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pmnewlon

Well Known Member
A little panel rework has become much more than I anticipated. Now I'm doing a bunch of new sheet metal too. At work we call it 'scope creep' - the scope of the original project plan has crept significantly.

I got a good deal on a nice shear in Pontiac, MI. that I just couldn't pass up. I spent yesterday getting the beast off my truck - no forklift or loader at the airport and I wasn't paying $175 to rent a bobcat with forks and a trailer. The heavy-duty car dollies are on sale at Harbor Freight this week.

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Very nice! I used to work in a prototype job shop in the late 70's as a checking fixture builder. These places were just about everywhere back then in the Detroit area. Our standard scheduled work week was 56 hours and the pay was good! Now that just about everything auto related is coming from Mexico and China,,,,,it put a good majority of these places out of business. The shop I worked for ended up selling off their machinery, both metal working and the wood working machinery for the model makers (good stuff) at scrap steel value. :eek:
 
Nice!

So, umm, yeah, Phil. I'm pretty sure I'm going to need to "test" your shear from time to time. ;)

Congrats on the new acquisition.
 
Toobuilder said:
I feel your pain! My "simple" oil pump AD has gone from a weekend or two to 13 months!
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Mike,
i feel your pain. My -6 was supposed to be a rewire (FWF and cockpit) and new panel job. After a term that I am way too embarrassed to state, it still sits spread all over my hangar.
Phil, nice shear! It is not often (especially for those of us not building) that you need one, but it sure would be nice to have.
 
jetjok said:
Mike,
i feel your pain. My -6 was supposed to be a rewire (FWF and cockpit) and new panel job...
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Funny, but I ended up with a new panel, even though that was not the original intent. I also redid the fuel system, all new fluid lines FWF, baffles, new ignition, primary wiring, moved antennas, and a bunch of other stuff that "only takes a little more time"...

I think it is a mental disorder...
 
I had considerable mission creep when doing the panel upgrade a few years ago. Started planning in FEB, took it down for the project in late MAR, planned to git er done by June. Whoosh went the 4th of July...whoosh went OSH...whoosh went the Reno Air Races. Done 7 months later, and with a lot more new parts than originally planned...some in places not even near the panel...but worth it!

I did gain several new tools in the process, but none quite as manly as that shear!

Seems the new tools come with the jobs...or is it the jobs are good excuses to buy the tools we really want. Shhhhhh...did I say that with my outside voice :eek:. Don't let my wife in on that...since these are all jobs I'm doing on "the airplane that needed nothing" when I bought it!

Not sure which came first...the jobs or the tools...but I promise I'll never say "it's VAF...I see all that cool stuff, and I just gotta do it to my plane too!" ;)

Definitely a mental disorder!

Cheers,
Bob
 
mcencula said:
So, umm, yeah, Phil. I'm pretty sure I'm going to need to "test" your shear from time to time. ;)

Congrats on the new acquisition.
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C'mon down to F5! It sure is nice to be able to cut a little, fit a little, cut a little more all in one place. I've gotta be careful to leave room for the hangar fridge though.

I'm not the least bit bashful to tell Rosie I need another tool for the job. You should see the handy DeWalt cordless circular saw I got cuz she wanted the TV mounted on the wall!
 
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