Wish List For Tools

[GyroJoe]

Hey GYROthusiasts!

I plan on building a flying machine according
to the 3D-RV plans with some modifications.

And I would like all you guys' (and gals') two
cents worth.

Tell me everything I'll need to build it, assuming
I don't even own a wrench, and I'll need to
hunt around for some bargains (used, maybe).

Thank you very much!

Happy Flying,
GyroJoe

[Allantat]

Joe. Stop in at Sears and ask for their hand tool catalog. Start with the basics. A

set of 1/4 drive sockets and ratchet... extensions bars. Basic set of open

end/box end wrenches. Screwdrivers...plain and Phillips. Good hack

saw..hammer...soft blow hammer. Punches and drift pins. A good heavy duty

vice. Channel locks and vice grips in asstd sizes. Also drill bits.... and if $$

are not too much of a problem..a drill press is always useful.

I'd suggest staying away from the cheapie stuff...you know...the complete

socket set and wrenches for $29.95! Sears will back up their tools with a

no questions asked warranty. Also a good tool box.

Anyone else have suggestions?

Allan Tatarian
Fresno,Calif.

[KenSandyEggo]

Joe, don't forget a huge rubber mallet and several rolls of duct-tape. I found these invaluable. ;) Where's Brazoria? Is it near El Paso? That's the only place I've been, except for a week in Waco years ago. It sounds familiar, like maybe I saw a road sign or something.

[GyroJoe]

...If I have the money, what brand and model
would you suggest? Bench-top or free-standing?

Anything else? A sander (grinder) to smooth those rough,
hack-sawed edges.

Say I want to build and sell some items, what brand and model
of band saw? Bench-top or free-standing.

Remember, this list is for the gyro-building population
of the world.

Brazoria is 55 miles southwest of Houston, about 60 miles
west of Galveston, less than 20 miles from the Gulf.

(and I don't fish.)

Thanks for your responses.

GyroJoe

[PW_Plack]

Joe,

A bench-top drill press will be fine, since the biggest pieces you'll have to drill are still small enough to fit on a benchtop. Try to find one with at least a 2-1/4 inch stroke, so you can get a drill bit all the way through a 2-x-2 piece of tubing. Unfortunately, this will probably leave out all the low-end benchtop drill presses from Home Depot.

[scottessex]

You'll never have enough tools! If you don't own any tools, how good are you at fabricating? You may be better off buying a kit, and doing the assembly. I have been an aircraft mechanic for almost 20 years, I have 10's of thousands of dollars in tools, and still don't have what I need sometimes. Basic hand tools would handle building a kit. Look on the Gyrobee thread and see what the 2 guys building are buying and what they are up to as first time builders.

I wouldn't plan on selling anything unless I had lots of money to start up, The best way to make a small fortune in aviation, is to start with a large one. and get some training and get some flying skills before you start to market something, things really change from what you think is a good idea, then you start flying and find out your idea was not as good as it looked on the ground. In other words be prepared to do lots of R&D on your own machine. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!

[Brian Jackson]

$390 will get you this (attached), made by a company called Fisch. It's big, heavy, smooth as silk and has a 4 inch stroke... man, if I were gay that last sentence would've gotten me all worked up :D I looked at some nice benchtop presses but wasn't comfortable with little more than 2" of stroke travel. Since I'm using centering bits I need about 3" of stroke to fully penetrate a 2" tube. I think it was Scott that suggested the centering bit technique.

Brian Jackson

[scottessex]

Yes, I love the centering bits! they drill real nice ROUND holes, and still keep a close tollerance.

I just picked up a DELTA drill press at LOWES, it is a floor model 16 1/2 inch with about 4" stroke, it is very suitable. also around $300. It also has a built in work light that I love!

[Brian Jackson]

Hey Scott,
I'm still planning on using a reamer to finish the hole interiors... Is this overkill, or would it indeed produce the smoothest possible hole even with the centering bits? The obvious advantage of the centering bits is the pilot function for pinpoint hole location accuracy. If the centering bits themselves were 1/64" smaller in diameter (+/- .007 R) than the final finished hole dia., that seems to be the magic material removal distance for reamers, from what I've read about them. What are your thoughts?

Thank you.
Brian Jackson

[Brian Jackson]

By the way, Joe, I started just recently with the following small items:
A. Layout dye
B. Centering Bits
C. Deburring tool
D. An excellent 6" caliper micrometer
E. Transfer Punches

...and some offset bolts in case I don't get the plate holes lined up :D :D

Brian Jackson

[GyroJoe]

I wouldn't plan on selling anything unless I had lots of money to start up, The best way to make a small fortune in aviation, is to start with a large one. and get some training and get some flying skills before you start to market something,

What I plan on building and selling is non-aviation related.
A contraption for those who fish.

Ya'll wouldn't believe where I'm going to build this gyro.
I live in a 12X50, mobile home and I'm clearing out all the
junk, tear out the wall between the unused 2nd bedroom
and the living room, and that will be my work shop.

Then as I near completion, I'll get my carpenter friend to
take out the rear living room windows, tear out a large
portion of the wall, and in it's place build double-doors,
wide enough and high enough to roll the gyro through.

It's times like this I'm glad I'm not married. :)

Thank you Scott, Brian, Ken, Allen, and Paul for your
input. I'm going to need more before this is all over with.

Happy Flying,
GyroJoe

[Brian Jackson]

Joe,
You're one of us now; aviation's "lunatic fringe"... I built the airframe of a wood & fabric fixed wing in a 2 bedroom, 2'nd floor apartment :eek: . Where there's a will there's a way! Too bad the landlord thought otherwise...

Keep us posted.

Cheers,
Brian Jackson

[scottessex]

Using a reamer is not a bad idea, might be overkill, but it sure would clean up the holes after painting. Reamers are generaly used before riveting, or where an interferance fit is required. By having a perfectly round hole, the rivet will expand evenly when bucked, and leave no gaps between the sides ov the rivet and the hole, thus passing the stress loads through the fastener, instead of around it.