Newbie - looking for advice

[JohnR]

Hello,

Just ordered a tail and wing kit for an RV-7A last week. Recieved a note in the mail today saying the wing kit will ship Sept 26th. I am expecting the tail kit this next week sometime. My son Luke (age 18) will be my building partner in this venture.

We are currently working on the shop in which we will be building. It is 30x36 with 10 foot ceilings and we are drywalling it and adding good lighting. Already have heat and plan on putting in a window air conditioner for those hot days.

What I would like to do at this point is get some ideas on things we need to get in place prior to getting started. I've read many of the post on this site and it will be a great resource for us. This is the Internet at it's best!

We have a basic RV tool kit and a few other items that we picked up at OshKosh. Already had the compressor and will be building a couple of work tables that we can pull together to create one large table if needed. We are planning on getting a DRDT-2 dimpler in the near future.

Any ideas, suggestions, or must haves, that you can point out will be appreciated. One thing I really hate is getting going good and finding out I don't have the items I need to keep moving ahead.

I would like to extend our thanks for this great resource and look forward to exchanging ideas with this group. (I do think we are gettign the better end of the deal!)

Sorry to be so long winded.

[Squeak]

I started on my RV-7A empennage in Nov.05 and now have it done and one wing. I really like my DRDT-2 dimpler. Get one as soon as possible for HS dimples. It dose a lot better job than the hammer type.

One thing I would not want to give up is the pneumatic squeezer much easier on the hands than the hand squeezer.

Good Luck,
Squeak

[bmurrish]

Bench grinder with scoth brite wheel, band saw, die grinder with roloc scotch brite pads, dremmel tool, vise, Irwin clamps, drill press (down to 250rpm), and a storage bin with tons of pull out drawers for all the different rivets and small parts.

[Rick6a]

Originally Posted by JohnR

........get some ideas on things we need to get in place prior to getting started.................We have a basic RV tool kit............Already had the compressor................Any ideas, suggestions, or must haves, that you can point out will be appreciated....................

John,
You are about to embark on one of the most satisfying projects you can possibly undertake. A hearty congratulations to you! You are in for more fun and frustration than you can possibly imagine! I've enclosed pictures of what I consider to be essential tools any well appointed shop should sport, but be aware other builders may disagree, especially when it comes to a drill press as essential. But I just don't see how you can generate top quality holes in thick material, in round control tubes (with the aid of a tubing jig) optional lightening holes or even instrument hole cutouts without a good drill press. Fit any decent bench grinder with both a medium and fine scotchbrite wheel for uncounted polishing and deburring needs. A 12" bench sander (mine is from Grizzly) fitted with 80 grit paper makes short work of many a sheet metal task although strictly speaking this handy tool is not a mandatory need. But like many good tools, once you have one, you'll wonder how you ever got by without one before. I'd also recommend a good bandsaw but thats probably pushing the envelope.

Remember....quality tools are your best friends! Before you are finished building your RV, you'll have purchased a lot of friends.

Rick Galati RV-6A "Darla" 60 hours
RV-8A empennage complete

[RV7Factory]

Originally Posted by Squeak

I really like my DRDT-2 dimpler. Get one as soon as possible for HS dimples...

...One thing I would not want to give up is the pneumatic squeezer much easier on the hands than the hand squeezer.

I'll second both those comments. It is my understanding from talking to Paul at Experimental Aero, that he only makes X units per month, and typically sells out the next months production a month in advance. If you haven't already done so, you might want to order yours now.

My suggestions would be to order a few more rivets. I, and from what I have seen many others, moved up to the next rivet length to rivet the HS rear spar. The plans call for a 470AD4-6, but I moved up to a 470AD4-7 to get the proper shop head size. The only problem is, I quickly ran out of -7s and had to borrow more. While you are at it, order some Oops rivets from Van's, while not necessary they come in handy if you have to drill out a skin rivet and the hole gets enlarged. An finally, I ran out of LP4-3 pop rivets and had to borrow a few, so you might consider picking up a few extra of those. Oh, one more thing I ordered soon after starting was a little jar of powder coat touch-up so I could cover scratches to the hinge brakets that occured during building. Not necessary, but for like $4 it might be worth ordering. To find all these just do a search on Van's online store.

One tool I have come to love is a Burraway from Cogsdill tools (do a seach in the Forums). It is a little thingamabob that allows you to deburr both sides of a hole in one pass... it really speeds up deburring. I took one to my local EAA meeting a few weeks ago with a sample, and now several other builders have them and love them.

Congrats and good luck!

[JohnR]

Wow! this is great!

Ask a question, leave for a little bit and come and review the answers. This is just the type of info I need.

We already have one bench grinder, a drill press, dremmel, and assorted clamps. What kind of band saw do I need to be looking at? A small one like you can get at Menards or a metal band saw for heavier type work?

Do I neeed to get some ProSeal yet? I read somewhere that some use it on the tail edges. I'm guessing I also need some type of primer shortly after starting. That seems ot be a topic of debate which I need to research some more.

Thanks for the feedback!

[RV7Factory]

The rudder trailing edge gets glued together before riveting, that's what the Pro-Seal is for. I used Pro-Seal, but the instructions give you the option of using 30-minute epoxy. Ironically, I just Pro-Sealed the rudder about 2 hours ago, and just sat down at the computer to update my log.

I did a mildly dumb thing... I bought a tube of Pro-Seal (tank sealant) from Van's a few weeks ago in preparation for the rudder. In hindsight I am not sure if the tube was the way to go because you only use a small portion of it for the rudder and throw the rest away. At $15 for the tube (cartridge) it isn't going to kill me, just not an efficient use of $. If I ordered it today, I would probably order the quart kit, which IIRC you can mix in as-needed portions.

08.08 UPDATE - I was puzzled as to why I threw away so much Pro-Seal. I checked the Van's catalog and I realized I orderded the wrong one. I should have ordered the 1oz. kit.

Good luck!

[Hwood]

Get at least four pair of cleco pliers. That way you always have a pair for guest help and always have a pair close by....happiness is never having to look for the cleco pliers!

(Thanks Fossil)

Hwood

[bmurrish]

Just be advised that Proseal has a shelflife. Whatever you use on the empennage probably won't be good by the time you get to the tanks.

[RV7Guy]

I agree with Rick 100%. I would add the new Lithium powered Dremel to the list. A regular Dremel will work but when you're playing "Twister" trying to grind something in a tight spot the cord is in the way. Also regarding the bandsaw, make sure you keep a couple of extra metal blades on hand.

The pro seal can be purchased from Spruce in containers that allow you to mix a little at a time.

Someone else mentioned having several cleco pliers around. This is a must. Cleco pliers are actually living beings that have the ability to relocate without warning. The good news is they are scared of each other and when several are in the area they tend to stay put Also be sure to order both left and right handed versions for your convienence.

Good luck on the project.

Darwin N. Barrie
P19