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Workshops Are Cool !

As they say in the Van's preview plans, "Workshops are like a bank account, there's no such thing as having too big of one." Unfortunately, mine does not fall into this category, but I think it will be large enough to allow me to build the tail kit and wings before needing to move to our modestly sized 2 car garage.

Newly Constructed Workbench

Where to Get Started

As I mentioned on the Builder Backgroud page, it's a tough decision when you are starting down the long road to building an airplane. Therefore, when I began to seriously consider building an airplane, I thought that I would start by getting together a good workshop. Following my trip to OshKosh 2004, I decided that I would spend 12 months or so to create a new workshop and furnish it with the appropriate tools.

It's not that I didn't already have a workshop. It's that the workshop I had was too small and was disorganized. For example, my workbench consisteted of a solid commercial wooden door (it's a heavy son of a gun) sitting on 2 sawhorses. I just didn't consider this to be adequate.

Therefore, I decided that I would build a new workbench, worktable, shelves, and a rolling workcart. In addition, I purchased a rolling cabinet from SEARS. This would provide me with large worksurfaces and the ability to get organized. The only issue is that it wouldn't fit into my current workroom. But I had a solution to this predicament.

My basement is semi-finished with a large carpeted area and two sparate enclosed but unfinished rooms. One is a utility room where we also stored stuff, and the other was a smaller room that I was using as my workshop. I decided to swap the rooms. So I removed all the stuff from the small room, cleaned and painted the floor, and move the shelves and stuff from the utility room into the smaller room and went to work conifguring the larger utility room into my new workroom.

I decided that the first thing I needed was a good workbench. So I started there and just keep going. After I finished the workbench, I built a worktable with folding legs and a top surface that measures 8' by 3'. Both the workbench and the worktable ended up being very solid and I am pleased with how they turned out.

I also built an adjustable shelving unit that fits in an otherwise unusable area. I tried to make good use of peg board. It's functional and it can provide good latteral stability. Overall, it's a little tight but I think it will work out very well.

Tools !

Like most builders, I started buying some new tools. I planned to purchase a major new tool each month or so. The list included the following:

Compressor
Mitre Saw
Band Saw
Drill Press
Disk/Belt Sander

I also placed a major order with Cleaveland Tool for all of my metal working hand tools. I was very please with Cleaveland Tool. They were great to work with and I would recommend them to other builders.

The one tool that I purchased based on the recommendation of other builders, was the pneumatic squizer. I used it when I built the practice kit and it worked great. I think I'll be glad that I spent the extra money to get it. Select the link below to see a complete list of all of the tools I ordered.

Click here to see my Cleaveland Tool Order.

New Additions!

It's really no secret, but compressors are loud. I noticed this the first time I fired mine up in the garage. Therefore, I did what some other builders have done and built a sound absorbing enclosure. I basically built a plywood box with carpet padding inside. I was fortuneate enough to have a neighbor getting new carpet when I undertook this project so I "trash picked" the carpet padding (and some clean unworn carpet) for free. The carpet makes nice runners in the garage.

The compressor box sits about 3" up off the ground. The resulting gap, along with three 1" air holes at the top should provide adequate ventilation and cooling. I also placed a couple pieces of carpet under the compressor to help absorb the sound that is radiated down at the garage floor. I'm please with how well it works. I hope it doesn't get too hot with continuous use.

Sound Absorbing Compressor Box

Send me an email at rvbuilder@verizon.net