Finally started

Well, I can finally say that I am an official builder of an RV8.

Don't know why it took me this long to actually start the kit. I guess I was a little intimidated to start.

Boy does it feel good. Too bad I am deploying in two weeks. I will be gone for a year. But, I should be able to save enough money while I am gone to buy just about everything I need to finish.

Here are some pics of what I tackled tonight.








How do the rivets look? This was my first try solo with my pneumatic squeezer. Man was it nice. Lot easier than trying to dial in the rivet gun

I am really glad I ponied up the cash to buy good tools. My Sioux Palm drill is awesome!!!!

The front spar looks like it is going to be a little trickier. Need to figure out what to use to cut away the aluminum from the reinforcement angle.

Looking good!

Brian, looking good so far.

Keep plugging until you leave and thanks for your service!

Be safe!

did you prime that bearing housing?

No, I haven't primed anything yet.

I am tackling the front spar and I am trying to figure out the best way to cut out the reinforcement angle profile.

I have a rotozip but I have never used it to cut metal accurately.

Bandsaw

I purchased a cheap band saw for around $100 dollars and then put a fine tooth metal cutting band on it. If you go slow, you can make good strait cuts on the outside of the line and then file smooth to the cut line.

You will use the band saw through out your project.

excellent build on!

I agree with Danny on the band saw, I used it all the time

Have fun

from an old CW4 rotor head

FLEXCopMNPD said:

No, I haven't primed anything yet.

I am tackling the front spar and I am trying to figure out the best way to cut out the reinforcement angle profile.

I have a rotozip but I have never used it to cut metal accurately.

Click to expand...

It was a kind of a joke, you won't get primer on that part now that you've sandwiched it between those two brackets and riveted the whole thing together. Most of the bare al is recommended to be primed, and i thought that bearing housing was bare al.

Best of luck with your project. It is a life changing event...