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J

JHartline

Well Known Member
Hello to all the RV-14 builders - I'm looking over my growing tool collection and curious about any "nice to have's" that are not included in the standard tool sets. Were there any items you acquired that you think made a tough job easier? Did you have enough cleco's? If not, how many extra did you need?

Thanks for all the discussion in the other threads. I'm learning a lot from you guys!
 
Mentioned many times before ...

... a Scotchbrite wheel for a 6" bench grinder. Probably the biggest single timesaver in my build process.

Oh yeah ... you can never have too many Clecos. :D
 
Ditto- double the cleco amount(s)!!!!

Here are some of my personal favorites:
- Small diameter #30 & #40 female dimple dies & close quarters dimple tool (a must haves from day one)
- Band saw!
- Drill press
- hand squeezer (main sqeeze from cleveland tool)
- pneumatic squeezer
- longeron squeezer yoke & no hole 2" squeezer yoke
- tungsten bucking bars (one mini & one standard)
- in & out deburr tool #30 & #40
- rivet removal tool (nice to have)
- 3 mirco - stop cs cages (nice to have multipal so you don't waste time resetting & resetting...)
- 2 Dewalt 12V maxx drills (light weight, have one for #30 & one for #40 bits)
-90 degree drill set
- 2oz Proseal gun
- Brass sealant spoons
- 220 emory cloth from harbor freight ( tear into strips & use like dental floss to get in tight areas to deburr i.e nose of ribs)
- angle grinder & a ton of 1' deburr wheels pesonally I bought a bulk bag of 100 & they are half gone.
- depending on your primer theory get boxes of schotch brite pads from amazon.
- every different type of hand deburr tool you can find.
- "Small / detail" file set from Lowe's.
- Small "fan spacer" rivet layout tool.
- Edge finder.
- Edge marker block.
- close quarters rivet puller
 
J Hartline said:
Hello to all the RV-14 builders - I'm looking over my growing tool collection and curious about any "nice to have's" that are not included in the standard tool sets. Were there any items you acquired that you think made a tough job easier? Did you have enough cleco's? If not, how many extra did you need?

Thanks for all the discussion in the other threads. I'm learning a lot from you guys!
Click to expand...

Perhaps one of the best purchase I've made is for a DRDT-2 dimpling machine from Experimental Aero. Actually, its a 2-into-1 tool with which you can either dimple skins and ribs but you can also easily squeeze 3/32 rivets ! At first I've bought the HAND RIVETING & DIMPLING TOOL (part# 12-00177) found at Aircraft Spruce but I hated the idea of whacking on the head of that machine in order to make dimples onto that fragile aluminum skin.

Buy at least 2 micro stop counter sink tools. You won't have to mess with changing the bit every time the plans calls for 2 different counter sink holes and at the end make an oversized hole because you forgot to change the bit. And yes, buy twice the suggested amount of clecoes. And having 2 cleco pliers is very handy. Cheap but efficient.

I could afford a pneumatic squeezer and I'm glad I did bought it. Made my life so much easier. If you want to convince yourself, try squeezing few AD-4-x rivets. I'm sure this is then you'll start saving money to buy the pneumatic squeezer. !! :D
 
tools

I bought Cogsdill deburring tools in #30 and #40. They sell direct and know exactly what you need when you cal...nice, like calling a mom n pop store. It deburrs the holes on the way in and out (nice for inside of flanges).

I also bought the Boeing quick change system from cleaveland for the drill and the adapters for my drill bits, CS cages, etc. Just be careful if you get another chuck for an electric drill (I tried it for CS-ing), not all small electric drills have the same size threads!
 
Thanks guys for the advice. I have a few odds and ends to acquire but I think I'm pretty close.

I did get a DRT2 - sort of. I got the front end kit and a machinist friend made the frame for me locally. It's perfect but the steel was about half again as thick as the factory version. Probably weighs about 125#. If you ever need to dimple in a hurricane let me know.
 
Tools

I'm the now proud owner of a set of Cogsdill deburring tools in #30 and #40! I called them and it took a couple of people to understand what I was looking for. I am waiting on my wings... and they better hurry up because I am going to have the finest and most expensive tool set imagineable. My wings are supposed to be here the week of 09/16. To date, I am around $4600 on tools. I have yet to order a compressor, band saw, sander and a few other have to haves. I ordered the pneumatic squeezer and the big squeeze (cleveland) and the DRDT-2. I ordered the tool kit from Isham with all the upgrades, more or less. I feel that having the right tools at the right time is important and once I finish, I'm sure I can sell whatever I want to get rid of here. Used tools seem to go pretty fast. But who knows, maybe by the time I finish, Van's will have a Harmon Rocket type (200knots) and I will have to have that. I can't wait to get started and thanks to everyone, again, for your posts and education. I'm working on the website too while I'm waiting (still in progress) www.rvbuild214SW.
 
One of the things I thought was a waste of money and not really needed was a pneumatic rivet gun - until I bought one. Its really not needed but is sure nice to have. Something about getting it set right and seeing a nice row of perfectly set rivets in places you can use one brings a smile every time.....
 
I put off the tungsten bucking bar for a year, because it was a $100 chunk of metal. I just got mine and am kicking myself for not getting one sooner. Goes places others won't, especially good for leading edge rivets, etc. I'm drilling out less rivets already thanks to this thing.

Chris
 
Cogsdill

Thanks for the Youtube. That's the one I ordered, based on your strong endorsement. You are using these on the skins, correct? It doesn't take off too much material? I haven't started building yet, so my question could be stupid.
 
Deburr

So far I am just using on the ribs or other areas where it is a bit hard to get to the inside using "normal" swivel tool. I prefer the avery swivel tool to deburr where able. Using a reamer for the holes, half the time the only burr left just comes of by firmly squeezing fingers together on the line of holes and pulling material through!
 
rbibb said:
One of the things I thought was a waste of money and not really needed was a pneumatic rivet gun - until I bought one. Its really not needed but is sure nice to have. Something about getting it set right and seeing a nice row of perfectly set rivets in places you can use one brings a smile every time.....
Click to expand...

Did you mean "gun" or "squeezer"? You could build an RV without a squeezer, but I don't see how it could be done without a rivet gun.:confused:
 
Drill Bits and Reamer

Needed a reamer (I think it was 11/32) to open the hole on the rear spar attach hole. Used a 6 inch #40 drill bit to drill 4 holes in the 2 aileron counterbalance pipe.
Dremel tool for separating parts.
More Clecos. Good price at brown tools. Haven't tried them but like the price.

cheap soldering iron to remove strips of the blue plastic coatings.
Cheap bandsaw. Cut parts and wooden jigs.
 
Cogsdill burraway:

I have heard that they can enlarge holes on thin metal parts. Any concern here?

Band Saw:

when would I need this. Can't you use a metal blade on a dremel? Or is the band saw easier?

Thanks
Ken
 
Band Saw

Just used it today to cut stiffeners for the ailerons. Page 20-05. I also have the dremel and used it for cutoff jobs. The band saw works better.

Page 13-5 step 6 says to ream the rear spar attach hole. The guy at Avery Tools recommended a reamer just under 3/8". It gives a better fit for the bolt.
 
As mentioned, lots of clecos. I used a lot more than recommended, it's amazing how sheet metal can "creep" on you when working with it. They really helped me out a lot, to get a good fit.

Bird
 
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