- Joined
- Apr 8, 2013
- Messages
- 1,977
I've been flying RC planes for a good many years now and have a lot landing gears laying around. New ones are getting pricey so I'd like to recycle some of the old ones. They look to be made out of 1/8 inch aluminum that has been bent to shape. . They've all been drilled for previous planes so to recycle them I would need to TIG the holes shut and drill new ones in the proper locations. The problem is that these landing gears are springy so they can take quite a bit of deflection and return to their original shape. What makes them springy rather than ductile? Is it the alloy or some kind of heat treating and will the heat of TIG welding change the properties of the material? If they become soft and bendable after welding then they will be useless. Any incite will be appreciated.