Brodhead Pietenpol Association

Original Posted By: John Greenlee
Subject: Pietenpol-List: axles>I spent some time a few months ago at the boeing air & space museum in>seattle. While there, I was able to closely inspect a Curtiss Jenney>bi-plane.>>Of peticular interest to me were the axles, and the way the axle nuts>appeared to hold the wheels to the axle..>>The axle nut did appear to look like Abe Lincoln's top hat. The top of the>hat was cut out to a smooth tube, with no threads, the tube then fit over>the axle, and the brim pressed up aginst the wheel with some minorclearance>fit. The top hat fitting was then attached to the axle with a thru bolt>going thru the stove pipe part of the hat, and thru the axle.>>This appeared to be a safe solid way to attach the wheels to the axles, and>if anyone understands my description, would this attach methoud get the ok>in the final inspection?>>ocb>>>>________________________________________________________________________________

Original Posted By: jmcnarry(at)techplus.com (John McNarry)
I spent some time a few months ago at the boeing air & space museum in seattle. While there, I was able to closely inspect a Curtiss Jenney bi-plane.Of peticular interest to me were the axles, and the way the axle nuts appeared to hold the wheels to the axle..The axle nut did appear to look like Abe Lincoln's top hat. The top of the hat was cut out to a smooth tube, with no threads, the tube then fit over the axle, and the brim pressed up aginst the wheel with some minor clearance fit. The top hat fitting was then attached to the axle with a thru bolt going thru the stove pipe part of the hat, and thru the axle.This appeared to be a safe solid way to attach the wheels to the axles, and if anyone understands my description, would this attach methoud get the ok in the final inspection?ocb________________________________________________________________________________

Original Posted By: Thomas E Bowdler
Oil Can, That is almost exactly the way the 1932 Flying and Gliding Magazineplans show it. I used 1 1/12" 4130 threaded on a lathe to 16 threads perinch. I turned flanged nuts out of some scrap 3" aluminum bar. I was goingto mill a hex on the nuts, but instead opted for slotting the nuts forlocking pins and use the slots to turn the nuts. The flange nicely handlesside loads and the thread allows endplay adjustment. Perhaps a bit toosophisticated for a Piet.>The axle nut did appear to look like Abe Lincoln's top hat. The top of the>hat was cut out to a smooth tube, with no threads, the tube then fit over>the axle, and the brim pressed up aginst the wheel with some minorclearance>fit. The top hat fitting was then attached to the axle with a thru bolt>going thru the stove pipe part of the hat, and thru the axle.would this attach method get the ok>in the final inspection?It should. It has been proven by many decades of use.John Mc________________________________________________________________________________

Original Posted By: Earl Myers
Oil Can...John McNarry and Tom Bowdler both had good points to make re: your wheel retainers. John's looks like the strongest while Tom's is the simplest. I am using a variation of each on my Piet and flew my 1930 Buhl Bull Pup for many years with the same settup. I machined a brass cap that fit over the end of the axle (closed at the end) and then put a bolt through the cap and axle as with John and Tom's. One thing I did do strictly for aesthetics and to add to the olde-timey look was to silver solder a script letter '" B " cut from a thin sheet of silver with a jeweler's saw onto the end cap ( the "B" for Buhl ) I'll do the same for the Piet but of course with a script letter " P " Good luck, Don Hicks________________________________________________________________________________

Original Posted By: oil can
OCB; This is how the axles/ nuts are on my Scout per the plans, simple, easy andno fussing with threads.............Earl Myers-----Original Message-----

Original Posted By: Thomas E Bowdler
>Perhaps a bit too sophisticated for a Piet.Easiest is to make a collar out of the next size tubing drill a holethrough it and the axle in the location you want it and bolt it on. It's simple and works great!Tom__________________________________________________________________________________________

Original Posted By: jmcnarry(at)techplus.com (John McNarry)
oil can wrote:> > I spent some time a few months ago at the boeing air & space museum in> seattle. While there, I was able to closely inspect a Curtiss Jenney> bi-plane.> > Of peticular interest to me were the axles, and the way the axle nuts> appeared to hold the wheels to the axle..> > The axle nut did appear to look like Abe Lincoln's top hat. The top of the> hat was cut out to a smooth tube, with no threads, the tube then fit over> the axle, and the brim pressed up aginst the wheel with some minor clearance> fit. The top hat fitting was then attached to the axle with a thru bolt> going thru the stove pipe part of the hat, and thru the axle.> > This appeared to be a safe solid way to attach the wheels to the axles, and> if anyone understands my description, would this attach methoud get the ok> in the final inspection?> > ocb> Great Idea. I have a friend building a Scout and he did somethingsimilar. I think I'll try it myself on my GN1. I've seen it done with a cotter pin through the collar and axle but Icastle nut /cotter pin through the collar and axle.. Looks like thiswould protect you against sheer caused by side loads in landing etc. Noyt that any of us ever make sloppy landings :)Bert________________________________________________________________________________