Need advice

Excellent videos John. When I was initially researching the Bearhawk I came across them and still have them saved.
 
If you look on bearhawk 1227 which my FB page for the airplane I had the mdf patterns screwed up not only was I cutting metal I was cutting the pattern to...plus I'm battling snow because I got no place to cut this stuff....the garage at my dads house isn't heated. So all I can do is hope and pray for warmer weather here in Minnesota.


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It's just depressing. Did I mention I have never flown in a bearhawk yet. I have been in a rans S-7. been in flight design CT.


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Oshkosh is just a few months away! Get over there and arrange for a ride!

In saying that......I have never flown in a BH either, and Im sure that goes for many builders when they are getting started.
 
How did you manage to do that? Does your router setup allow you to adjust for depth?

Can the MDF templates be repaired? Many builders have used bondo for minor template repairs.
 
+1 for this press! I have the same one and it is a great value piece of kit. For the repetitive nature of pressing the ribs I also got the air over hydraulic jack.
 
I remember that the screws holding my router worked loose on my router table, causing my router to lean into the cuts a bit, cutting into my forms while cutting aileron ribs. I tightened up the table and re-cut about six ribs. I also remember when my router got "grabby" and got a bit out of control. It wrecked my routing form nose-rib lightening hole as well as a half dozen nose ribs. Remade those, too. And had to fix the forms, too. Just a couple of the things we learn while making airplane parts!

Take a deep breath, take a close look at what happened, and learn from it. And most importantly, have fun!
 
Until I learned the right amount of pressure to use when holding the form/blanks against the router(basically tightly control the stack when initially feeding it in and only guiding pressure once the router is pulling it against the bearing) and to limit the number of blanks to around .060" max thickness) I went through a few router guide bearings which, when they failed, ruined the blanks and routed into my forms.

I used a 5 minute epoxy/MDF sawdust paste to fix the forms and continued on.

Education isn't free.
 
Can anyone tell me if in there plans there is drawing talking about the false spar in the fuel tank area? I can't seem to find anything on it in the drawing. Also what about a template for the false ribs in the fuel tank area?


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You'll need to make your own. Grab some 2-part epoxy from the hardware store, and then mix in some MDF sawdust until it's the consistency you're after. Then smoosh it where it needs to be smooshed. Sand to your liking, and you're back in business!

~Chris
 
I checked out the pictures on your facebook page. I think those are beyond epoxy repair. Use your master template and router to make some new ones.
 
tbaylx said:
I checked out the pictures on your facebook page. I think those are beyond epoxy repair. Use your master template and router to make some new ones.
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I agree, the templates are way beyond repair. I made my previous comments on repair before looking at the pics. Using your master to make a new template shouldnt be a big deal, but you may want to think about what happened to cause this damage first, so you dont do the same to your master.

Looking at the pics...how did you manage to do it without noticing? Did you not have the router bit bearing running along the template? I also would have thought it would have kicked up a bunch of dust for taking off so much material.
 
Hi everyone got some more ribs cut. I have another question. How many trailing edge ribs are there for the flap and the aileron? Anybody have a guess?



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I wouldn't guess. The wing plan shows you how many there are. It's one of the first five sheets in the plan set. It shows the whole wing with ailerons and flaps.
 
Anyone know if dewalt makes a 2000+ rpm drill at all or maybe I do have to look a neumatic drill


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N3UW said:
I have a youtube video where I did the rubber mat method to form my lightening holes. I have some other videos on how i built the wing on my patrol. Do a search for N3UW on youtube or find them. where is the rubber press video.


john snapp
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Hey John would you recommend I look at buying an air compressor and start buying pneumatic tools?


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MNBenny said:
Anyone know if dewalt makes a 2000+ rpm drill at all or maybe I do have to look a neumatic drill


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. In electric corded, yes. Cordless, probably going to be a bit slower. Home Depot shows them up to 1500 in cordless, 2500 in corded electric.

