If you could tell a newbie builder, what would it be!

[YellowJacket RV9]

Originally Posted by Pmerems

7. Know where the part behind the part your are drilling is so that there is no doubt where the hole will come out in the part you can't see.

This is a biggee, I think. I have replaced a few parts due to edge distance issues, after following the plans exactly. Always double check where a hole will be on all parts involved, and adjust as needed for edge distance.

Chris

[Bevan]

A) Plan what you're gonna do before you get to the workshop. Hit the ground running when you arrive.

B) Avoid having "non-builder" visitors (this is why it is better to not work in the hangar). Stop work when there are visitors present. They can distract you and more mistakes are made when they are there.

C) 2-2.5 hour work sessions generally allows a task to get completed and cleaned up.

D) Always have two genre's of work going on at the same time. That way if you hit a snag, need a part, tool, advice etc, you can finish your shop time working on the other genre. You don't want to stop work for a week before you can get started again. Do something everyday, with only a few exceptions.

E) Read VAF everyday.

Bevan

[dave4754]

Many good suggestions. When i first started building it seemed so intimidating. ONe thing that helped me alot was to sit down with the plans and take a Hi liter and mark out all parts that I would be working on and also make arrows to the appropriate " Section x-x" Really helped so much.

[Berchmans]

1. Don't stop flying during the time you are building. You need to maintain your flying skills at the highest level possible.

[SportAvServ]

This really is a great question, your getting advise from thousands of hours of experience, what a great resource this is. One thing I learned from working on war birds after I built my 4 is to tighten or torque everything like your going to fly it, unless you are sure it will have to come apart again so it can fly. This more applies to fire wall forward and controls, fuel and oil systems. Hopefully you have an experienced builder come by once in a while and check on things. Don't put the little things off for later, write down what you are doing when you stop for a day or two or more so when you get back to it you can pickup where you left off. Keep a list of things you want to do or re-do at a later date, and when you think of something write it on the list. You will be surprised of all the things you do when you look at the list. This has been said before but do stop when your tired or your head just isn't in it, just like flying. Some say it's cheaper to buy, I agree to a point, but the educational spin offs are worth a lot, everything you do you will do better and have a better understanding of how things work.
?Nothing better than bringing in the herd?

RT

[ron sterba]

As RT stated above, write ideas or tasks down on paper then for me it was a MAGNET on the door out.
#1. If you make any size able bracket like 2-2 1/2" long drill litning holes the size of a bushing, so you can pop it in at a later date.
#2. Unibits, I bet I have 10 at least,some with 8 size holes and 5 size holes. You'll use them for deburring holes.
#3. Oops rivets. Head is 3/32s head but a 1/8" or 4/32s shaft. You'll need these when you countersink and elongated is the result or after you drilled a rivet out the hole is a bit larger than you started with.
#4 magnet on a telescoping rod.
#5 flexible mirror On a telescoping rod.
#6. 3/32" punch and a 1/8" punch.
#7. 3/32" dimple dies that use a nail and a pull rivet gun.
#8. Smaller air hose and fittings, 8-10 feet long from Vendors on the vansairforce website. This usually is placed at the end of your main air hose. Easier to move in close quarters.
#9 tight finger work gloves for holding aluminum while drilling
#10 Fly cutter,like a drill you have never seen before. Drills holes 1" to say 3 1/2" holes in sheet aluminum .
#11. Box of nitrile food handling type gloves. Keep hands clean When a date is scheduled that evening.
#12. 6" ruler in both metric and inch. You metric guys have it easy. I like counting to 100.
#13 bendable ruler,,for me it was a 18" from the office supply store.
#14 Swival head flashlight. I like the Nextec by Sears,lite weight quick to charge.buy it with a drill combo, good value.
#15 the RV9A builder plans.for me 5 different Bright colored magic markers. I colored the the part I was building on the builder plan.youll get lost going back and forth to the black on white paper,.i usually colored all my nuts and bolts orange. Your imagination is the rest of the story.

Ron in Oregon RV9a.

[az_gila]

Originally Posted by ron sterba

....

#13 bendable ruler,,for me it was a 18" from the office supply store.

....

If you get the C-thru brand if can be used for drawing reference lines parallel to edges and has a useful centering scale.



From office/craft/art supply places.

[terrykohler]

Sooner or later the project ends up at the airport for final assembly. Down the road, you'll be doing repairs, changes, and inspections, etc. Learn to keep working when visitors arrive. Pick a couple of key phrases that work for you, such as 1. Please get out of my light. 2. Don't distract me. 3. Not trying to be rude, but I've got to keep working.
Your friends, especially fellow builders, will understand. The uninformed will eventually figure out that you're on a mission.
Failure to take this approach will increase work/build time exponentially - I think this is actually one of the laws of physics.
Terry, CFI
RV9A N323TP

[fliier]

Every time I use a self serve pump I wish I had chosen an N number that required fewer keystrokes. For numbers you can use the key pad, but those stupid letters, multiple arrow presses to move along the alphabet back and forth.

[UnPossible]

Originally Posted by fliier

Every time I use a self serve pump I wish I had chosen an N number that required fewer keystrokes. For numbers you can use the key pad, but those stupid letters, multiple arrow presses to move along the alphabet back and forth.

I don't mean to derail this thread, but why do you have to enter your N number to get Av Fuel? I don't enter my license plate number to fill up my car. I may or may not just enter the easiest/shortest combo I can think of rather than my real N number.