dust Posted December 2, 2002 Share Posted December 2, 2002 I am a tool junkie, I am adicted to them, so I needed no extra tools to build. The point is, very little is required. A jig/saber saw dremel reversable drill motor quarter sheet sander level hammer/screw drivers/torque wrench/files 6' aluminum ruler tape measure square's (speed and carpenters) rotary fabric cutter scissors razor knife hack saw blade small hand saw(dove tail) Sanding blocks I think this about does it, anything this combo couldn't make in the plane? Mike Quote maker wood dust and shavings - foam and fiberglass dust and one day a cozy will pop out, enjoying the build i can be reached at http://www.canardcommunity.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekisbey Posted December 3, 2002 Share Posted December 3, 2002 What size for the jigsaw? Quote Evan Kisbey Cozy Mk IV plans # 1114 "There may not be any stupid questions, but I've seen LOTS of curious idiots..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dust Posted December 3, 2002 Author Share Posted December 3, 2002 hand held or for metal cutting i attach to underside of plywood and use a fence. Quote maker wood dust and shavings - foam and fiberglass dust and one day a cozy will pop out, enjoying the build i can be reached at http://www.canardcommunity.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dust Posted December 20, 2002 Author Share Posted December 20, 2002 some one mentioned a swiss army knife and brush, well i use my pocket knife quite a bit, but never a brush, althou we did use a half of a mans comb in laying out the spars, i forgot that in my minimum tool listing, did i forget anything else? Quote maker wood dust and shavings - foam and fiberglass dust and one day a cozy will pop out, enjoying the build i can be reached at http://www.canardcommunity.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Slade Posted December 20, 2002 Share Posted December 20, 2002 Here's my 2 c on you're list: >dremel I went through THREE dremels during my project. When the third one died I spotted a Black & Decker clone that claimed more power and was half the price. $25. I bought it and I like it. The dremel can rev real fast, unless you ask it to do some work like cutting three ply of BID, then it slows down and the motor overheats. The B&D definately has more power, and it fits all the dremel accesssories. I beleive the fien tool is pretty good, but the B&D works for me. Buy the little course sanding drums and big cutting wheels in bulk. You'll need a lot of them. >reversable drill motor Both cordless and corded. A right angle / flexible abitity comes in handy here and there. There are times when a small cordless drill would save time. >level The smart level is VERY nice and worth the cost. For installing the spar, borrow or buy a laser level. >tape measure You need one that has 1/10 divisions. >rotary fabric cutter I never used one. Scissors worked for me. >scissors A few pairs of cheap ones. The expensive sheers died in the first month. >razor knife And the razor blades recommended in the plans >hack saw blade Many >Sanding blocks I used belt sander belts wrapped around a piece of plywood cut just the right length so they were a tight fit. This was probably my most used tool. Additional items I used: Belt sander conventional paint sprayer plumb bob epoxy pump (very handy) voltage regulator for hot wire grinder holder for aviation drill bits (so you can find the right size quickly) automotive hand sanding tool (2 ft * 2 in) rolls of stick on sanding paper 180 and 320 grit hair drier (four) heat gun (as used for shrink wrapping) torx 15 driver (and DO get the torx screws from microfastners.com instead of the plans phillips for anything that uses nutplates - rudders, aileron hinges, cover plates etc. etc.) An organizer box for all the nuts, bolts etc. Lots of mixing sticks, 8 ox mixing pots and 1 inch epoxy brushes Some 2 inch brushes a plastic bottle with lid to hold MEK and keep you're epoxy brushes in A hot box for the epoxy and pump (make) The bench, per plans with a shelf underneath A rack to hold the fiberglass rolls A fiberglass cutting board / area Quote I can be reached on the "other" forum http://canardaviationforum.dmt.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dust Posted December 20, 2002 Author Share Posted December 20, 2002 MEK is nasty stuff, very low flash point, we hide brushes in trash so dave will not clean. We have expensive cleaner ($16 quart) we use for scissors/squeeges, i'll look up name (avial?), expensive but have not much used, and not harmful like MEK. I used scissors until we tried rotory cutter, saves many hours, especially when doing sheer web and landing gear pieces. Like cutting a pizza, fast Mike Quote maker wood dust and shavings - foam and fiberglass dust and one day a cozy will pop out, enjoying the build i can be reached at http://www.canardcommunity.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macleodm3 Posted December 20, 2002 Share Posted December 20, 2002 So a bandsaw isn't to big a requirement? Quote Andrew Anunson I work underground and I play in the sky... no problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dust Posted December 20, 2002 Author Share Posted December 20, 2002 nope, a hand held sabre saw will do it. close quarter/90 degree drill, ocassionally needed, just find someone to borrow from, only needed a few times Mike Quote maker wood dust and shavings - foam and fiberglass dust and one day a cozy will pop out, enjoying the build i can be reached at http://www.canardcommunity.