Wing building with sawhorses.

[TJ_Slice]

Before I start constructing the sawhorses for my wings, I wanted to post my idea to see if there is any feedback.

I am planning on making them relatively tall, about 40" would be a comfortable building height for me. They will be about 4' long, and the top will be made 12" wide to spread out the load. I plan to wrap the tops in foam as well, just for a little padding.

When it comes time to paint, I will fabricate something from the shipping crate, and use the sawhorses as bases for a rotisserie system of some sort.. nothing too fancy.

Does that seem like a reasonable plan? Suggestions are welcome.

[Steve W]

DB679D76-498C-4DF7-B0E9-6CBE906FB823.jpg I use these boxes to finish off the wings. They are just simply constructed and cut out to the shape of the leading edge and a piece of carpet used for a sling. I’ve done a few sets of wings for people and found these easy to move around. When I do the final riveting, I put a wing up on a set of milk crates and support the structure from the ceiling with a couple of ropes in case it ever tipped. I am able to rivet the entire wing without any assistance. Then move it to the floor the do the trailing edge and cove bays.
A piece of foam should be placed on the bottom of each bay on the front spar as you move along. In case you ever drop the bucking bar. ?
Just something a little different than a table or rotisserie.

[TJ_Slice]

That's an interesting setup.

[SpruceForest]

Are we talking assembly of spars and ribs, wing skinning, or wing finish re: wiring, control install, light/sensors, etc.? While all could likely be done in one setup, an optimized fixture for each stage is going to improve access and efficiency. For spar-to-rib, we used three custom stands that locked the spars into place (horizontal orientation for wing) for riveting of ribs, while for skinning, having the wing vertical 12-18 inches off the floor makes access for bucking/setting skin rivets easier. For closeout/controls/wiring, the usual padded sawhorses at about mid-bench height (32" for me at 6'2") permit quick wing flips, although a wing rotisserie can be useful when working without a second pair of hands.

[Steve W]

Assembly of the factory quick built wings. When I built my Patrol scratch wings, I used two heavy three inch steel square stock solidly secured to the ceiling and floor trammelled square and vertical for their assembly.
He is building a 5 place kit.

[TJ_Slice]

Yes, a 5 quick build kit. I should have mentioned that. Space is also not an issue for me. When working on the wings, I plan to have the wings parallel and work between them. Whatever I do with the first wing, I will turn around and do on the second one.

[noema]

I had my wings leaning against a wall with some foam padding in between and under. My plan was to transfer them to a table when I run out of tasks that can easily be done in the vertical position. Turns out, it was possible to build the entire wing this way, including closing the skin. There are probably more ergonomic ways to do this but it worked out fine.

A lot is possible if you embrace the process.

[TJ_Slice]

That makes my back hurt just reading it.