Workbenches Are 95% Done!

 So the last few nights I’ve been out in the garage working into the wee hours of night.  It’s great because the kids and wife are sleeping and I can work uninterrupted. It took about three sessions of working but I’m 95% done with the EAA tables.  I need to finish up the trip on one table, get wheels from Harbor Freight, and sand them a bit to clean them up.  I am quite pleased with the outcome and getting excited.  I got an email also that my Cleaveland tool kit will be here tomorrow!  Looking forward to the first “shipment” concerning my RV-10 Build.  Time to fill up the toolboxes now.  

Workbench or Bust.....

 So things from summer have finally settled down now that school is back in session.  With my son being at school all day I find a little more time to get things done around the house.  My three year old is quite a good helper as she just loves to help Daddy.  We finally found a nice day out and we cleaned out the garage.  A little bit or organization and some serious vacuuming was done over the afternoon and the garage was looking amazing.  

Last week we took a "Daddy and Maddy" outing to Lowes.  She was super excited to go shopping with Daddy and didn't care it was for me.  We made our way around the lumber and hardware sections to locate everything we needed to build the EAA workbenches.  We used the shopping list off of the online planes from EAA 1000's website.

After purchasing the wood and supplies I finally got some free time and began to construct the table.  I broke out my chalk line and marked off the plywood and got to cutting.  One recommendation to others, have Lowes or Home Depot rip the plywood in half for you. It is very difficult to cut across a 4 o 8 foot section of plywood without a little bit of drift.

After getting all of the plywood pieces cut down, it was time to break out the mitre saw and start cutting the 2x4" pieces to the appropriate lengths.  It was not too bad and I decided to cut sections in an order which I needed them.  It made it simpler to manage as I could assemble sections as I went.  After the kids were in bed, I finally got to assemble the first tabletop and see some results.  

Now that I have the first top done, I plan to finish up the second one and construct the rest of the table tonight.  In other news, I've also placed my order from Cleaveland Tool for my RV-10 kit.  I have to give them credit as the Rivet Gun was out of stock so I signed up for notifications for when it came back in stock.  The next day, I received an email saying it was back in stock.  I emailed Cleaveland and Annette almost instantly responded and said she could add it to the order and sent me the revised invoice.  I have been super happy with her answering my silly questions and promptly helping with the updated order.  I look forward to any future dealings with them based off the interactions so far.  They really seem to be a stellar company to deal with.

Building A Workshop….

 So the workshop assembly has begun.  I am not really assembling a structure, but totally reorganizing my existing garage workspace.  My garage has been a dumping ground since we bought the home and is occupied by lots of kids toys and household supplies.  So the last month we have spent buying shelving units, ceiling racks, and totes to organize.  It was a big project but we’ve made a serious dent in it.

My wife unfortunately has taken it upon herself to also reorganize, declutter, and empty the house as well of any unnecessary items.  My credit card seems to be a daily purchase of organizational items lately as we have gone crazy doing this. It has paid off though as the house is quite organized and the garage is off to a good start. 

I’ve been in contact with Cleaveland Tool about the RV-10 toolkit.  They now have everything back on stock and I plan to get that ordered in Mid October.  The DRDT2 is apparently about a 4 week shipping timeline, so I’m leaving myself extra time in case. The one thing I planned to buy along with the kit was the tail light mounting ring. This item makes it easy to reinforce the rudder fairing for a tail light and I was going to order it to save on shipping. Unfortunately, they have discontinued the item and it was something they used to make themselves.  I’ll have to ask around on the Vans forums to see if anyone has one or if they know the dimensions to get it custom cut. 

I also visited my local Harbor Freight last month and bought myself a real toolbox. You’ll see a had a small workbench in the picture below, but added a nice double wide tool chest and end cabinet. It’s nice because it gives me a good working table as well for my band saw, grinder, and other tools to store.

As you can see, I also got a band saw and grinder from Lowe’s.  I’m hoping to get the end of my clean out done this week so I can hit Lowe’s to build the EAA workbenches.  Until the next update.  

Order Acknowledged..... Now It's Getting Real..

 So I got acknowledgement that my order has been processed and received.  I have been assigned my builder/customer number by Van's and have been informed my lead time is 4 months for the empennage.  This is good timing to allow me to build some tables, organize the garage, and get the tools all setup.

I signed up for the fundamentals class offered by Synergy Air South in Newnan, Georgia.  This is a one day hands on class which explains all of the basic skills required to build the plane and do the metal work.  I am looking forward to this and it will be the true introduction to much of what I will be doing.  I still plan to do a avionics/wiring type of class later in the build and will probably do a fiberglass class somewhere as well.  I don't think I'll do any of the fairings until closer to the end so I can concentrate on fiberglass at once and refine that skill a bit more.  Plus I heard its really messy and I would rather combine that to a shorter timeframe for cleanup.

