely be worth my time considering what I might have to buy it for and what you guys would be willing to pay. I can barely find time to build my plane let alone go into the parts redistribution business, but if there was enough interest, I guess I could take a trip down there and see if there’s any left. Surely there’s an alternate source.


I do have some scrap; if anyone wants to send me a SASE I can send you a piece for show-and-tell if you want to have a hunk to show someone.


Long winded post, sorry.Scott Rodriguez
400 N Downing St
Piqua,
OH
45356
<beej: added link

 

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