I tend to choose tools based on how much time I think they will save me (since I want to fly soon!). Tools I have found the most useful during my RV-10 build (in no particular order):
Multiple machine countersink cages: set one up for #30 and one for #40. Really handy rather than switching back and forth or doing "all" of one size then changing over then "all" of the others. "All" in quotes because if you're like me you will miss one and have to change over and go back.
Same for drills. Get at least one good lightweight aircraft drill and then maybe an inexpensive one from home depot or something. That way you can have #40 and 1/8" chucked and ready to go when you need them. Also consider getting #40 and #30 reamers. They make very smooth holes exactly the right size and the holes need less deburring than when you use just a drill. Sometimes you need a drill when there isn't a pre-punched hole to drill into but when final or match drilling the prepunched holes, the reamers are the way to go.
Bandsaw. Bandsaw. Bandsaw. I have had a Grizzly metal bandsaw for a long time and it has made absolute cake of the pieces I've had to cut. Big time saver over a hacksaw.
Combination belt/disc sander. I got one from Harbor Freight on sale and it works just fine. Get 220 grit discs and belts. That'll make short work of the roughing and then you can finish with 400 and 800 grit on sanding blocks.
Vixen files! These babies take metal off fast and leave a very flat and smooth finish if you use them right. These are particularly useful on thick pieces like the flap and aileron brackets. Also get a good variety of other fine files. Sometimes used tool stores will have a good selection of files. They may have some stains and rust but can be rehabilitated with not too much effort.
Get the biggest compressor you can afford. I got the big 60 gallon one from Harbor Freight (it has great reviews on many auto body sites and is a high quality unit). You can't have too much air, especially if you use die grinders and/or plan to prime/paint with a spray gun rather than rattle cans.
If you have a large enough workspace, hard pipe from the compressor to your main work stations. Use black iron, copper, galvanized, polyethylene, or PEX but never PVC pipe (PVC will shatter into many sharp shards if it ever breaks under air pressure). Buy a couple regulator stations so you can set them to what you need without having to readjust every time you switch from a drill to a rivet gun. You can even get the inexpensive regulators Harbor Freight sells and put QD couplings on them so you can move them from station to station as necessary.
Now that you have a monster compressor, go nuts with die grinders. If you can find a used tool store in your area, you can get a few for cheap (I found a whole drawer full at my local used tool store and bought the best ones I could find for less than $15 apiece). Then bring them home and tear them down and clean and oil them well. It seems that air tools that get discarded are mainly dumped for running slow or otherwise bad performance. This often has to do with being dirty. I was able to clean up the ones I bought and they ran at least twice as fast after cleaning as before.
Then go to harbor freight and buy their little die grinder
fiber disc kit. I go through these quickly but they were the best time saver I had on the ribs. Get one of the small diameter mandrel/bases for them and you can get into tight corners with them too.
Then look for flap wheels and other fiber wheels you can mount on the die grinders. I found some great flap wheels that have scotchbrite sandwiched between sandpaper and they work really well for deburring the inside edges of rib lightening holes and similar places.
Scotch Brite wheel. I have one and mounted it on the above mentioned Harbor Freight 6" Buffer. Great combo. Although once I learned how to use the Vixen files I have been mainly using them plus small scotchbrite wheels in die grinders rather than the big wheel.
Pneumatic squeezer. I love mine. I have the three-yoke kit and it will reach most things you need to squeeze. Although I often find that I can buck a rivet to a higher quality than I can squeeze. Don't know why.
Tungsten bucking bar. I hardly use any of my other ones.
Clamps. Buy a lot of c-clamps and some heavily sprung plastic clamps. I found these really useful working on the spars, both to hold the spars to the table, and holding parts to the spars.
one tool I wish I had from the beginning is my band saw, its a Grizzly 555 bought it mid build, The 7a had a lot of little pieces that were needed to be fabricated from raw stock, the 14 may not need as much of this? Welcome to VAF!
