When do you pound rivets?

[N941WR]

My normal work schedule has me working an hour or two a night and as many as I can over the weekend.

Thursday nights are out because that is "date night" with my loverly wife Nora.

However, yesterday I had to go home (3.5 miles) to let the dog out, which I did. Then down to the basement to squeeze some rivets. Darn if I wasn't late getting back to work.

[JCOERS]

I usually go at it in the evenings during the week. Weekends are a marathon of activity on the project. I like to work late into the night on Fridays and Saturdays. Noise is no longer a problem after moving the project into the new workshop.

[cjensen]

whenever my wife lets me out in the shop!

actually she practices obedience with our golden retriever almost every night at the kennel club, so this usually gives me a couple of hours right after work with no distractions. on the weekends, it's pretty much the same, but i tend to work well in to the evening...if we are home.

[keen9a]

I'm fortunate to have likeminded night owl neighbors. You often hear three compressors going at once as late as 11pm and even later on weekends. Too bad the other two are pounding wood and nails instead of aluminium!

Having a sturdy brick garage is helpful too. It really cuts the sound down.

Last time I was home sick I considered heading to the shop in the afternoon, but I felt like I'd probably screw something up.

[Jekyll]

I work at home and boy oh boy, does that thing call me sometimes. It takes will power to stay out of the garage!

I have found that it's beneficial to prime or paint during the day so the parts will be ready for my evening build. In my case, I can take a slightly longer coffee break and prime some parts so that by evening, the part is dry and the fumes are gone.

I average about 20 hours a week except during hunting and salmon season.

Jekyll

[rodrv6]

Well, since I'm single, most anytime I want!
I work nights with a rotating off day schedule, so I usually work in the late afternoon or evenings until time to go to work. Depending on what else I have to do, I usually get at least one good day during my off days. I spent 7 hours down in the shop today doing wiring.
Fun times!

[Bob Axsom]

I often recorded tenths of hours in my hand written builders log. I had a 4 hour round trip commute to work each day that was bearable only because it included a flying leg. My wife and I made a commitment to build the plane and stuck to it for 8 years before it was finished. It was the only leisure activity in my life beside watching a rental movie once a week with my wife. Perhaps strangely, the work was never dreaded activity. I tried to do the best job I could of every task and if it took a month to do what someone else would complete in a day, it didn't bother me. Everything about this airplane's design impressed me and every increment of completion inspired me. There were a lot of satisfying moments in the building process but there were only two very brief magical moments. The absolute peak of self actualization and inner joy was the instant the tires left the runway and I was flying in this airplane I had built. The second lesser moment of truth was when I rolled over into the crosswind turn and everything felt natural.

Bob Axsom, RV-6A N710BJ (Blue Bird)

[jdmunzell]

I have half a mind to paint this airplane black and name it "Midnight Oil" for very obvious reasons. The entire tail section was built post 10:00pm on any given night. The wings are a tad bit better with the kids in school now.

In general though, after the day is done and the kids are in bed, other chores are done, etc.. it's time to head south into the "men's room"..... a sectioned area of my unfinished basement dedicated as my workshop. It is warm in the winter and cool in the summer and has a TV with a built in VCR for reviewing those Orndorff tapes ( ...and of course NFL, how-to shows, XV Winter Olympics,etc...). Not to worry though; the basement also has a single bay garage door for eventual rollout! As Tim Allen would say with his Simion grunt...."AAUUUGGHHHH!!....AAUUUGGGHHH!!...AAAUUUG GGHHH!!!"

Jeff

[Jekyll]

Originally Posted by jdmunzell

I have half a mind to paint this airplane black and name it "Midnight Oil" Jeff

Jeff:

I like that. Don't get mad at me if you show up at a flyin and see that I stole your idea.

I find most of my building is between 2200 and 0200.

Jekyll

[JohnR]

When ever I can, but not often enough.

Being self employed I sometimes have extra time but it seems since I started this project I have been busier than ever with work. Not really a bad thing, I have to pay for all of this aluminum some how.

Most often I find myself in the shop after 7:30 in the evening. I've only been able to squeeze in a couple of weekend work days so far but expect things to get better once summer arrives.