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-   -   RV-8 Chris S. Johnson (https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=113651)

CSJohnson 06-02-2014 05:24 PM

RV-8 Chris S. Johnson
 
Every build has to start somewhere, and here is the starting point for mine!



I've been wanting to build an RV-8 for more than a few years, though have considered the Sonex OneX and SPA Panther, primarily because of lower overall costs (especially given the folding wings and ability to trailer), and that most of my flying has been alone.

The OneX never seemed like "enough airplane" to suit me, and while I really like the new Panther and its creators, only one prototype exists and I'd prefer to see a longer track record with customer built versions flying to be comfortable. And, even if most often I fly alone, I really enjoy sharing the experience whenever possible.

So I start my RV-8 build with a messy garage, few tools, no prior experience, but a dream, desire, motivation and a wealth of knowledge and experience at my disposal on VAF! :D

SmilingJack 06-02-2014 05:36 PM

Howdy Neighbor!

I like the choice you made ;)

The RV-8 is a fun airplane! Of course, any of the Vans fleet is for that matter so choosing Vans was a good choice in my opinion.

Good luck with the build.

longranger 06-02-2014 06:07 PM

Chris, about the only difference I see between your shop and mine is that my furnace is on the other side of the door into the house. You'll be fine.;)

CSJohnson 06-02-2014 08:02 PM

Quincy QT-54 Air Compressor Arrives
 


There are a lot of opinions on VAF regarding air compressors. Some have had success with small, portable pancake models, while others recommend getting the biggest compressor you can afford. You can also buy new, or find used compressors on Craigslist. I used available space, airflow requirements, reliability and budget as my primary criteria, and I'm going to summarize some of what I learned to help others.

Air pressure is measured in pounds per square inch (PSI) and airflow is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM). You need to know what your tools require (e.g. 6.2 CFM @ 40 PSI) and that will give you your minimum requirements. I'm considering doing my own painting, and some paint guns consume a lot of air. Die grinders are also air hogs, though rivet guns and drills don't require too much. So, determine what tools you will use and their air requirements (I was told to assume a little higher than what the manufacturers state), and that will tell you what CFM and PSI you need from your compressor.

Then it's a matter of tank size and how often the motor needs to run. The bigger the tank, the less the motor will run. 80 Gallons seemed about right, until I visited my local Northern Tool and saw how big an 80 gallon tank is compared to the 60 gallon. There's also a requirement that the compressor be a certain distance from the wall, usually 12-24 inches, so it can draw the air it needs. 80 Gallons is too big for my space, not to mention very heavy and therefore difficult to move. 60 Gallons it was.

Most stationary air compressors need to be wired directly to the breaker box and require 230 volts. The largest I found that run on 115-120 volts were the BelAire 2061V and Schrader SA1560 at 2HP with 60 gallon tanks, but their output is considerably less and would limit if not eliminate my ability to use high quality paint sprayers. If you're just going to use compressed air for rivet guns and drills, these, and even smaller could work. I found nothing greater than 2HP or 60 gallons that didn't need 230v. And, you can't just buy a dryer plug from Lowe's and use your dryer receptacle, which I was hoping. It should be wired to your breaker box with the right breakers.

I thought about buying a Lowe's Kobalt or Home Depot Husky brand compressor, but found the reviews to be mixed. Some people had no problems and loved them, but too many people did have problems and experienced a lot of downtime. Once you have a 60 or 80 gallon air compressor installed, it's not trivial to remove it, get it back to the store, and then the reverse to get the new one installed. Similar with used models. No guarantees, and I just didn't want to have to worry about the downtime and hassle. Quincy and Ingersoll Rand seemed to be among the top brands with many examples of their being installed and running for decades. They also hold their value and would be easy to sell if need be.

Finally, budget/cost. Even if the size of the 80 gallon compressors hadn't been an issue, weight, and therefore shipping and ease of installation was. They tend to be about 100lbs-200lbs heavier, and the increase in shipping cost can be dramatic. Unless you've got a team of very strong people available, you'll want to purchase gate service, which means the shipper will lower the compressor to street level. But then you'll need some sort of lift to get it into position. An engine lift could work, but once it's in place, unless the lift is available that compressor isn't going to be easy to move, even a few inches. Some may have a forklift, pallet jack or engine hoist readily available, but for those that don't, you'll pay for the added shipping weight, more expensive gate service, and a hoist to lift and move the compressor. When my compressor arrived the driver had a pallet jack, so he lowered it to the street and we pushed/pulled it into my garage.

I paid about $1,600 total for a 5HP 60 gallon compressor rated for 30,000 hours with a three year warranty, gate service, and maintenance kit (oil and filters) that puts out 15.2 CFM @ 175 PSI and 16 CFM @ 90 PSI. The 80 gallon model would have been well over $2,000.

