RV-10 Build Space Recommendations

[dpolanco27]

All,

I'm in the process of setting up a space to start my RV-10 build. I have a two car garage, however realistically I'll only be likely to be able to take over half of the garage (I live in the northeast and my wife likes to keep her car inside and out of the snow).

A few questions:
1) As far as tools/equipment/work tables, what are some "must haves" that I should consider when building out the space?

2) One concern I have in the winter the temperatures can get low (upstate NY) but I'd likely run a space heater when I'm in the space. Any issues with cycling temperatures during the build process? Also any issues with the garage opening/closing daily?

3) At what point in the build process will I need to move out of the garage and where does everyone typically move to? At this point, how much work is left (hours)?

In my last hangar lease at a local airport, there was a provision that stated major maintenance couldn't be done in the hangar which makes me think they would not be OK with extensive build work being done.

Any other suggestions are greatly appreciated! I realize some of these questions won't matter for a few years, however I'd like to have some kind of plan in place.

Dave

 

[Kyle Boatright]

On the -10, you can build all of the major sub-assemblies in 1/2 the garage. You can mount the cabin top, doors, engine, cowl, prop, gear, etc. But things will get very tight for the fuselage once the engine is mounted.

Must have tools? Rivet gun, compressor, the usual. On the -10, there isn't a lot of fabrication. Mainly drilling, deburring, and riveting. The cabin top and doors are the exception and you'll need to build up some fiberglass skills for those areas. But no major tools are required.

Cycling the heat won't be a big deal. Recognize that running a propane or kerosene space heater can be a health hazard (depending) and will put a lot of moisture in the air which isn't a great thing.

The airplane won't need to move out of the garage until it is time for final assembly at the airport (provided you have room to store the pieces). Literally, you and a couple of buddies can take a Saturday during the build process, temporarily mount the wings, and rig everything associated with them. Then, you're out of the wing business until final assembly.

Would it be easier in the entire garage? Yes. Can it be done in half of a 2 car? You bet.

 

[Tlrguy]

I’m currently building a -10 in my basement but will be moving to the garage come Fall. I’m located in the upper Midwest where we get cold temps (sometimes extreme) and snow. My garage is 2 car with one side being 30 foot deep.

The misses is aware that she will be getting kicked out of the garage when the time comes. Consequently, the misses made me aware that I will be scraping her windows every morning and clearing snow when necessary. Deal I say! Little does she know I’m going to install a remote start on her car which will take care of the daily issue, only leaving me to go outside when it actually snows.

When it comes to work benches, think about keeping it simple and light. I use hollow core doors and saw horses which make reconfiguring really quick. There will be times when you don’t want table tops and just use the saw horses.

I think heating the workspace is absolutely necessary. Working on a car for a day or two in a cold garage is doable. Spending hundreds of hours over the course of the Winter in less than ideal conditions is going to be a huge progress slower. I’d definitely try to use a heater that vents the combustion gasses outside not only for your health, but the health of your kit parts and tools.

 

[Cptnmat]

Consider the issue of all the road salt that will drip off of the car in winter. I’ve seen aluminum parts corrode on the shelf due to the slush melting, drying, and leaving the salt on the garage floor. Any movement will cause it to go airborne…

Would a portable car port work for the wife?!? . Good luck!

 

[Dr_Dave_MT]

What you have is what you have, it will be fine. You will never have enough space, my 65x45 shop is not big enough for all I do. But my best suggestion is to be warm enough in the winter and cool enough in the summer not to be distracted from the process. Focus on that. I have a Hot Dawg natural gas heater that pulls external air for combustion so I don’t have to worry about a VOC fire. Summer here is never too hot. Also, Being at home you will work more and travel less, even if it is only for 30 mins some days, or even a momentary walk in to admire or problem solve. Save the hanger rent for when the wings are installed.

As far as tools and machinery; the better the tool the better the product. There are vendors who make RV-10 specific tool kits, lots of the must haves, plus some of the “I wants” rather than “I need” You’re learning to build an airplane, you will also learn to make tools and jigs. I have spent valuable time making a few jigs, but the tool will be used on more than just one section of the aircraft. Other items, I just went and bought rather than spend time redesigning someone else’s work. “Your” shop will morph as you go so keep that in mind and don’t fixate on a permanency of any layout. - dl

 

[MJarreau]

Dave +1

We have a 2 car garage full of life (bicycles, shelving, son's workbench, you get the idea). Ultimately, we have about 1/3 of the garage available. We're working on our left wing. Can't do both due to space constraints. But, we're doing it.

Stay at the house!

Best of luck!
Mike

 

[TShort]

If you can insulate and have the electrical capacity, one of the best additions I made to my shop was the install of a mini split.

I put in 2 of the DIY Pioneer mini splits ... cheap to run, and keep temps comfortable in summer and winter as well as humidity down in the summer

 

[LISRAREF]

I’m down on Long Island. Just installed a mini split in the garage myself. It makes it comfortable in a light sweatshirt to be working and is great. Definitely recommend heat at minimum, I plan to commonly just Open the garage doors to ventilate on warmer parts of the years.