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Slade Posted December 21, 2002 Share Posted December 21, 2002 I've used MEK for 4 years without any problems. I dump the used brushs in a plastic bottle with a lid and an inch of MEK at the bottom. Next time I need a brush I remove one, wipe it off on the side of the bench, let it dry for a minute and its good as new. A quick wipe with MEK on a paper towel removes old micro and flox so you can reuse the mixing cups and sticks. A medium size bandsaw comes in handy from time to time. Quote I can be reached on the "other" forum http://canardaviationforum.dmt.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dust Posted December 21, 2002 Author Share Posted December 21, 2002 Well, my large band saw, daves medium bandsay, my large disk/beltsander and our small belt/disk sander and our drill press's router's laminate trimmer close quarter drill unisaw jointer thickness planer oscilating spindle sander small med and large nailers shaper welders air compressors hmmmmmmm not wood work lathe not used on plane router table chop saw skill saw need i go on, I am a tool junkie have all been used, but we could have got along fine without them! Mike Quote maker wood dust and shavings - foam and fiberglass dust and one day a cozy will pop out, enjoying the build i can be reached at http://www.canardcommunity.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Sower Posted December 21, 2002 Share Posted December 21, 2002 John, <... went through THREE dremels during my project ...> How did your dremels fail? Mine have a single point of failure between the motor and the chuck that I've learned to fix quick and easy and cheeeeep with neoprene tubing. I've never had one burn up and actually *fail*. Just eat the flex connector. I got away from MEK when I found out how nasty it is. Before that I got it all over me. Need to check stuff before I wallow in it Got a contract on my TN house !! Jim S. Quote ...Destiny's Plaything... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Slade Posted December 21, 2002 Share Posted December 21, 2002 I forget how they finally died. The variable speed switch was one offender. I fixed each one at least twice before dumping the damned things. To be fair on Dremel, they each did a lot of work, were heavily abused and left out in the Florida humidity. It would have been cheaper to buy a Fein tool up-front ... but then again... I would have abused that too. I tend to be a little hard on my toys and tools. Congrats on the house, Jim. Quote I can be reached on the "other" forum http://canardaviationforum.dmt.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dust Posted December 22, 2002 Author Share Posted December 22, 2002 BTW, all those tools I mentioned are available to anyone who wishes to use them,m-f night or sunday unless sunday is plane day, then saturday. For building planes or furniture, I have had people from all over, even had a german kid (ok well to me 23 is a kid) for a year to build a chair and do other things. Mike Troy, MI Quote maker wood dust and shavings - foam and fiberglass dust and one day a cozy will pop out, enjoying the build i can be reached at http://www.canardcommunity.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Cygan Posted December 23, 2002 Share Posted December 23, 2002 That is one of those things I don't understand ,is people who want to build an airplane with minimum tools.I have met so many people that have told me they want to start build an airplane but they don't want to spend a lot of money on tools,what!You'll probably spend close to fifty thousand dollars putting together a Cozy,so why not splurge on a few thousand for tools.Take pride in your plane,take pride in your tools.Think about it,we'll all be gone in a hundred years or so and maybe our airplanes will be gone to.But,when your grandchild picks up that wrench in the garage and asked your daughter what is this?bam!the stories start and the legacy begins,get it! Quote Joe Cygan Cozy MKIV #1022 Southern California Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dust Posted December 23, 2002 Author Share Posted December 23, 2002 Well as a tool junkie, I understand your feelings, but I can understand the problem. The biggest investment you make in building an airplane is time. The sooner you make that investment, the sooner you will have a plane. The monetary cost of an airplane is usually backloaded, engine/instruments at the end, labor hours continious. You can spend 1500(500 for plans and 1000 for materials) and keep yourself busy for quite a few hours. I have been building for 4 1/2 years and enjoy it greatly, family life hasn't suffered and monetary expenses drip out, a great schedule. I can afford to go faster from a monetary standpoint, but not from a time standpoint, nor do I care to. So instead of spending thousands of dollars on tools that don't need to be bought, spend it on plans and supplies and GET BUILDING. Let the fun begin! Mike Quote maker wood dust and shavings - foam and fiberglass dust and one day a cozy will pop out, enjoying the build i can be reached at http://www.canardcommunity.