Noise is also something to consider. You'll see on VAF that everyone agrees that oil-less compressors are very loud. Many compressor spec's include a dB rating, so that may also be something to consider.

I am not an expert. This is just my experience, research results, and personal considerations. But I thought putting it all in one post might be helpful. I'll add more as I get it installed and gain experience with its use.

CSJohnson 06-02-2014 08:14 PM

Garage All Cleaned Up
 


Obviously I didn't do all this cleaning since the last post. I think I have about three months of effort documented that I'll post in the next day or so.

Unfortunately the garage didn't stay that clean for more than a few minutes, as there's a bunch of stuff behind me when I took the picture that had to get back in there. But, I donated, sold, recycled, and appropriately disposed of anything that I didn't need. I also put a few things in the attic. And, of course, right after I did all this my little lady needed a few things! Her - "Honey, where's the ______?" Me - "Uhhhhhh..." :eek:

CSJohnson 06-02-2014 08:46 PM

Lighting
 


Originally my garage had one incandescent light socket in the center, and one over the laundry area. That certainly wouldn't be enough, but I wasn't sure how to determine what was.

There are some lighting professionals on VAF and a good deal of information can be found. What was most helpful for me was using the Visual Interior Tool which I mentioned in a previous post. I hadn't expected to delve into lighting this deeply, but after reading some of the pro posts I'm glad I did, and it didn't take too much time.

The key with this tool was that once I came to estimates for the variables (e.g. reflectance, illuminance, etc.) as referenced in that post, and selected the model of lights to use, it gave me exact measurements as to where to place them. Then it was a matter of drilling the mounting holes, and if I hit a beam I used a wood screw, but if not I widened the hole and used toggle bolts.

In that post I had thought that I was going to go with LED lights, but after quite a bit of feedback I went with Lithonia Wrap 2-Light Ceiling Lights from Home Depot. I'm very happy with the choice. The lighting is excellent and with virtually no shadows.

This light model acts as it's own junction box, so I just wired the lights in parallel starting from the junction box for the original incandescent bulb which is on one switch, and the same separately with the light over the laundry area that's on another switch. Then I used round covers to hide the former light locations (you can see one behind the outlet into which the garage door opener is plugged in if you look real closely). Easy, no electrician needed, and meets my local codes.

Here are my results from using the tool and selecting that light model:

izzybear 06-02-2014 09:11 PM

Welcome to the clean garage club!
 
Hey Chris,
Love the look of the garage - lots of room in there for RV-8 parts, tools, workbenches, wing stands....! :) It's amazing how much umph you get just getting the garage cleaned out - and the compressor installed. Now get that empennage ordered and join us -8 builders! :D

CSJohnson 06-02-2014 09:16 PM

Electrical
 
I was comfortable installing and wiring the lights, but not the air compressor or new outlets/receptacles. For that I hired an electrician who did the work for $250.

He added two outlets with four receptacles each and wired them to a tandem 20 amp breaker. The tandem breaker takes up one slot in the box, but it creates two circuits, each with it's own breaker switch. Also, this breaker is separate from the one for the lights. The big benefit is that if I trip a breaker by using too many tools, I won't be in the dark because I won't lose the lights too.



Between two walls and the ceiling, I'll have 16 individual receptacles available across three circuits. My breaker panel is now completely full, so if I need anything more, I'll have to get a bigger panel or install a sub-panel.

CSJohnson 06-02-2014 09:51 PM

Work Tables
 
I built two EAA Chapter 1000 worktables/workbenches per the EAA Sport Aviation Article.

The article made the build very easy by specifying exactly what materials to purchase and providing a cut list. I used 4' T-square and a 10" miter saw to measure and make the cuts, and they came out nearly perfect.

I measured and marked where I wanted the screws to go, and drilled holes for them. This seemed to work well and I think it would have been much more difficult to screw a 3" drywall screw through two 2x4's without them.

As others did, I have a lip of about 2" on the top to allow for clamping.

I used 3/8" T-nuts and elevator bolts on the legs to allow for leveling as I know my garage floor is angled toward the driveway and not perfectly flat. The article says the elevator bolts are too expensive so they used carriage bolts, but I didn't think the price was that bad.

I actually built two sets of tables with different measurements as I plan to mount a C-Frame between one set.

Here's the standard that are 60" x 24":


And here's a set for the C-Frame and are 48" x 30" that ultimately will be connected to become one:


I also added new pegboard above where these work tables will go.

CSJohnson 06-02-2014 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by izzybear (Post 885235)
Hey Chris,
Love the look of the garage - lots of room in there for RV-8 parts, tools, workbenches, wing stands....! :) It's amazing how much umph you get just getting the garage cleaned out - and the compressor installed. Now get that empennage ordered and join us -8 builders! :D

Hi Jim - Yeah, I can't wait to place the empennage order, but it still seems like there's so much more to do! But I'm getting much closer, and hope to place the order within a few weeks.

Thanks!

Chris


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