Where do you build?

[mlefebvre]

Happy New Year to ALL! I am planning my build and right now my main obstacle is findng an adequate place to build. I am living in a Townhouse with no garage. I have considered renting a space in the industrial park but haven't found anything suitable. Any other ideas?

 

I would love to hear from everyone where did you do you build? Tell us your stories, obstacles, and how you overcame them.

 

Marc

[CBarber]

Tell ya what, I will move my Velocity project out of my garage and let you use it....all you have to do is move to Houston and I get your place in Hawaii. Sounds fair to me <g>.

 

I am staying in my garage for as long as possible. I find that I get a huge amount of work done when my project is directly out my kitchen door. I have ventured out in my robe (or less, agh) on numerous occasions at 2 or 3 am to check a lay-up. I have friends building in hangers and even though they are close to their homes, they seem to not get there as often as they would like. YMMV.

 

Also, the average cost of a hanger in the greater Houston area is $350 per month (don't even get me started). I do have to get creative moving stuff around to be able to work, but I do not find it a big deal. I will have to become very creative when I attach wings etc, but I think it can be done (may use a solution similiar to "The" John Slade).

 

I wish I had more insight into the Townhouse issue. I would think anything much smaller than something about the size of a two car garage would make the project much more difficult (even if doable). Maybe something between home and work and you can make it a pitstop on the way home from work.

 

Good luck, keep us posted and Happy New Year.

 

All the best,

 

Chris

www.LoneStarVelocity.com

[Dave Clifford]

Try looking up your local EAA chapter. They may have a hanger or shop for members to use, or you may locate a builder willing to share space for the build. If you have an extra bedroom,,, you could start there, but you might end up getting complaints from your attatched neighbors.

[Mevans]

I started in my garage. I have a two car and my car went in the driveway, the wife's van stayed in the garage, and I starting building in the other half. I got the fuselage on the wheels, canopy mostly on, spar built and mounted, and wings built. I then moved into a workshop area in an industrial park. I share the space with another EZ owner who is retrofitting his bird. I built the strakes there. It was easier to build with the extra room, but I found construction actually slowed because I could not walk out into my garage and work on small jobs as often. Good luck.

[Cozy1200]

I met Dan and Lori Krugar this year at Rough River. I was amazed that whe he told me he built the entire plane in a small barn. If I remember it was something like 12x24! Dan said he couldn't walk around the plane it was so tight. He moved it to a larger place before finishing it.

[Jerry Schneider]

I'm building in my back yard..... in a tent.

 

(Yes, John. I've accepted it. )

[John Slade]

I will have to become very creative when I attach wings etc, but I think it can be done (may use a solution similiar to "The" John Slade).

What solution is that, Chris?

 

Bulent Alieve built a lot of his Cozy in his one room apartment. The epoxy pump was right next to the coffee pot in the kitchen and you had to walk around the tub to get to the bed. They had to remove the window to get it out. Of course.... he was single then.

 

By the way, I haven't seen Jerry's Tent, but I hear it's nicer than Bulent's old apartment.

[CBarber]

If memory serves, you built a great deal on you back porch. I have a deck that could be covered. At least for the mounting of the wings, or even a tent in the Backyard. I have seen pictures of temporay extentions on the front of a garage into the driveway with the wingips sticking out on each side. Of course this person was in a rural setting. I don't think my nieghbors (or the city of Houston) would like that too much, not to mention SWMBO, Jana.

 

Such problems. Right now I will just be happy to finish filling a sanding the flying surfaces. Geeez. Fill, Sand, Repeat. Fill, Sand, Repaet... I have loved the building process......UNTIL this <g>. Can we all say TEDIOUS?! <BG>

 

All the best,

 

Chris

trying to be like "grasshopper" and be patient.

[marbleturtle]

Just moved into a new house with a partial basement. The partial basement is for the GIB's stuff. The 2.5 car sized garage with the double wide door is mine. Now I can start building... well... once I get the GIB to quit spending all our money on new furniture!

 

One thing I considered was a "Self Storage" unit. Do they have those on Maui? Cheep work space with an electrical outlet. Although I can get a T-hanger for $80 a month off a 5700 foot runway. One benefit of being 80 miles from civilization!

