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Documenting your build
I am about to get started and just wanted to get some different ideas on how you documented your builds. I have seen a few that blogged, what site do you like? Obviously I will take pictures, just curious about how you told the story.
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I just kept a note book and documented what I did every day. I also took pictures of things along the way. It worked for the faa. I didn't feel like spending half my time uploading pictures and writing descriptions.
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Spreadsheet with photos
For my build I've been using a spreadsheet. I type in the activities / tasks I completed each day, logging date and time, and paste in a few photos alongside the notes. It might make for a huge file if I don't compress the photos but it works for me.
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Just me
I use blogspot, but others have used wordpress too.
I mainly blog so that i can save the pictures on the cloud and upload them here when i have troubles or solutions. I used to blog often, but now just significanr milestones or things i have changed/updated/ learned. |
I made copies of the instruction manual sections and simply noted the dates (and occsional notes) alonside each instruction step as it was completed. I highlighted deferred steps to ensure they were completed later, and lined-out inapplicable items (e.g., steps specific to QB kits, etc.). That became my build log for the FAA.
Digital photos (LOTS of them) stored on my laptop, organized into folders. Be sure to have someone get some photos of *you* doing some of the work to show the FAA for the Repairman's Certificate. Like others, I didn't want to spend my time messing around on the computer each night...kept it simple. I spend enough time in front of the computer at work every day. :) |
I started my build before internet was helpful and digital cameras could only hold pics on a floppy disk..so lots of "real" pics in a photo album and dated notes in the margin of my builders manual. Easy and no need for any type computer or tablet to look through.
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Personally, I'm doing timelapse videos of most of the build process. (I'm not recording or counting the time to deburr, prep for primer, or apply primer as I don't want to know how much time that is adding to my build! )
I'm not writing down how long I take for each step as I don't want to focus on the time aspect of the build. If I really need to at the end, I can use the videos to calculate total build time +/-. I'm also making notes on my plans on any changes I made along the way, or things I need to go back to as I get towards the end of the build. Photos of key milestones or any of the "oops" areas that I repaired. I do remember someone wired up a HOBBS meter to his workshop lights to record build time. That was a brilliant idea. |
My build was pre Internet/Digital cameras, too, so I kept a bound notebook with lots of details and took hundreds of 35mm photos. Be sure to get someone to take photos of YOU doing the work.
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my last build i took pics. he looked at a couple out of thousands.
after logging the entire building process last time in a notebook i did my rv by dating every day i worked with the total hrs for the day and checked off each task as it was done. can't get more descriptive than that. i understand the scrutiny may differ according to who comes to visit. |
I dont have time to mess with a website, so I just use the blog template in MS Word (it asks you to publish it, but I dont) - its basically just a word document with wider margins so the pics go in clean. Write some notes and paste pics from my digital camera - only slightly more tech than a paper log, but still dirt simple, quick, easy to search, and checks the FAA square. And free.
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