Vans ToolBox Kit Complete

Hi hi! I got my vans tool kit in the mail about a month ago. I've never built a kit plane or anything more advanced than ikea furniture so I figured it would be a good idea to practice a bit before working on real airplane pieces.
So I thought I'd share my experience as a way to say "hi" as I've been lurking of a bit.



Here's how the pieces arrived. I really like the look of the blue film but I've heard it can be difficult to take off.

I inventoried the kit like I've seen on here and in youtube videos. It was a bit harder than I expected since not everything was labeled. So I had to do some of it by process of elimination, or context clues. Also, at this point, I didn't know how rivets were named so I had no idea what a 426 vs 470 was so I had to go do some research before I could inventory that part.


I already had some clecos and a tool i'd ordered from amazon but they were the wrong size. I don't do a lot of drilling so when the instructions mentioned #30 and #40 drills, I had to look all that up. Anyways. Now I know! And have my clecos organized by size.


Next I built a wooden tool bench with plans from online so I could get everything off the floor. I had a squeezer and I was using that to squeeze the first few rivetts but eventually I hit the limit of the yoke so I had to go to home depot and buy a compressor and actually use the rivet gun I'd got from Wicks.


Here's a detail on some of the flush rivets on the left side. They didn't sit quite flush. so I drilled them out and started over. at this point I also messed up the body while trying to drill out a rivet so I ordered a new one.


Here's a detail on a flush rivet where I slipped with the gun. Does anyone have tips on how to tell if something is just a cosmetic dent, or if you need a new piece?


Also, I made these scuffs while using the rivet gun. This is from having the bucking bar on the inside. Are these repairable? Cosmetic?


Next up I bent this wire to make a handle for the top. But it was really difficult to the the angle of bend that they had in the plans. I tried doing it with a vice and needlenose pliers but, as you can see, the bend isn't as sharp as it could be. Any tips would be appreciated!


Here's the "finished" box. However, the latch on the top was a little too tight when fully clasped. There wasn't enough room to redril the top part of the lid so I figured it would be good practice drilling out rivets to get the lid of the hinge and replace it with a spare.


For the spare, I decided to buy a soldering iron and cut just expose the holes like the technique i've seen some of y'all use.



I got some practice drilling out rivets but I made a mistake here on the hinge and kinda ruined this hole. Any tips on what to do here?


I ran out of images but maybe I can reply with the finished piece

For some reason my images aren't showing up.

Use the paperclip icon to attach your pics.

jrtens said:

Use the paperclip icon to attach your pics.

View attachment 16773

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply!

Edit: I was able to update the formatting by appending "l" for a large thumbnail to the imgur links. That way they're not so full screen BLAM in your face.

Tool box

Looks a lot better than mine did! Here goes.
1. Get an EAA Builder Blog account or start one on this site. Makes it easier to track the build.
2. Whatever tool is used the dimple, do some research. Holes are under dimpled. Take a look at the reflection. It should not have a distorted curve.
3. Smileys are not repairable. Figure out the cause and try not to make them on the airplane.
4. Drilling rivets isnt rocket science. Learn the tricks and you won't have any problem. Then drill that tool box apart and reassemble. Practice.
5. A mentor can help. Find one

wirejock said:

Looks a lot better than mine did! Here goes.
1. Get an EAA Builder Blog account or start one on this site. Makes it easier to track the build.
2. Whatever tool is used the dimple, do some research. Holes are under dimpled. Take a look at the reflection. It should not have a distorted curve.
3. Smileys are not repairable. Figure out the cause and try not to make them on the airplane.
4. Drilling rivets isnt rocket science. Learn the tricks and you won't have any problem. Then drill that tool box apart and reassemble. Practice.
5. A mentor can help. Find one

Click to expand...

Thanks so much for the notes! I will keep at it. I'm getting more practice in drilling out some mistakes and dimpling on scrap before going onto the kit.

When you say smileys aren't repairable, do you mean a builder would have to live with them or they're a structural problem and the piece needs to be replaced?

Smileys

jonbo said:

Thanks so much for the notes! I will keep at it. I'm getting more practice in drilling out some mistakes and dimpling on scrap before going onto the kit.

When you say smileys aren't repairable, do you mean a builder would have to live with them or they're a structural problem and the piece needs to be replaced?

Click to expand...

I'm from Austin! 30+ years.
Kinda depends on where. That's beyond my (free) pay grade. A smiley here or there is usually not a problem but it is indicative of potential issues with the build. Figure out the issue and resolve it. A bad one in the wrong place warrants a call to Vans to be sure.
What is your dimple tool? C-frame or DRDT?
Figure 8 hole in the hjnge cannot be fixed. Avoid that. Never drill past the head of the rivets. I drill a pilot hole 10 smaller than the rivet hole. Then a drill stop on the final drill is used so it can't go deeper than the head. Snap off the head with an old bit.
Basically, pound those practice kits. That's what they are. Practice. You got this. I don't see any horrible issues, but I am a firm believer in Mentors. A few hours will lock in good habits. You should have seen my tool box. I thank my Mentor for setting me on a good path.

Austin is nice!
All my dimples were done with a hand squeezer. I now have a c-frame but I haven't used it yet.

Thanks for the advice on the drill stop. I'd say about every 10th or so rivet, I drill out too far and drill goes right through. I do enjoy drilling out rivets though. It's fun and satisfying when you get it dead center.