Pneumatic drills weigh less, for sure, but if you don't yet have a compressor, then it'll be an expensive drill. :). But you'll need a higher-volume air source eventually, anyway. Just depends on when you're ready to invest.
 
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I personally like pneumatic tools but you do not have to have the air drills. You will need a small compressor for a rivet gun. You can use a battery drill but a good air drill, like a sioux that I use, are lighter and easier use for extended use.
 
Regarding air compressor for using pneumatic tools, I use a 2hp pancake compressor that puts out 2.7CFM @90psi. It runs my drill and 2X rivet gun just fine. I don't see a need for a big compressor for quite some time.
 
Makita makes a 4500 rpm 1/4" electric drill with a built in adjustable depth stop, model # 6501 It is small and light with a thin flexible cord.
 
So let me ask again.....do I need an air compressor and powered tools or no? I seem to be getting mixed messages from people


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Yes, for riveting at a minimum. The volume of the compressor depends on what you want to do with it. Die grinders, air-over-hydraulic jack for your press, and paint guns need volume (big tanks). Rivet guns, air drills, nail guns, not as much air volume required. Look at the air requirements for the tools you desire (measured in CFM), and match the compressor to the tool. If there's an electric equivalent, it may be cheaper to do electric if you're being budget conscious. If the CFM requirement for the tool you're considering is low, then pneumatic and electric tools become price competitive.

I'm using electric/battery drills. Rivet gun and arbor press are air.

Eventually you'll need an air compressor. As Brooks mentioned, he's running his rivet gun with a small pancake compressor. Those are quite affordable compared to a larger compressor.
 
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That's the size I have. That and a hose ought to do it. Compressor should have a regulator on it, but low-cost regulators aren't super accurate at lower pressures. Rivet guns are typically operated at about 30-40psi, but I was able to get my regulator to hold pressure pretty well that far down. Some rivet guns also have a better regulator at the handle. That way you can run the regulator on your compressor higher, and use the one on your gun to knock it down to a more appropriate level with better control.

For my press, die grinder, etc, I run it at 90-100psi, but it consumes a fair amount of air and cycles on fairly frequently. 29 gallons should be good for just about everything, except maybe painting. But that's way way far away.
 
Chris In Marshfield said:
That's the size I have. That and a hose ought to do it. Compressor should have a regulator on it, but low-cost regulators aren't super accurate at lower pressures. Rivet guns are typically operated at about 30-40psi, but I was able to get my regulator to hold pressure pretty well that far down. Some rivet guns also have a better regulator at the handle. That way you can run the regulator on your compressor higher, and use the one on your gun to knock it down to a more appropriate level with better control.

For my press, die grinder, etc, I run it at 90-100psi, but it consumes a fair amount of air and cycles on fairly frequently. 29 gallons should be good for just about everything, except maybe painting. But that's way way far away.
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I have the same size, and if its from HFT....probably the exact same compressor. I echo everything Chris mentioned, however I would like to add that spending a little extra on good quality air fittings for your hoses/tools will save you a lot of heartache later. I found the cheap harbor freight fittings to be almost useless. On that note, rubber hoses are easier to work with than PVC, although do cost more.

One last thing that may be location dependent....I always run a good quality filter/dryer on my air line. We get a lot of moisture in the air here in Louisiana and it will help prolong tool life (along with a couple of drops in of oil in the tool before first use each day)
 
I'd probably just not get your air hose from HF if it's a concern. Go to Lowes or Home Depot instead. I've not experienced any problem with my Menards hoses.
 
25 feet of 3/8" hose should do you fine unless you have a large shop. The standard fittings usually sold in Home Depot etc are the "M" type and will work for a smaller compressor and rivet guns/air drills etc.
If you want to get a large compressor and plan on running a bead blast cabinet or sandblaster then get 50 feet of 1/2" hose and the larger "V" type hi flow fittings.

