Shop

OK I have been out of town having too much fun and need to get to work! Well I have been doing some stuff but not posting so I will try and catch up.

I go the compressor installed and I ran some air lines to the work benches. I tied the compressor to the junction box in the basement and it was a piece of cake!

Now which one is hot???

Just like it belongs

I ran the air lines to make it easy and to allow me to use all this air that I am now able to compress.

I built this quick and dirty bench so I can have more space, it seams you can never have enough. Got the drill press, band saw, vise and grander all mounted on the bench.

Got a tool chest!!! I don’t know why but there is something special about getting a tool chest, I guess I feel like I am growing up =)

I am putting all the little nuts and bolts in there new home and should start making progress on the wing this month.

Got air!

Found this draft with some good info. Photos are already in another so I removed them but I might as well post it as I did type it...

I have made some progress on the shop. I made a shelve out of the crates that my assembled emp was shipped in.

My first, ok not by a long shot but another blunder was that I saw Sears had a special with a 8” grinder that cam with a stand for about the same price as a 6” grinder without a stand, so of couse I got the 8” =) Well as it turns out the 8” does not have the standard ½” spinning shaft, rather a 5/8” shaft =( So now I had to find an adapter to make things work with a 6” scotch bright pad. The parts are in the mail, but if I was to do it again, stick with the 6” grinder.

I have noticed that a lot of the tools that Lowes and Home Depot sell are ok until you try to buy the sandpaper that they take, or get a new ban saw blade. I was in Lowes and when I asked the guy where I get the 8” sanding disks that the sander that he sold he looked at me and said that there should be a web address in the box but they don’t sell them. So make sure that what ever it is that you are buying has local support and replacement parts available as I don’t want to have to wait a week to get sandpaper.

Well the big baby, the compressor. I lucked out, I think. I wanted the Home Depot version but they were selling the Lowes for $100 less and I got 10% off on top of that so I went with the Kobalt.

I had to add a circuit breaker for the compressor. I went with a 30 amp and used #8 wire, yes a little over kill but this thing is not getting airborne. I ran the air lines with sch 40 PVC pipe and a host of NPT adapters to make it all work. I couldn’t bring myself to spend the money that Lowes wanted on regulators so I went to the trusty Harbor Freight and picked up some regulators for the job.

2 of the 3 regulators leaked but with a little Teflon and some big wrenches I fixed that. One of the gages reads about 10psi low so I will give it some time to see if it corrects it’s self or buy a new gauge. Still in all the parts look and feel the same as Lowes and I am sure that they are made next to each other in China. I bet one has better quality control but hey, I saved over 50%
Well off to pick up the drill press today and then maybe I will be able to start riveting this baby together.

Progress

Today was a good day; I build a set of legs with wheels for the fuselage and a tail stand. It was nice to see something get done other then planning.


It made me smile as I made my way through the cashier at Lowes. With all the odd parts I was asked what I was building, I had to smile and say “an airplane”. She looked at me and said, oh one of those R\C planes, my brother had one….. I said nope it’s a real plane that can take 2 people flying over 200 mph! Then I showed her a pic of me and my dad building the elevator and she looked puzzled, I told her that she can ask me more whenever she wants to as it looks like Lowes is my new home anyway.



So the axles were a little tricky to make but hey if there is a will there is a way.





Now the fuselage is just like a wheelbarrow and it’s very easily moved. The wheels have metal rims with a ball bearing bushing built into them. They are made for a lawn mower and easily hold the weight of the fuse with me in it. I had help from Will a college/work buddy to get the plane off the empennage crate.



My emp has been crated up for almost a year as I have been busy moving, buying a house and working a lot. Everything was in order and now it all sits in the basement waiting to be put on the plane.

I got one more crate to open and inventory, the finishing kit. I also have tons of tools on order including a 60 gal compressor =) I am getting closer to starting up the new aircraft production line.

Oh the heated garage is incredible. It was single digits outside today with about 6” of snow. I was nice and toasty in the garage today but I don’t want to see the power bill.

Till next time,
Aloha

Getting the shop together

I got back to Cheyenne to find very cold weather. OK being an island boy 60F is cold so the 20’s are VERY cold! I decided now was as good of time as any to insulate the rest of the garage.
First I had to do something with the double garage door. The single door is already insulated but the huge 16’ door aka “steal ice block” has to go. I looked around and had many ideas but ended up by using 2 layers of ¾” foam from Home Depot. I originally wanted something with foil for a radiant barrier but that would not bend enough to get it inside the garage door.



I used a large T square and a razor blade to cut the foam and with a little finessing I think that it turned out pretty darn good if I do say so myself. This works surprisingly well as the garage now holds it’s heat over night.






I noticed that I had a little cold air coming in from the sides so I got some high density closed cell foam and took care of the leaks. I walked around the garage in shorts and found that the door to the yard leaks a lot of cold air and I need to go get some more insulation.

I lucked out as this house was the model home for the neighborhood and the garage was the office for the builders and they had it insulated and heated. Today with temps in the teens I had the garage up to about 65, I know it doesn’t make economic sense but hey I can =)

I emptied out the fuselage and inventoried the parts and got my first chance to sit in my baby. I feel that this is the beginning of many, many, many hours of our close relationship.



It is a little off but I am sure the “Grin” will have to subside a little but WOW I have an AIRPLANE in my garage, who would have ever thought?

OK it’s bed time, I will finish the inventory pain tomorrow.
Merry Christmas!

Place to build

Everyone needs a place to build and I have chosen a house with a 3 car garage. I felt that if I had to pass the plane everyday that I might be more motivated to work on it instead of having to drive to the airport to work on it. I have put myself on a waiting list at the local airport, Cheyenne regional so my baby can have a home when she is finished.

My garage is nothing too fancy but it is an insulated and heated oversized 3 car garage that will be plenty big to build an RV and keep my Jeep warm at night.

Things that I need to do to finish the shop: install a compressor, build/fix workbench, buy and install some more expensive tools. I got the wing stand done with the help of Chris and now need to find a place for the fuselage.

When I get back the first thing I am going to do is put the last bit of insulation in the double car garage door as it is currently not insulated. Then the compressor and I should be up and running!