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Logging build time?

A

amaris

Well Known Member
Curious about how detailed I need to get and what I should be logging.

I found yesterday I was in the shop about 6 hours, but when I tallied up my time I had noted for each task, I was about 4 hours of actual build time. The missing 2 hours was spent reading plans, reading the forum for what I'm working on, vacuuming shavings, etc.

Should I just have logged 6 hours working on those tasks for the day?

On a positive note, I should be completing SB14-01-31 today!

If anyone uses Filemaker Pro database, happy to share my template with you. Just PM me.

Thanks!
 
There is no requirement to log time building. The build log simply needs to show a chronological order of the build. Example: "Drilled, deburred, primed and assembled vertical stabilizer on this date."
Take pictures along the way. It helps to have you in some of the pictures.
 
From the standpoint of logging to get your inspection at the end, there is no requirement to log hours at all, so you can do whatever your brain is happy with. On my first couple of builds I was pretty meticulous about logging shop time - even if I was just thinking about stuff. If I was in my office on the 'net, deciding on avionics and equipment, that didn't get logged.

In builds I do these days, I don't log hours at all - got that out of my system. I make notes on the plans and instructions on dates when things were accomplished - the idea is to show that you actually went throught the building process. Pictures are important too - and everyone shoots with digital these days, so pictures are dated.

The only really useful thing about logging hours is if, at some later date, you find a FSDO inspector who is willing to talk about using your experience as the basis for testing for your A&P. In that case, having the hours logged can be a huge plus, as they want to see that you have put in the same number of hours as if you had gone to a school, or worked for years as a shop apprentice.

Paul
 
Thanks, Gents. I'll stick with logging just the build time then since after I complete a step I date the instructions and is easy for me to put a time to it.
 
Kitlog Pro

You should consider this software for logging your build, especially if you want to keep it simple. The database is stored on your computer, and it's fast and easy to enter logs and track time by category, month, year, etc.
 
(cross-posting from another thread)

Thought I'd share my time tracking solution - I already take timelapse videos of my build anyway. Each day after I'm done, I download the video, take the time in seconds and put it in a spreadsheet. Since it's recording at 2fps and playing at 30fps, I multiply by 15 to get the actual time (no, I don't account for drop-frame :) ).

Here's my time spreadsheet, done entirely that way:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...uFJBksOg0CX4SsLJl_WYyNEHU/edit#gid=1826231891
(and yes, I'm slow :) )
 
I made a decision at the very start, to NOT log time spent. It seemed to be a useless figure since I would sometimes think about it for a longer time that it actually took to accomplish, and if I did not like the results I would do it over - maybe several times. I have not regretted this decision in 5 years of building.
 
more hours than expected

I basically log every hour I spend in my shop except when sweeping the floor or doing other shop maintenance work.
Logged hours also include studying the assembly manuals, re-doing build steps and all other plane related tasks, such as assisting the painter, performing epoxy bonding tests, and so on.
That's why I have accounted more than 1200h so far for my RV-12 and the bird is still not finished :eek:

What I don't log are countless hours at work for drawings, e-mailing, ordering, studying, day dreaming and reading all your good posts on VAF. (don't tell my boss :rolleyes:)
 
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