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adamb.hicks4

Member
Hi all,

Just purchased an RV-7 empennage kit and am looking forward to getting going on an airplane. I am a first time builder but consider myself to already be familiar with a lot of the necessary techniques needed (I replaced a rear wing spar on my Cherokee 180, among other projects). I am looking at starting the empennage in my apartment as I am working away from home and don't have a "shop" available to me. I am wanting to invest in quality tools to get me going and make the process as quiet (read: neighbor friendly) as possible.

Here's what I'm thinking tool wise:

DRDT-2
Cleveland Main Squeeze
Clecos and Cleco Pliers
Dimple Dies
Cupped Set
Countersinks
Full Drill Index
A Few Cleco Clamps
Vixen Files
Rivet Puller (suggestions welcomed as to brand)
Fluting Pliers (again, suggestions welcomed)
Rivet Gun and Rivet Sets (get in a kit?? 2X or 3X?)

I am sure I am missing something but if anyone wants to throw their two cents in as to quality tools to look at it would be greatly appreciated. Does everyone think it is feasible to assemble the empennage in my apartment assuming I have a place to prep and prime parts?

Also, I have purchased an 18V Lithium Ion Hitachi drill but it seemed to have a bent/crooked chuck... Exchanged it; the new one also seems to be a bit crooked. Is this inherent and I have just never noticed it because I wasn't as worried with precision? I am trying to avoid running a compressor and would like to do the drilling and reaming with an electric for now. Any suggestions here are appreciated also. I've already done lots and lots of reading on here but this is my first post.

Thanks in advance!
 
First off, welcome to VAF!

You'll need a drill that turns faster, for sure. These seem to be the air drills, and Sioux is an excellent brand. In the meantime, look for one with a bit that's faster than 2,500 rpm. It'll probably be a plug-in type with a 1/4" chuck.

There are discussions here on VAF about air compressors for when you get home.

I've only got one Vixen file and it's wonderful. Get the longest available.

The spring-back dies from Cleaveland work well.

There's no such thing as too many clecos, just so you know. And get a second pair of pliers, too. It'll be handy more than you think.

I had some trouble with rivet guns. Look for my thread on that under Tools. I settled on a Sioux 3X and it's quite good and more versatile than the others I tried. But for the -3 rivets, it seems to really like 18 psi... be careful you don't crank the pressure too high, you'll certainly damage things. Brown Tools has good prices on Sioux.

I tend to use a lot of those cleco clamps, both 1/2" and the 1" lengths. I've got a couple dozen of each and more would be handy. But other people don't find them as useful as I do, so maybe it's the non-prepunched RV-3B that needs them. But they're really handy.

When you get your air compressor, if you've got the money for it, a pneumatic squeezer is a desirable thing to have. I'd put that in the first tier of tools. I have a 4.5" yoke, a flange yoke and a short/small yoke. For yokes, ATS often has favorable prices. Bob Avery at Avery Tools does a nice job overhauling the squeezers if it needs that.

Another thing that's convenient with an air compressor is having two regulators. One of mine is set to 18 psi and the other is set to 80 or 90 psi. I have different colored hoses for the different pressures.

Someone suggested a Black and Decker battery screw gun. It looks like a small battery drill (it also looks like a ray-gun toy) and it's sold at Walmart. It holds a 1/4" deburring bit that you'll have to buy from one of the aircraft tool companies. The screw gun has a 1/4" hex receiver for common screw bits so look a deburring bit that fits that. This deburring tool is a must-have.

For fluting pliers, get one that makes a narrow flute.

You can make (and in fact you'll need to make) a flange straightening tool. There's a description of them somewhere on VAF. It's wood. The 11 degree angle works well for the anvil. Here's what it looks like all by itself.

282qaag.jpg


And here's what it looks like in operation.

2vn1993.jpg


My handle is about 5/8" or 3/4" wide and works for rib curves. It would be luxurious to have a second one with about a 2" wide striker end for the flat or very shallow curved flanges.

Mine is unfinished maple. I should have taken the time to finish it. Aluminum dust grinds into the bare wood. I used nylon washers for the moving parts.

My work bench tops are that 3/4" MDF that comes faced with white Melanine. It makes wonderful tops - recommended.

Dave
 
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Tools

Welcome to VAF! After building for too many years I've used both an air drill and various cordless drills. In recent years the air drill has been used very little. Cordless drills from Sears, Makita and Milwaukee have been great. Good luck for your build.
 
A 6" Scotchbrite wheel on a bench grinder will save you countless hours of deburring edges. It turned out to be one of the best tool investments I made. Yes, they're a little pricey, but worth every penny.
 
Oh yeah ... another thing ...

At the beginning of my build, I bought a dozen each #30 and #40 cobalt, jobber-length drill bits. After six years, I still have a couple of each left. Never had to deal with dull drill bits and the related frustrations.
 
Ditto on the Scotchbrite wheel.

But, looking back over my project, I'd have to say the most important tool was the 6" stainless steel rulers in 32nd/64ths. Buy about 6 of them.
 
Rob Holmes built most of his RV-3B in an apartment (details at myrv3.com/). Vlad built much of his RV-9A in a similar space (and was written about in SportAviation here).

Jason Hess (www.rv7-factory.com/) had machine-shop quality plans for converting a cordless "Hammerhead" from Sears into an electric rivet gun.

Welcome to VAF! Remember to donate. Enjoy your project.

--
Stephen
 
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Rupester said:
A 6" Scotchbrite wheel on a bench grinder will save you countless hours of deburring edges. It turned out to be one of the best tool investments I made. Yes, they're a little pricey, but worth every penny.
Click to expand...

Don't use this thing in a rental - the debris will get on the walls and carpet and your deposit will be at stake.

