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Workshop

Van's has a couple of different practice kits just for this sort of thing - an airfoil and a tool box. For raw materials, there's a number of sources: Aircraft Spruce, Van's, Wicks, Wag-Aero to name a few.

If you're a member of your local EAA Chapter, someone should have enough "extra" aluminum scrap and rivets to give you something to do as a fast-n-cheap way to practice.
 
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Find a local builder to help and learn from until your comfortable. They always have scrap lying around. If you are down this way, I will help you.
 
Looks good Carlos! Two things to consider. First - refrigerator. Not only for keeping proseal at shelf life but also for tasty flammables and BBQ chips. Second - as soon as you get your tailcone and start real work, cut the wheelies off the benches. Or make a-la-SkykingBob modification to them. You need your tables sturdy :)
 
Carlos,

You should think about taking the EAA Sheet Metal class. I did, and it was very helpful to get the basics since I had never worked in sheet metal before. I personally would also suggest buying a couple of the training kits from Vans. I built 1 of the toolboxes and 2 of the control surface kits. I think the control surface kits are more helpful. The toolbox is a little too basic. Even after build all of those training kits I still made some mistakes on my tail kit so spend the time up front. It will be faster in the long run.
 
I did look for the next EAA metal class but they are all in the SEA area. I'll keep searching.

Thanks for the info...
 
New Garden, PA has a EAA chapter that I will check tomorrow to get some scrap and advise in the use of my new toys...
Thanks...
 
An alternative to Vlad's suggestion is to keep your tables as is but assemble your tail cone on saw horses. I got the adjustable height variety, so I could keep the assembly level as I worked on it. I have a large work area (44' hangar), so I was able to easily build the fuselage in sections on different pairs (or more) of sawhorses and then bring the sections together when done. I didn't need the nice rolling fuselage stands some people have built; the sections were reasonably easy to move around. By the time the forward section was joined together, I added the landing gear and it became movable. I then moved it to the tail-cone to join the whole together. The only downside is needing a 3-step stool to get into the cabin to work, but it's not that big a hardship with the wings still off.

I use rolling racks to keep parts and tools near where I work. I can move my worktables as well, but having them on wheels would sure be convenient. I've posted a link to my shop setup before but it was written before the fuselage was joined so I need to update it so people can see how easy the fuselage was to manage. My Kitlog site also has that info, but not as easy to access due to the day-to-day format.

As far as practice, along with the other excellent suggestions you have been given, find a local builder and become their assistant. You can learn a lot helping someone else build.
 
RG Work benches

Best of both worlds? I modified a EAA Chapter 1000 bench with retractable casters. Please note: Time spent on benches may detract from increasing the Total Rivet Count (TRC). :D
 
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