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Extra Tools in addition to the kit?

Phil

Phil

Well Known Member
Howdy,

I'm getting ready to order the big RV kit from Avery.

Before I place the order, are there any tools you'd recommend beyond the regular kit?

It's looking like I will be QB all the way through.

Phil
 
I substituted a pneumatic squeezer instead of the hand squeezer. Get a longeron yoke, 4" no hole, 1" no hole, and 2 1/2" standard yoke. Get extra clecoes, You'll need 3/32 and 1/8. Get lots of 30 and 40 bits, a few 12. Right angle drill adapter. and an adjustable set holder.

Roberta
 
Phil

Extra cleco pliers are handy. If you are doing your panel/electrical you will need thoise tools. FWF will need your typical 1/4 drive socket set.

Frank @ sgu RV7A "NDY"
 
Reamers Too

Get 3/16", 1/4", and 5/16" flutting reamers for nice round bolt holes.

Jim
 
Hi Phil,

In addition to Roberta's list, I'd suggest/recommend adding:

- 3/32" vice-grip dimplers
- On the right angle drill, don't skimp - go for compactness
- An extra #30 and #40 drill bits for the right angle drill
- A flexible 6" rule with 1/32" and 1/64" graduations - I wish I had gotten one _much_ earlier in the project
- Pop rivet dimplers - though a possible alternative would be to invest in Avery's "DIMPLING-RIVETING BLOCK SET", they each have their benefits.
- 3 cleco pliers (those suckers like to hide around the shop)
- 5 "black" clecos - 5/32"
- 5 "gold" clecos - 3/16"
- 5 "copper" wing nut clecos - 1/8"
- The DRDT-2 is really nice if you swing the extra cash

Now, what I would _not_ buy again, would be:

- The double offset rivet set for AN470's. I've had nothing but bad experiences. I don't remember if there was ever a place that I absolutely needed it and an alternative would not have worked.

That's all I can think of for now.

Good luck and happy building,
/\/elson
Austin, TX
RV-7A - Fuselage
 
Some more items....

More Items:
-tungsten bucking bar A MUST! You'll only need one for the whole project (almost)
-get all the sizes for the angle drill, #6,#8,#10,#12
- go ahead and get all the common 12" drill bits- just one of each will do
-mushroom set with rubber around the edges (the best for skins)
-nutplate drill guides- Great for fuse and beyond stage...Get #6,#8
-burraway drill tool; #30,#40 with about 3 extra blades apiece- this will save you LOADS of time for ribs (especially on the wings)
- a case of green, yellow, and grey self etching primer (good for different areas- grey nice for any visible spots, green/yellow good inside wings- more visible for future inspections
- a lightweight 25' airhose from HD or LOWES (shorter easier to deal with)
- Spruce sells a experimental nut/bolt set; great instead of hunting through a bunch of bags for one washer.
- Spruce sells drill guides for numbered bits and fractions/decimals; get both.
- Spruce sells a AN bolt guide; that is INVALUABLE for peace of mind when putting together the fuse/fwf
- ratcheting wrenches- 2 of the common sizes for fuse/fwf
- lots of the scotchbrite
- 220 alum sanding paper (easier to scuff, then scotchbrite, then clean w/ lacquer thinner, then prime...)
- cheap air drill
- good and quiet air compressor, not a pancake loud one; EVERYONE will be happy about this!
- good ear muffs
- a nice heater for the shop in the winter
- an old rolling office chair is nice for working comfortably on piles of ribs or assembling bellcranks...
- a cheap grinder and put a scotchbrite wheel on one
- a cheap bandsaw
- a cheap metal chopsaw (clean up with scotchbrite wheel)
- a cheap table top drill press (invaluable for lots of stuff)
- a little box fan with a filter works as a little parts spray area.

The bold ones are a must!

(Aircraft Spruce is right outside Falcon Field...I'm sure Avery has something similar)
 
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In addition to the advice given so far, I'll say that I prefer the Cleaveland edge rolling tool to the Avery one. I think that's one of the very few items I'd delete from the Avery tool kit.

mcb (manages to send money to Avery about every other week)
 
mburch said:
mcb (manages to send money to Avery about every other week)
Click to expand...

