Squeezers
I've built my airframe using Cleaveland Tool's "Main Squeeze" hand squeezer which has a gearing mechanism to provide mechanical advantage. It's no big effort to squeeze 1/8" rivets with it. I've seen a pneumatic squeezer in action and don't really see the big value-add.
I've also used the plain C-frame for dimpling skins. Again, buying a more expensive tool won't deliver significant improvements in time savings or quality IMHO.
Save your money for all the tools you'll either need or will provide significant time savings/quality improvements that they don't tell you to buy and aren't in the tool kits:
-Angle drill
- 1/8" pop-rivet dimple tool
- Electrical: crimper, wire stripper
- lots of #30 and #40 drill bits
-- Smart Tool (digital level)
-- Band saw, drill press
-- Dremel Tool
-- Washer insertion tool
-- Bolt insertion tool
-- Reamers
-- Tap set
-- lots of clamps
-- Snap-On screwdriver for #8 screws
-- oil filter cutter
Oh, and you'll also need money to buy all those nice to haves in no particular order:
- constant speed prop
-- Camloc fasteners for the cowl
-- Nice seats
-- Stainless steel heat valve & firewall fittings
-- Fuel injection
-- Horizontal sump
-- autopilot
-- IFR avionics
-- Nice Headsets
-- Fancy interior
-- AOA
-- Have someone paint your plane real nice
-- Etc., Etc.
And finally lots of money to pay for shipping & handling for all the little orders that you'll have to make over the life of the project.
Last edited by flybill7 : 09-19-2007 at 11:45 AM.
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