Tip: Deburring Fuel pickup tube.

[mlw450802]

First, Apologies to anyone out there who actually does this for a living but I stumbled onto a process for electrochemical deburring of the fuel pickup tube.
My little band saw leaves horrible burrs inside and out on the slots for the tube. As you can see on this scrap tube:


I know how the electrochemical process works theoretically but I have no real knowledge of the details, so this is what I did.
I filled up a glass measuring cup with undiluted alumiprep and placed a scrap piece of tubing into the solution to use as the cathode (Negative polarity) and the piece I wanted to deburr was conected to the positive post of my battery to become the anode. I tried a 12v battery first but, for my solution, it was too little so I connected my Dewalt 18v power pack in series for about 30vdc total. The 'mad scientist' arrangement is here:


After leaving the tube in the solution for about 15 minutes, this is what happened:




The burrs were totally removed and the surface of the tube was partially polished.
Yippee!!!


-mike

[fodrv7]

You should be using a Pipe Cutter.
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/menus/to/tubingtools.html
Eventually you will need to cut a pipe in situ and a pipe cutter is small enough to use in tight places. And not expensive in the overall scheme of things.
Pete.

[jsherblon]

Now all you need is a white lab coat.

[mlw450802]

Originally Posted by fodrv7

You should be using a Pipe Cutter.
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/menus/to/tubingtools.html
Eventually you will need to cut a pipe in situ and a pipe cutter is small enough to use in tight places. And not expensive in the overall scheme of things.
Pete.

Of course I use a tubing cutter when making cuts for flaring for fittings but the plans call for the fuel pickup to be sliced partially through for a few inches to make a bit of a fuel strainer. This part is difficult to deburr on the cut faces.




-mike

[cytoxin]

if i hadnt already replaced mine with the screen ones (with way more surface area than the cut ones i had) i would try it. looks great.

[fodrv7]

Apologies Mike.
And, you have really done a neat job of the 'deburring'.
Pete.