I am still a dreamer, and I can just see this happening and when I read this post, i laughed for ten minutes! Can't wait to be in these predictaments!

I just took hours off my building time!!
Ok, I came up with this doing wing skin.
1st u cleco every other hole or two. Then you drill to size. Then you put the drill down and I mark every hole with a black sharpie. Before I switch clecos. Then drill the rest and mark them. This did lead to 1 or 2 missed holes that I marked as drilled. You find out when you dimple that **** I missed this one. U drill it and the corresponding hole. No biggie, just plays on your mind, like what else did I forget. So on the wings I got 2" long sharpies and taped one to the drill bit about 3/8" from the tip of the bit. Now when I drill a hole it has a beautiful black circle around it. When you r all done and look at the skin you know u got everyone of the holes!!!!
And the skin full of circles kind of looks neat! No more missed holes!
Saving hours on building and correcting mistakes and best of all peace of mind.
Fred

magnets
 

For installing bearings and for tight areas that require multipe washers (in different locations along the bolt). I've tried a little of everything. I have a telescopic inspection mirror, you know the ones with the swivel head? On the other end is a threaded knob and once removed reveals a magnet (which can be slipped on the tip to pick up out-of-reach nuts and washers. I took this magnet and placed it on the end of the bolt that was being installed. The washers tend to "stick" quite nicely, at least to the point that you can manipulate them into place over the theads of the bolt.

Catching Rolling Tools
 

Never be tempted to catch that rolling xacto knife as it falls off the bench. On top of that... move your foot too!

when done with the paint gun, you clean it, then you assemble it for the next shoot. Make sure you put the adjustment for paint to zero, or the next spray WILL be at max paint flow.

Experience - the rude teacher
 

#1 - listen to your bride....when she throws a little hint that she is being neglected - listen up and don't man up. A little dinner out is much cheaper than roses and a shopping trip. It's also easier to get a second set of hands when you need her to hold something.

#2 - Close the top of the rivet box when you aren't using. You know the thing that looks like a brief case with a bunch of divider boxes inside. Better yet, take out the inside box of the sizes you need and close the big box. I can promise you that sorting blind rivets is MUCH easier and faster than the little hammered guys.

#3 - Flush rivets are worse than rocks on a hard floor when barefoot. Make sure your pockets are empty before you go from the airplane factory into the house. Flush rivets hurt when going for the 4AM pee.

#4 - Learn to estimate time. If it's gonna take and hour, tell your bride 2 hours. You'll look like a hero coming in a 1/2 hour early.

Not having a good day!!!
 

I just started my RV-12 wing kit about 3 days ago and I destroyed my first piece of aluminum! I was suppose to csk about 80 #30 holes to the size of a 1/4 " drilled hole (guide) which will be riveted to the leading edge of the wing and the wing skin is to be dimpled to fit the countersink. I have about 4-5 holes csk way to much ...5/16 and some 5/16+ as a guide hole. The second piece I did came out pretty good. Guess I'll have to replace the first piece I ruined!

I now have to rivet 16-AN470AD4-4 rivets ... my first squeezed rivet ever. I have no extra rivet to practice on. I set the piece to be riveted in a vice and put two pieces in the rivet squeezer. One piece is curved like the machined end of the rivet and the other is with a flat piece. I just squeeze slowly ... Correct ... ??? don't make it to flat right? the new crushed piece on the bottom I squeeze will be as thick as 1/2 the dia of the rivet shank. Right ...

Comfortable working under the plane
 

I had the good fortune (right) of having to pull my fuel tank due to a leak (done by vans in my quick build kit!). With the support of this group, it wasn't so bad. But I learned that to lay on your back was awakward. Discovered the Comfort of a big Bean Bag Chair. Now I have one handy whenever I have to do something on the floor. Better than a floor creeper, you can prop yourself up and work! Not sure if someone else posted this, sorry if this is a repeat!

Don't take your freshly completed mid fuselage section and set it upright on your worktable with four inches of clearance below your overhead shop door, when the freaking J-bar that connects the door to the opener traveler has an excess section that protrudes six inches below the door level.

Good tip: Get a date stamp from an office supply store and stamp date each step in the plans.

When removing the hinge pin from the flap on your workbench, make certain there in sufficient clearance to the shop fan behind you - will make you jump out of your skin when the pin hits the fan.