New Builder Hints

[apatti]

Don't wait for Van's to have a "sale".

[N674P]

Quote: After watching you drill a hole in your finger the helper should never say "I thought it looked like you were going to do that."

Do listen to your own inner voice that says "I should remove that layout line for the holes before I accidentally cut along it" (ask me how I know). If the voice says "Hold up - something isn't right" Listen to it!

[Build9A]

Always put your tools back in their rightful place after each use. I worked a little over 1200 hours on a quickbuild (about average). 200 hrs. can be attributed to "hunting for tools".

[rjsflyer]

Make sure your air hose is securely latched into the quick-connect BEFORE opening the air valve. Can you say "Strikes with the speed of a snake"?

Rick Schwandt
RV-9A Fuselage
www.rjsflyer.com

[Kenneth]

Don't ship something big, like a horizontal stabilizer skin, half way cross the country 2nd Day Air unless you REALLY need it in 2 days... Ugh.

--Ken

[Ironflight]

You can't undrill a hole...unless you're working in fiberglass!!

then....

Dry Micro is your BEST friend!

Paul

[RV7Guy]

Cleco pliers are bashful types. If you only have two they will hide from you and each other. By having 5 they will stay out in the open living with the comfort of others and be available for use anytime.

[cjensen]

fly cutters...be on the lookout, they can and will scare the #$% out of you!

"what? who me? no...i'm not scared of no stinking fly cutter!"

clamp it down, clamp it again, clamp it again, and finally clamp it down!!!

[jsherblon]

Rivets have several undocumented properties:

A single dropped rivet will accelerate to the speed of light, becoming invisible just before contacting the floor. Upon contact, the rivet will automatically seek the most inaccessible location available ? preferably where it can be seen but not retrieved easily.

A group of dropped rivets cannot quite achieve the speed of light. Instead, on contact they will disperse themselves into a pattern ensuring coverage of the maximum area possible and seeking the most inaccessible locations available.

Rivets left in a pants pocket will remain in the pocket during wash. In the clothes dryer, they will be irresistibly attracted to the dimples of the dryer drum, which are slightly oversized for AN426 rivets. The maximum dispersion rule described above applies here also.

[Derrell]

When drilling the canopy skirts an extra set of hands are handy. Insist on your helper (son) use a wood block as a backer. Yep! I drilled my helper's finger.

Derrell
7A finish