LOL - That's why I'm asking the questions now. Kinda like measure twice, cut once. I'll ask twice and order once!!!

It's a lot easier to get the wifes approval that way. :)
 
A roller tool cabinet to put it all in is pretty nice to have. I'm using Avery's Lightweight Hose & Coupler Kit instead of putting swivel connections on all my air tools. I have loved it so far. Very thin, light, flexible tubing so you're not fighting the weight of the hose while using your tools.
 
Extra Tools

- A roll of Emery cloth (for smoothing edges after you've filed them)
- A tap and die set
- Avery's LED-flashlight that straps to your forehead
- Boelube
 
I bought the kit from Cleaveland, not Avery, and the thing I needed that was missing from the kit was the #10 screw dimple die for the rudder counterwieght. Not sure whether it comes with the Avery kit. At some point when you get to the pitot tube, you'll need a tubing flare tool, but I waited until I was almost done with my QB wings for that one. The other thing I bought that didn't come with the set was an in. lb. torque wrench.

Those are the things I've run into so far...
 
Angle Drill Type

With respect to the angle drill which is best? Is the adapter set fine or would it be better to buy the angle drill itself? The adapter set seems economical. I am just collecting tools for my build, so pardon the dumb question. What doe the adapter drill connect to, pneumatic grinder is my guess?

Anyone else chime in with recommendations for new builder just dropping the cash for tools.

While you are at it could someone explain the pro or con of "springback" dimple die vice the "normal" dies. It seems the tool shops say good things about the "springback" but they Deluxe die set do not seem to come with the "springback" dies.

Man I can't wait to start!!!!

Cheers
Nemo
 
elliotthunter said:
With respect to the angle drill which is best? Is the adapter set fine or would it be better to buy the angle drill itself? The adapter set seems economical. What doe the adapter drill connect to, pneumatic grinder is my guess?
Click to expand...
I got the adapter set for economy, but in practice (attached to a regular drill motor) I wasn't happy with it. Kinda floppy - one hand running the drill, the other hand controlling the adapter, in two different planes with the actual drilling going on in another. I didn't think about connecting it to a die grinder - that might work ok with both hands in the same plane. I was frustrated enough that I laid out for a real angle drill motor, which I haven't used yet.
A "spring back" dimple die gives you higher quality dimples by actually over dimpling a bit. The dies are designed to take advantage of the aluminums natural tendency to "spring back". Just like you'd have to bend a piece of aluminum more than 90* to end up with a 90* angle.
 
YES!

I concur with what everyone else suggests. Good call on the solicitation. I've spent a small "grip" of cash on shipping expenses!

P.S. Don't forget drill bits for plexiglass. :D
 
David_Nelson said:
- Pop rivet dimplers - though a possible alternative would be to invest in Avery's "DIMPLING-RIVETING BLOCK SET", they each have their benefits.
Click to expand...
What are the benefits of the dimpling-riveting block set? I haven't seen it mentioned before. (I already have the pop rivet set, wondering if it's worth getting this too.)

Thanks,
Boris
 
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another helpful tool

I haven't seen a belt/disc sander yet. It sure cuts down on a lot of hand work time.
 
Bandsaw?

Where are you all getting bandsaws from? Harbor Freight does not have the $100 white and red 12" anymore, I have been searching...
 
borislav said:
What are the benefits of the dimpling-riveting block set? I haven't seen it mentioned before. (I already have the pop rivet set, wondering if it's worth getting this too.)

Thanks,
Boris
Click to expand...
Hi Boris,

With the 'block-set', you can use any dimple die that'll work in your squeezer. Where as with the 'pop rivet dimplers', you need to purchase a set for each size of dimple. The only reason I needed to use the block set was because I forgot to dimple several holes in forward fuselage side skin. Just be very careful that everything is nice and square before you go squeezing the trigger on the rivet gun and use just enough air preassure to set the dimple (10-15 psi, IIRC - maybe less).

I just went out to the garage to see what exactly I did and for the life of me I can't figure out why I couldn't have used the rivet dimplers...another senior moment. ;) I just know I couldn't and borrowed the block set from a builder in the neighborhood.

If it had not been due to the oversight on my part, I never would have had the need for a block set. I've certainly used the pop dimplers throughout the kit, however.

Regards,
/\/elson
 
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