If you want a light weight hose and are using the air drill a lot then its nice to have a shorter 1/4" light weight hose as well for maneuverability.
 
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I've been looking around for a compressor recently as well. The one I currently have is 7gal, 1hp Craftsman which does ok around the house but can't keep up with my HVLP sprayer. It also cycles far too much for my liking when working the main spar -5 rivets. I'm not planning on buying one until Father's day when everything should go on sale since it's not an immediate need, but here's my thoughts on the process.

As mentioned before, if you don't plan to use the compressor to paint, you should stick to a small size and leave it at that. I'd just use the one I have if I wasn't planning on painting.

Then you'll want to decide on oiled, vs oil less types. The oiled will be a bit quieter and should last longer but requires a small amount of upkeep.

Next, if you decide to go with a larger size, you'll need look at power supply. The larger you want, the more likely it will be a 240V supply which you may not have in your workshop. It's not too difficult to install a 240V plug, but it's still a consideration. There are some mid range that you can wire to accept either 120/240V so those are options as well.

Lastly you should consider how much you plan on moving the compressor. If it's not a lot, a stationary model may be worthwhile.

All those factors go in to determining price. Looking at these two compressors

https://m.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-60-Gallon-155-Electric-Vertical-Air-Compressor/3370356[/video]

https://m.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-30-Gallon-Portable-155-Electric-Vertical-Air-Compressor/3824207[/video]

the 110/220V capability, plus portability drives up the 30 gal, 2hp compressor to 90% of the price of a 220V, stationary, 60 gal, 3.7hp compressor. So for $50 extra, you can double your scfm at 90psi but you lose a fair amount of versatility. It just depends on what you're requirements are whether it's worthwhile. Hope that helps when you're picking one out.

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MNBenny said:
Is someone going to tell me what size hose to get or am I suppose to guess?



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Relax dude, we dont all sit online all day,especially Easter Sunday. 3 posts in 8 mins asking the same question is excessive. For generic non-BH questions such as tooling, google is always an option for urgent questions.

For what its worth, I see HFT now carries rubber air hoses with a Brand name of "Diablo". I havnt used it, but actually looked pretty decent quality. I was considering picking up 50ft to try it out.
 
Used stuff can save a lot of money. There is little risk in buying too small of compressor today. When you are ready to paint move up then Sell it.

Avoid AIDS at all cost. That gets very expensive. I can't imagine a person on a budget, learning to fly, trying to scratch build, rasing a family, pleasing a beartiful wife, and getting talked into needing a new compressor that needs 220V if you are only riveting and drilling with it.

Craigslist Minneapolis.
6082768045.html
This is similar to mine. Offer $60, try to get it for $70. I bought mine at a garage sale for I think $65.
6092392727.html
This may be a better one. Looks older, but looks like the compressor is an oil compressor, and will be quieter. Could hook it up to a larger tank in the future I suppose.
 
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MNBenny; How is it going? When I used the term AIDS in the post #231, I may have made the erroneous assumption that all viewers would understand that stood for Aviation Induced Divorce Syndrome.

Well, I have been working on the Patrol kit in the garage this week. I am using my air drill, and my Bostitch compressor. Its so loud I wear ear plugs, and sometimes when it turns on suddenly, it scares me and I jump. Then when my Beautiful wife is humming near by working on the flower beds, I can't hear her. When she says something conversational, I have to take my ear plugs out.

Soooo....... I concluded last night that I don't like that Bostitch compressor and I kept thinking about the second compressor I found for you on Minneapolis Craigslist. I looked around my neck of the woods for one. I found the Green one. Its not much of a looker, but its clean, well maintained, has two cylinders, it runs half the time that the Bostitch runs, is quieter when it does run, and I can work now without ear plugs and hear my wife humming when its not running.
IMG_3264.JPGIMG_3270.JPG
 
Brooks, thanks for the reminder to double check Craigslist. I was able to snag a nice Campbell Hausfeld for a killer deal.
 
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