How long will a one car garage work as a shop?

Roy25101 · #1 05-26-2014, 05:21 PM

I can't quite figure out the answer to this question with the build pictures online..

I am building my -10 in a one walled in bay of a three car garage. A bit limited on space but small enough to air condition. Pretty sweet in FL.

Is it logical to think I can build the individual pieces of the empennage without having to put them all together? The VS is not much of an issue but once the HS is attached, I am going to have to kick my wife's car out of another bay and move walls.

I figure if I can avoid making it huge right away, I can hold off on a shop expansion for at least another year while I build the wings then bring it all together?

As always, thanks in advance for any input. Take care.

Kyle Boatright · #2 05-26-2014, 05:34 PM

You should easily be able to do everything up to the join of the front and aft fuselage. You'll need to have a separate storage location for the pieces. I used bedrooms and the dining room, but I was single back then. ;-) Depending on the length of your garage, you might be able to join the two fuse sections.

Lemmingman · #3 05-26-2014, 05:35 PM

I used one bay of a 3 car garage until the fuselage of my -7. Then I only needed a bit of the second bay. This worked fine until my wife got a new car. At which point I have to store my project in one bay and then rearrange when I'm ready to work on the plane. I have the fuse, wings driveway hockey net and all my tools in one bay.

N15JB · #4 05-26-2014, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roy25101

Is it logical to think I can build the individual pieces of the empennage without having to put them all together? The VS is not much of an issue but once the HS is attached, I am going to have to kick my wife's car out of another bay and move walls.

.

Most builders like to join the VS and HS as a sign of progress, kind of like making airplane noises when you can sit in the fuselage, but there really is no need to until the fuselage is finished. You can even postpone joining the fore and aft fuselage sections. IIRC it was Jesse who did all the FWF work before joining the empennage on one of his earlier builds.

Jim Berry
RV-10

BobTurner · #5 05-26-2014, 05:57 PM

I built the entire tail kit in 1/2 of a smallish two car garage (my wife still got her car in). As I recall I test fit the stabilizers by pulling the tailcone out into the driveway on a nice day, but otherwise they were stored above my wife's car, hanging from the ceiling. Not re-attached until after the move to the airport. Once the wing and fuselage kits arrived, I had to take over the entire space, with the fuselage diagonal across the garage to fit.

ddnebert · #6 05-26-2014, 11:13 PM

I built each kit in half a two car garage. After completing each phase I rented the back of a friend's hangar at the airport where final assembly took place. For transport I had the fuse with VS on gear with wings in a cradle on a Chapter trailer. Completed assembly at the airport from May 1 to August 12, 2010 when first flight took place. If the workspace is really close (like in your house) it makes for a speedier completion.

rleffler · #7 05-27-2014, 03:37 AM

Like others have mentioned, I built most of my RV-10 in half of a two car garage. I hoisted the empennage to the ceiling using some modified bicycle hoists to get it out the way. (I had 12' ceilings)

When I started the fuselage I didn't have anyplace to store the wings, so that's when my wife's car was moved outside. Unfortunately, my garage was a few inches too short to get the engine mount and engine hung, so that's when I had to move the project to the airport.

As you are going to hear multiple times, productivity will drop once you move to the airport. Keep it in the garage for as long as possible.

Bob

Roy25101 · #8 05-27-2014, 04:59 AM

That's a relief. I agree about the productivity issue. If I had to drive to the airport to work on it I think it would still be in the crate?

Thanks?.

rbibb · #9 05-27-2014, 05:30 AM

The answer to this problem is obvious once you come to terms with the fact that the cars just don't rate a garage anymore.

mikehoover · #10 05-27-2014, 08:57 AM

I built my emp, wings, and tailcone in my first "dog house" that is a 10x22 old timey garage. I assembled the center section but when I got to working with the longerons, it was time for a bigger space. You have to be careful in the tight space but you don't have to go far for tools