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inventory and sorting parts

mjanduda

Well Known Member
Hey Builders,

I am expecting my RV-14 empennage kit to arrive next wednesday.
As this will be my first build I am not quite sure how to sort my parts so I don't have to spend have of my build time searching some part.

What is your favorite sorting system?

Best,
Malte
 
Your emp kit will arrive with parts bundled together in "sub-kits". Parts will be shrink wrapped together and listed on the parts inventory list in that same grouping. I found it easiest to keep these "sub-kits" together after unwrapping from the shrink wrap to inventory when I placed them on my storage shelf. Whenever a part number is called out, I could look it up on my parts inventory list to see which sub-kit it was located in, and then go to the storage shelf where I placed that sub-kit and sort through those parts.

What ever system you do decide to use, keeping that system is greatly beneficial to cutting down search time later, as you pointed out! Organization skills will improve your experience tremendously!

Good luck with your build!
 
What Scott said. Also when doing inventory I would take the fasteners (rivets, bolts, washers, screws, nuts, nut plates, etc.) and put them in labeled bin trays. That way when you need them just go to the tray instead of looking for a bag number and then having to search the part.

A good time to check nut plates for proper sizes and see that they have threads too.
 
As others have mentioned, I separate standard parts like bolts/nuts etc into labeled bins. Same for rivets (side note - Van's often puts small amounts of a given size rivets in different "bags", as well as screws. Across a kit, you'll find more of the same common sizes - like AN3 bolts / locknuts, common rivets in multiple bags. Putting all these together makes it easier to find them when using during the build). Other parts go into bins or on shelves, or perhaps under a bed!

As I check off each item on the inventory, I note on the inventory sheet where I stored the part (or subkit in some cases). Much easier to find if you note where you put them!
 
Your emp kit will arrive with parts bundled together in "sub-kits". Parts will be shrink wrapped together and listed on the parts inventory list in that same grouping. I found it easiest to keep these "sub-kits" together after unwrapping from the shrink wrap to inventory when I placed them on my storage shelf. Whenever a part number is called out, I could look it up on my parts inventory list to see which sub-kit it was located in, and then go to the storage shelf where I placed that sub-kit and sort through those parts.

Great advice! Thank you!
Also I think I'll put rivets etc. in a separate sorting system as I'll need them for multiple sub-kits.

Harbor Freight has some great 6x12" parts trays,with lids that work. I use about 6-7 of them.
I think I'll wait for the kit to arrive and then buy the trays that I think I'll need. Stood in front of them a few times, yet, but didn't know which sizes I'd need.

Looking forward to the kit arrival. I'm currently working on my workbenches :)
2018-10-13_1_workshop.jpg
 
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I keep my rivets in empty small plastic water bottles. Some sizes need to go in the larger bottles. All get labeled.

If dropped, they don't scatter all over the floor.

A small funnel is sometimes handy for getting them into the bottles.

Dave
RV-3B building
 
If possible, have a bit of an overhang on the workbenches so that you can clamp to that. I like 1.5".

I use that double-sided white melamine-faced particle board that's used in cabinets for the worktops. It's smooth and reasonably hard, yet easily drilled if necessary. Easy to clean until it becomes too stained. Then just flip it over.

To let it be flipped, I make cross-pieces that fit snugly in at the ends of the frames and which are screwed to the top. They hold the top securely and the top can be lifted out easily. Flip it, relocate the cross-pieces to the new bottom and reinstall.

See this thread for the whole scheme.

Dave
 
With the empennage kit, I laid out the parts generally on a sheet of plywood sitting atop a pair of sawhorses. I learned from that... With the fuselage kit, I bought three sets of plastic shelving units from Menards or Lowes and stuck a label on each shelf: 140, 141, 142, and on up. Then I put all the F-0140_ parts on the 140 shelf, etc. There are some non ?F? parts and some parts from other it?s like the RV-12 or RV-10, and the big skins and other bulky parts went on my improvised plywood table. This has worked well. The empennage kit has different part categories (E, R, VS, HS, and F being the main groups) but you can still find a good way to organize it. I find that having the parts organized by part number makes finding them very quick, compared to ever having to look up which subkit a part was in.

I got a set of little bins for rivets and two tackle boxes for AN3 and AN4 hardware. There are a few parts bags sitting on one of my shelves, so I do occasionally have to pull out the kit inventory list to figure out which bag number an AN6 bolt, nut plate, or uncommon rivet is hiding in. But mostly I spend far less time finding parts than I did with the empennage kit.
 
There is a 14 Excel inventory floating around which is great for searching the bags you haven’t emptied. A search should find it.
 
Harbor Freight has some great 6x12" parts trays,with lids that work. I use about 6-7 of them.

For each part, fuselage, finish, etc I use 2 flat sort boxes 1 small and one larger from Harbor Freight. And I did not label the box I left and labels on the packaging but it has a clear top.
Larry
 
Kind of OT, but for what it?s worth, I am glad to have my work bench on lockable castors so that I can move it around. I have a very small shop, but even so it is useful to move the work surface closer to whatever part of the project I am working on.
 
I use a very simple system. The hardware comes in little paper bags, each with a number. I cut the top of the bag off, leaving the bag number.
The bags get placed on a large tray in numerical order. The pick sheets are left with the tray.
It is very easy to do inventory and then to find the parts during the build. Cheap and effective

huhagy.jpg
 
The biggest advice I can give you is to go through the inventory with a partner. My wife verbally called out the individual part numbers as she opened them while I checked them off of the packing list. That saved tons of time because I could stare at the list and didn't have to go back and forth. It probably saved many boring hours. For what it's worth, there were a few items that I couldn't find (and a handful that were actually omitted). There are some lead counter balances that are individually called out in the packing list. Mine were wrapped in paper and plastic on the side of Sub Kit #1 (spars). Because they weren't called out under Sub Kit #1, I missed them until talking with Van's customer service. It's my fault for not pulling apart Sub Kit #1, but at the time I didn't want to because it is 9 feet long. Don't worry about pulling that one apart because the first part in the plans is in there.

As others have said, keep the Sub Kits together in little piles. I bought some cheap storage cabinets for the Sub Kits. I think 36 inches wide X 18 inches deep worked well. Finally, I put the large panels back in the crate with a tarp covering them. I also put the tail-cone pieces in my basement because they are out of the way and I won't need them for a while.
 
Organization

7a but concepts apply.
When you get to wings, fuse, etc the number of parts is huge. Develop a process now.
Everyone works different.
I entered the entire inventory into an Excel spreadsheet. Easy to search and easy to add a location in my shop. Easy to find anything. For 7(a) builders, it's on my blog.
I have four mini drawer cabinets. Bolts, washers, nuts, misc.
Rivets are in small water bottles. Pop rivets are in prescription bottles. Baskets keep them separated. Large stuff went various places depending on shape. Flat parts are easy to locate in a folded cardboard. Bins work for smaller stuff.
Inventory was a two person process. One counting, one on the computer. Only a bolt or two were not found and Vans replaced them.
 
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