I've begun setting up accounts with vendors so it will be easy to order things and have also started a list of items I will need as I go.  I plan to hit up Lowe's and Harbor Freight later this month to get started on the basic tools and tables build.  I'm not sure exactly how much of this has really sunk in yet.  I think once I start getting tools and such it will get more real to me.

So What Now?

 Prep work has begun and is going into overdrive.  I touched base with my local tech counselor who is also a past RV-10 builder.  He gave me some good suggestions to get started and I will start there.

I signed up for Synergy Air’s Fundamentals class this coming December.  This class will show me how to rivet, countersink, dimple, and other essential skills to do the majority of aluminum work on this build.  This is a good basis of knowledge to get started.  I plan to do a fiberglass and Electronics/avionics class down the road when those times come.

I’ve spoken to Cleaveland Aircraft Tool and will order the tool kit soon.  I am going to finish cleaning up the garage and get the workbench done before diving into that setup.  I don’t want to wait too long as the DRDT2 has been in and out of backorder.  That is essential to get started, so I don’t want to wait until the last minute. 

Time to finish cleaning and getting ready.  December will be here before I know it…….

The Deed is Done!

 So Van's recently announced they will be changing the prices this coming weekend and modifying their shipping procedures to streamline things a bit better.  I have been procrastinating for awhile now but now I have no choice to get my butt into gear.  Why do you ask?

I just placed my kit order for the empennage and wing kits.  😱Queue the panic of this big adventure I am beginning to embark on.  I am definitely going to be a long term builder as I don't have 200k to drop at once.  My plan is to work on this and have it done just in time before I retire so we can fully enjoy retirement and explore the world in it.  I am definetely going to continue flying in the meantime and enjoy that, but I want to have a more capable machine for the fun adventures later.

Van's Aircraft Stock RV-10 Image

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So now what needs to be done:

• Order my RV-10 Tool kit from Cleaveland
• Order my compressor and band saw from Harbor Freight or Lowes
• Finish cleaning out my garage ASAP
• Build my EAA Table(s) and prep for the tools
• Investigate the Synergy Fundamentals class and find a date to go.  Maybe January or February?
• Decide if I want to Prime or not.  I am leaning towards doing it.  I like the Stewart Systems stuff that I found via Charlie Derk's blog.  Its safe and non toxic which makes it easier with kids at home to use.
• Order the DRDT2.  Cleaveland is currently not taking orders since the manufacturer is backed up.  Do I order one from Aircraft Spruce who has them in stock or wait and roll the dice.  I am leaning towards just getting it at the moment.

What are my thoughts so far?

• Debating between P-Mags or doing a Fuel Injected system.  I like the idea of fuel injections and managing the mixture automatically, but it does add a lot of complexity to the build.
• Garmin or AFS for avionics is my only two considerations.  I love the look of the Garmin stuff but it has a big price point.  The AFS systems are more affordable and have great options.  They also have a better system when it comes to easy of installing.  That might sway me but I have quite a few years to decide that.
  
• I have essentially decided I want to do Zip Tips for my wings, an Aveo tail light, and probably something in the cowling.  The cowling light isn't a give in yet but I might decide that during the finishing process.
• I really like the look of the Control Approach rudder pedals.  Its similar to what I have now on the Archer and looks much nice.
• Aerosport Products Interior.  They have great stuff and it looks amazing.  I certainly plan to use them for my interior and console.
• Plane Schemer and Evoke Aviation is the cream of the crop for paint and scheme design.  I probably will use them later when the time comes to design the color scheme and have paint done afterwards.

So has anyone done P-Mags or EFII?  What are your thoughts there?  Zip Tips, do they work well enough for mid lighting or would a cowl light be helpful? 

Instrument Rating Progress

Ever since I got my private pilot certificate, I have said I would get instrument rated.  Not only do I want more flexibility to fly and take adventures, I know it adds a significant safety factor for my family and I.  Being able to participate in the IFR system, fly in clouds, and also make it to destinations more easily is an added benefit.  I started training for my rating last summer and quickly knocked out my written exam.  We were progressing well over the winter when weather allowed, but April hit and the engine went out for overhaul.  We utilized the local redbird for some training to stay sharp while we waited for the plane to come back.  

We finally got the plane back last week and I was able to do my first IFR cross country to KGON.  My instructor was very happy with my performance as I did the entire flight without assistance.  We aim to hit a few more cross countries this month and next month and we should be done.  Just a little time building to wrap it up.  This is definitely one of many things needed to continue on this long term project.