[Jim Sower]

Gawd!!! Ain't it GREAT to be roaming around in my short sleeve shirt 'cause it's 65F in freaking JANUARY? If I was in New Yawk instead of beautiful downtown Crossville right now, I'd be freezing off what I'm famous for:)

[Steve Davies]

I happen to be very lucky as to space to build. I've got a 25x40 foot garage... not to mention 18 acres that im cosidering laying a strip on.

[Joe Patterson]

This should be an inspiration to those, wanting to build, but wandering do they have enough room.......Between dust and the group building ain a basement, Check out some of Norm's pictures, notice the size area he was building in.

 

http://www.gourmetdamage.com/images_01/Page0002.html

[macleodm3]

I spent the first two years of the build working on this hillside workshop.

I didn't have any place to build, or a flat place for a shop, so I put the shop on the hill!

 

Its a very comfortable place to work, and I'm enjoying Chapter 5 right now.

[David Clifford]

I started construction of #656 and #591 in my basement. When the tubs were complete minus the main spars, we cut a large hole in the floor and pulled them up and out of the house and into the garage. It was quite a site! A new's paper reporter was out to document and photograph the move and we had a nice front page article about it. They stayed in the garage for 1.5 years and soon out grew that. I built and nice 1800 s.f. shop in the back 40 complete with all amenities. # 591 is gone and will NEVER be completed by the owner/builder( Thats why he's gone) and #651 is nearing completion and should be ready for taxi testing by the end of this year!

[Jon Matcho]

I started in half my 2-car garage. Strategic moves along the way have me with the entire garage at this point.

[chasingmars]

My house is a small bungalow, a bit under 1000 sq ft. I build in the basement, and sometimes, the living room (piling all my furniture into the kitchen temporarily) when I need extra space. It's much less than ideal, and I will only be able to go so far before I need to work something else out, but you can get an awful lot done in a small space, and that's all stuff you don't need to do later on. Waiting for an ideal space is a sure way to never start.

[TMann]

I knew a guy that built a formula car in the living room of his apartment.

Anything is possible.

[macleodm3]

I knew a guy that built a formula car in the living room of his apartment.

Now c'mon Tmann... you're talking to a bunch of airplane builders. Building cars don't impress me:D

[satch]

Where do you build?

In my minds eye

[Neverquit]

17 x 17 garage. Nose tip is at the door, strakes are from bench to garage door. Broke a hole in the ceiling when I flipped it. No more room. Hope the weather stays a bit longer to mount the wings in the yard to get that foam tip just right. Going to have to engineer a lift of sorts to get the plane out. One stake up at 45 deg., nose to floor. Hmmm...

[David Clifford]

17 x 17 garage. Nose tip is at the door, strakes are from bench to garage door. Broke a hole in the ceiling when I flipped it. No more room. Hope the weather stays a bit longer to mount the wings in the yard to get that foam tip just right. Going to have to engineer a lift of sorts to get the plane out. One stake up at 45 deg., nose to floor. Hmmm...

Don't you have a hanger with skorija you can move into?? I know its not as convienant as having the plane at your house but you will have a lot more room. I have seen Neverquit's work shop. It is absolutly amazing what he has accomplished in a one car garage!

[Neverquit]

Ahem! That's a 1.35 (short)car garage.

 

Mike S.' hanger is not heated. I do believe if I move there my plane will take an extra several years or worse. If I need the space Mike LaFleur has a real big garage with a high ceiling he's not doing anything with. I'll just sneak my stuff over there and work on it while he's in MX.

[David Clifford]

Ahem! That's a 1.35 (short)car garage.

 

Mike S.' hanger is not heated. I do believe if I move there my plane will take an extra several years or worse. If I need the space Mike LaFleur has a real big garage with a high ceiling he's not doing anything with. I'll just sneak my stuff over there and work on it while he's in MX.

Ok,,,just keep an area open for his irrigation well. He will never know your there!

[mplafleur]

Ok,,,just keep an area open for his irrigation well. He will never know your there!

Busted!!!

[Big Steve]

Your in Hawaii right just throw a tarp up on the back porch and start making airplane parts the temperature is always right in Hawaii isn't it?