Dave
 
Thanks!

Thanks for the warm welcome all! I am curious as to the benefits of tungsten bars. Also, I believe I will go with a corded electric drill for now. Does anyone have any suggestions for a rivet puller? Not sure if this a product where much differentiation can be made but I'd like to get some input if possible.

Thanks again,

Adam
 
Tungsten density - 19.25 g?cm−3
Steel - app. 8 g?cm−3

Tungsten bars are small, so you can get them into all sorts of places a steel bucking bar won't go (or requires some oddball shape), and very heavy so that setting the shop head is easy.

I have about a dozen or so steel bucking bars of all sorts of shapes. Once I got the tungsten bar, I don't think I've used a steel bar on more than a half-dozen rivets over pretty much the entire build.
 
I built my entire empennage and fuselage kit with a dewalt 18v cordless. No problems. If you cannot get a compressor powerful enough to run a drill, don't let it stop you.
 
Do I need to ensure that the drill will run a bit perfectly straight when drilling? I've tried two now and didn't think either looked straight enough to drill acceptable holes in .040 aluminum. Maybe I am being too picky but I am fairly certain I should be able to find a cordless drill with a perfectly straight chuck.
 
You may be over thinking it a little. Have you checked out some of the aftermarket chucks? There are a lot available that might fix your existing drills.
 
rivet puller

I picked up a cheap air-puller at HF and had it sitting around because I didn't have hydraulic fluid to make it work. One day I got the fluid, opened it up and it already had fluid in it! For less than $20, it works great. What I really like is you can push on the rivet to hold things tight when you pull the trigger. I don't know how big of a compressor you need, but because you are not pulling tons of rivets on a 7, a small one should work. If you are inside and neighbors are close, you will need a hand puller.

As for the cordless drill, the Dewalt will work fine. Get a reamer bit to almost eliminate deburring. Good luck and have fun.
 
Spruce?

Returned my second drill and went w a corded Milwaukee that is listed at 2800 RPM. Seems to run straight and it was half as much as the one I took back. I'm headed to Aircraft Spruce tomorrow to get enough tools to get me going. Has anyone been to one of the actual stores before? I'm heading to the one below Atlanta as I am currently working in Athens. Thanks again for the responses!
 
Also...

My empennage came in today!! It was packed in 2005 as I got it second or maybe even third hand, but I believe I am the first person to actually open any of it. It was all there per the manifest and I am very excited to get going on it... Have to travel to a wedding this weekend or I would dig in tomorrow assuming I come away with the right tools.
 
Aircraft tool/supplier

I now received my Van's "RV Training Project-1" and the "Tool box kit" to practice on. I'm going to have to get a bunch of tools and this thread is a great find. I noticed on Van's vendor list they listed a company called "US Industrial tool". I was surprised by that. I do some work for them here in Gardena ,CA. They are big in tools for Boeing and airline FBO's. They also have tool kits like Avery and Clevland. My question is, has anybody bought their tools and are they good or pricey? Are their kits good for an RV builder? I know they don't offer the deep throat Arbor press units.
Thanks Erik
 
adamb.hicks4 said:
Do I need to ensure that the drill will run a bit perfectly straight when drilling? I've tried two now and didn't think either looked straight enough to drill acceptable holes in .040 aluminum. Maybe I am being too picky but I am fairly certain I should be able to find a cordless drill with a perfectly straight chuck.
Click to expand...

Check the bits - they aren't all sharpened true.

Dave
 
Dremel

Another tool that is on my "essential" list is a Dremel. I actually had a Master Mechanic clone and preferred that but after 18 years it died and I had to replace it with a Dremel brand.

Features to look for: variable speed and minimal accessories. The accessories I use most are the different diameter and coarseness sanding drums and the cut-off wheels. I rarely use the other accessories.

The Master Mechanic brand from back then and the current Dremel had about the same accessories. The Master Mechanic was smaller and lighter for the same job.

Dave
 
Dremel Tool List

Just curious if anyone has ever posted/written down a list of cutoff wheels and other Dremel accessories that they used during a build...
 
The dremel will be very useful when you deal with the fiberglas parts. AS WILL a 4 inch wide bench size belt sander! The kind where the belt curves around a roller giving you both a flat and curved sanding surface. Makes quick of cowl and wheel pants.
A bench size bandsaw with metal cutting blade is also practically essential.
The fluters from Cleaveland are fine and if you need to "break edges" the vise-grip style with rollers works better than the hockey puck type.
A power screwdriver (not drill) with a deburr bit is the right tool for that job.
For deburring skins, put a small diameter scotchbrite cylinder in your drill and wear a leather glove on your other hand and guide it along.
I much preferred my 2500 rpm Sears drill to a pneumatic drill. You will get some flak about flammable vapors and an electric drill from some.

Bill H RV12 "Sweetie" N412BR, flying but not enough because of this awful weather!
 
The scotchbrite wheel is indispensable but even better I have found is one in combination with a scotchbrite belt on a multitool bench grinder attachment. And with a sanding disk on the faceplate as well, this combo makes finishing and deburring parts far more efficient.
 
Goose,

I found these on Amazon, didn't even know they existed...http://www.amazon.com/MultiTool-36-Belt-Grinding-Attachment/dp/B00BNBAQ90

Is that about right for price? Where do you find a scotchbrite belt? Since I'm dumb on tools, what did you mean a 'sanding disk on the faceplate'?

-goose said:
The scotchbrite wheel is indispensable but even better I have found is one in combination with a scotchbrite belt on a multitool bench grinder attachment. And with a sanding disk on the faceplate as well, this combo makes finishing and deburring parts far more efficient.
Click to expand...
 
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