I’ve been spending time this summer getting the workshop ready to go so I don’t freeze my butt off working on the RV-10 in the winter. Pics will follow once I’m substantially complete.
Also I have been working on finishing up the instrument rating. Once I have that in my pocket and the workshop is ready to go, it should be full steam ahead on the RV-10 construction (I expect some interruption in productivity due to the expected release of Fallout 4 in November).
A time lapse video up to and including drilling and dimpling. I had an issue at the end with the microstop countersink slipping and I am waiting on some “oops rivets” to arrive to finish it. I’ll start on the right tab tonight.
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I figured I could use some practice with basic sheet metal techniques. While I took the EAA RV Assembly SportAir Workshop back in January (Thanks to all the folks at EAA and KFDK who made that happen!) and completed the Van’s airfoil practice kit, I still have a ways to go until I feel my driven rivets are good enough to fly. So, I figured I’d do a little work.
At the same time, I was looking for a proper 11×17″ binder to protect my plans, but when I looked at the prices at Staples and other office supply shops (including Amazon) I figured I could do better for less (the cost of a simple binder at Staples is ridiculous–well over $40 for a thin binder, and better ones get up near $70-80 each!).
So I figured I’d combine the two needs into one. I ended up with a sturdy, handmade binder made of 3003 aluminum sheet (0.040″). I obtained the aluminum sheet from Metal Supermarkets, which conveniently has a retail location a short drive from my office. The piano hinges were sourced at Home Depot, and the D-ring was cannibalized from an inexpensive 8-1/2 x 11″ binder. Total cost, approximately $40, but I got some valuable practice at riveting, drilling, countersinking, dimpling, and deburring.
I didn’t use the pre-drilled holes in the Home Depot hinges because they were simply too large for the rivets I wanted to use and larger rivets would have been a waste here. You can see variability in the degree of the shop head development because I was experimenting with different settings on the rivet gun. I decided not to re-do them simply to remind myself of the significant differences.
I back riveted the hinges to the spine and covers using a large stainless steel plate I happened to have lying around. I may polish the plate to get a better finish but this was acceptable for the purpose here.
A bonus to this binder is it is rigid enough to stand up and hold the plans properly without deforming the binder. I may add a clasp and a handle in the future, as well as possibly some holes for hanging hooks if I find that may be useful.
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Dimpler set up between two EAA tables.
A view toward the two long workbenches.
Finished the first work table last night.
I added a 1.5″ lip all the way around for clamping, and built the top using 1/2″ plywood with a 3/4″ MDF tabletop. The plywood is glued on to make the table rigid, while the MDF is affixed with recessed screws.
Found this linked from VAF to Tim Olson’s site. Dimensions of the major components and subassemblies. This will be helpful in planning out the workshop layout.
As noted before, I purchased a partially complete empennage from a fine upstanding denizen of Van’s Airforce. After driving out to Illinois and carefully packing it in a U-Haul trailer with Larry’s help, it is now in its new home in PA.
The elevators and rudder:
The vertical stabilizer:
The tail cone:
And the horizontal stabilizer:
Somehow the pond grew a skin of ice overnight…
