Stjohn's RV-7

Looks like our colo has put us all behind their firewall, and the only way through it is with a VPN connection. The other option is for us, that is me and the small-to-medium-sized gaggle of creative professionals who share resources here, to have our machine directly connected to the internet. Nobody’s actually got time to walk the rampart and keep out all the foul things that could turn our websites into random ones and zeroes, things whose names probably end in -oth or -ith. So I’ll have to make do with text for now, because I can’t ssh or sftp with my shell account. There are options to explore, and this will be remedied soon, but I can’t say when. Meantime, I’m collecting folders, named by date, with pix in them, and i’ll post them later in my usual disorganized fashion.

Hey, guess what? I messed up the training kit. Say it with me, kids – MATCH DRILLED -. that means one does not just mark the part and drill the frack out of it. One drills a hole through both parts, clecoes it, moves on to the next, and continues the process until McCarthy is dead (obscure David Gerrold sci-fi reference). So, having learned this, I can still finish this kit, but It’s going to be a constant reminder of the fact that there is no “undo” key on aircraft construction. I’m real close to ordering the Empennage kit. I swear.

Went to Harbor Freight in Lomita. Harbor Freight is insanely cool. I was Charlie Bucket in the Wonka factory while they were getting my stuff out of the warehouse. They got EVERYTHING a mechanically inclined mad scientist could ever want or need. So many dangerous and wonderful things to pour money over. Thankfully, the lawyers haven’t litigated hardware stores into the ground like they did with GA, otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to walk out of there with half the stuff they’ve got.
But my 2 main purchases were the 34″ radial drill press and 12″ bandsaw. I didn’t shoot a lot of pix, because the drill press was slathered in machine oil and I didn’t want to grime up the camera too much. But here’s the basics:

the drill press in the box. It’s big, it’s heavy, it’s metal. w00t!

here’s the table assembly. Sort of. This thing is a copy/close relative of the Grizzly/Shop Fox/Craftsman version, probably all made in the same Chinese sweatshop. Table angles 0-90 both ways and rotates 360.

And this is the finished product. This freakin’ thing is HEAVY. The instructions for assembly are less than clear, but if you’re buying one of these, it’s probably safe to assume that you can solve a puzzle or two. The motor is only 1/3 hp, but it had absolutely no trouble going through a 1/8″ steel shelf bracket, and it bored through aluminum angle stock like a laser cannon. The slick thing about it is that it’s got like 17″ of reach, swings 180degrees, and the head can tilt 45 one way and 20 the other or something like that, so there’s not too many parts I can think of that I can’t put a drill to at the proper angle. Let the fabrication begin!

Here’s the bandsaw in its box. I think I saw this on somebody else’s RV site, and I liked the fact that it has a 12″ throat and that it’s very, very cheap. Although in the store it was $20 more than on the Internet, it was still worth it. Having said that though, this thing is one of the most poorly made pieces of gear I’ve ever bought. The manufacturing quality is right up there with die-cast metal toys. The paint is already flaking off the metal table, and the fit of the parts is crap.

Still though, once this was assembled, I was able to manufacture a stiffener like the previous ones in about six minutes, because crap as this saw is, it goes through thin aluminum like a blowtorch through lard.

I promised you some photos, and here they are. Not very interesting, but it sure is fun for me!

Picture of the grinder with the wobbly scotchbrite wheel.

Here’s the C-Frame dimpler with the 3/32 dimple die installed, Not that you can see it, but it makes this:

A drilled, deburred, and now dimpled stiffener.

This is what happens when you put your finger over the flash to keep from blowing out the image.

And this is a closer look, with no flash. You can see the dimpling. It’s amazing how the proper tools can make something look like it was manufactured instead of hacked together in a garage.

Here are both stiffeners, dimpled.

This is what happens to a lowly wood planer when you try to use it to shave down a scotchbrite wheel so it balances. You get a ruined planer and a slightly less wobbly scotchbrite wheel.

After installing the home theatre stuff properly, I was able to liberate this shelf from indoors. The missus hates it, and it no longer supports the video projector, so now I’m throwing tools and some non-RV related crap on it until I can build the shelving system of my dreams. Such as they are.

this is going to be a few entries rolled into one, so here goes.
Yesterday, I reserved my N-number. I now have N-808FX ready to go when it comes time to actually get to building. Two days ago, I received my Preview Plans Set from Van’s Aircraft. It was kind of a weird thing. I opened it up and browsed the sample RVator and the accessories catalog, then jumped right in. I’ll admit, the plans were a little scary, in a looking-down-a-big-ski-hill sort of way. I haven’t had to read a print since 92, but it all came back quickly enough. There’s a lot to do and a lot to learn, and I had to reevaluate the time, finances, and skills issues. After letting the big binder sit for a couple of days (real work), I came back to it today and found that I was still comfortable with all the construction techniques, tools, materials, and prices, so I got my stoke back.
A few days before the Preview Plans arrived, “Overhauling Mazda’s 13B” with Bruce Turrentine (2nd Edition, DVD) showed up, which was way cool. Thanks Laura! I was considering buying a pre-built 13B from Bruce or Powersport, or Atkins, but after seeing the video, I know I want to build it up myself. The thing that’s starting to sink in about this stuff is that no part of it is particularly difficult, but it does require something that I have difficulty summoning on a consistent basis and that is thoroughness and attention to detail. I do realize that the construction of an aircraft is not something that should be undertaken without a committment to thoroughness and attention to detail, but I know I need work in this area. Two things I’m counting on to assist me in this process: First, I’m very thorough and detailed about things that i am obsessed with. Mental? yes, perhaps. Second: The fact that lack of attention to detail in craftsmanship or operation can be fatal. I don’t want to be one of those guys who goes over the runway fence shedding pop-rivets on the way into a freeway overpass, or that other guy who doesn’t wear the proper safety equipment and winds up in an oxygen tent bursting with Hexachrome-induced tumors and acid-etched lungs.

1-1-2029, the stars are shining bright
Nerves connected to the center, we are tied to the machine
Invisible and silent, circling overland
The planemakers designed us to outturn and outmaneuver
Intruders in the skies, intruders in our skies
-Circling Overland, Front 242
Fitting, no? Anyway, this is goign to be a header up top if i can ever figure out web stuff.. Shoulda paid attention in the 90’s instead of being nose-deep in visual effects and flying.. kidding. Really.

Well, now we’re using ecto to post this. W.bloggar is useless, won’t upload. To get this to work I needed to download and install the .NET framework, which was a pain in the arse, but works now. So I”m going to insert a link to Van’s Aircraft and upload a picture: and see if that works.
REady?