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbleturtle Posted December 23, 2002 Share Posted December 23, 2002 ... I threw out all my father's old rusty, UN-grounded, lead painted tools I inherited from his last relocation. Will my grandchildren want to fix their flying car with anything but the latest plasma powered electron balancer? I like good tools but I don't have any expectations that they will be usefull beyond my lifetime. Quote This ain't rocket surgery! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macleodm3 Posted January 28, 2003 Share Posted January 28, 2003 Is there any reason to get the smart level 24" or 48" extension? It appears that a level module is about 6.5" in length..... Any Opinions? Quote Andrew Anunson I work underground and I play in the sky... no problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Clifford Posted January 28, 2003 Share Posted January 28, 2003 We have two smart levels, a 24" and a 48". The 48" is used the most when you are leveling the fuselage side to side and fore and aft. You need the length to cross over the longerons. You could get by using a staight board and setting the level on top of it. A small one like you are talking about would be handy also. Dave #656 & #591. Attatching vertical stabilizers to 4 wings. Quote Dave Clifford "The Metal Man" Musketeer Vise grip hands and Micrometer eyes!! Cozy MKIV Plans #656 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Slade Posted January 28, 2003 Share Posted January 28, 2003 What may not be clear is that the smart level is a seperate unit which attaches to the extensions. I'd recommend the 48 inch one. Quote I can be reached on the "other" forum http://canardaviationforum.dmt.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Kuntz Posted January 29, 2003 Share Posted January 29, 2003 For extending the smart level, I purchased an inexpensive four-foot aluminum level at the local hardware store. It is I-beam construction, with a center web wide enough for the smart level to fit between the flanges, and with openings through which the smart level can be attached. On occasion I have removed the smart level and used it by itself when the four-foot level was too big or too clumsy. Quote Paul Kuntz Cozy MKIV England Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macleodm3 Posted January 29, 2003 Share Posted January 29, 2003 Thanks for the info... I had thought about the possibility of using the smart level with the I beam levels I 've already got... Like you have done Paul. I could just use velcro to hold the smart level in place "inside" a standard I beam level. It appears that the smart level is routinely zeroed anyway. Thanks! Quote Andrew Anunson I work underground and I play in the sky... no problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dust Posted January 29, 2003 Author Share Posted January 29, 2003 I think the velcro is going to cause you trouble, you don't pull the level out that often, use the cheap one as an extender and get building Quote maker wood dust and shavings - foam and fiberglass dust and one day a cozy will pop out, enjoying the build i can be reached at http://www.canardcommunity.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekisbey Posted January 29, 2003 Share Posted January 29, 2003 What's the best place to get a smart level? Home Depot didn't even know what I was talking about. For that matter, the first guy I talked to didn't even know where the levels were; he led me to plumbing before I re-directed him to tools. I felt pretty silly when he pointed them out, right there on the wall in front of me. Duh. One of their tool guys gave me a pretty good pitch on a laser level, and he had me going until I explained exactly what I was building with the toys, er, tools I was asking about. At that point I think he decided I was a nutcase and wasn't going to buy anything, and ignored me from there on out. He was half right. I got frustrated with being ignored and left without buying anything. Too bad, I was about ten seconds from biting on that laser level. Quote Evan Kisbey Cozy Mk IV plans # 1114 "There may not be any stupid questions, but I've seen LOTS of curious idiots..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Barstow Posted January 29, 2003 Share Posted January 29, 2003 Wicks and Aircraft Spruce both carry the Smart level. I don't know whether you can find them anywhere else cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Kuntz Posted January 29, 2003 Share Posted January 29, 2003 I ordered mine from Aircraft Spruce. The one they show in their catalog is exactly what I have, except they used to offer it without the "rail". The Smart Level sensor is contained in the 6-inch long unit. It splits apart, held together by two threaded studs, and can be easily be clamped on a standard aluminum carpenter's level as I described in my earlier post. You don't need to use velcro -- the smart level unit is simply sandwiched over the center web of the aluminum level. Quote Paul Kuntz Cozy MKIV England Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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