Prepping the Shop!

Shop Prep Begins!

13 March 2011 — Once I finished my fuselage mockup, and had checked & ensured that whatever specialized parts there were that I wouldn’t be able build or make would be available to buy, I started prepping the shop for the build.  The first order of business was a decent work bench along the wall.  I made this one collapsible just in case I needed more space.

Sidewall Work Bench

Sidewall (collapsible) workbench

Once I got the workbench in place, I started in on the flip-down glass cutting table.  The glass cutting table also serves as the glass roll storage cabinet.  I think it was the Cozy Girrrls who showed this on their site, along with the thermostat used to turn a light bulb on at a certain temp to keep moisture out of the glass cabinet.  I put the flip down portion of the glass table so that it would come down right next to and be even with the sidewall workbench I had just built.

Glass cutting table/Glass storage

Glass Cutting Table

Glass cutting table (fold up)

 

 

 

 

 

Next, I needed a hotbox to store the epoxy and hardener in when not in use.  The warmer the epoxy and hardener is, just about like every other liquid, the runnier it gets and the easier & faster it wets out the fiberglass strands in a layup.  BTW, most of the components that I made on this page were made out of scrap lumber I had laying around.

Epoxy & Hardener Hotbox

Epoxy & Hardener Hotbox

Besides the wall-mounted workbench, I wanted one that was portable and could roll around.  So I made this guy below.  It had a large enough table top to be used extensively for glassing small to medium sized pieces, and it had storage underneath.  Also, I made the top flip up and it was the perfect size for storing the plan’s A-pages (the big drawings) inside the compartment just below the flip up top.

Roll-around work bench

Roll-around - Plans storage

Besides the main 13′ long work bench (spelled out in Chapter 3), this was all there was for building the shop’s major working surfaces.

Recent Posts

Project Update

Hey Guys,

I’m pretty much done with the micro finishing of the top forward nose, the wheel pants, and the strake lower leading edges.  What’s left to micro finish you ask? Well, that would be the outboard underside of the wings and some final spot touchups on the canard. 

To be fair, I am currently in the process of working the final fit, finish and integration of the aft nose/avionics cover with the canopy front skirt.

I am also happy to report that the engine is off the bird and I’ve started the process of making and installing the CS spar heat shields, and the forward heat shields in the wing roots.  Once these are complete, I will then move on to cut and install the Titanium firewall.

As a point of note, I am getting married at the end of this month, so my build activities will be minimal during all of May… maybe an hour or two a day tops.  

  1. Chapter 25 – Wrapping up micro-finish Leave a reply
  2. Chapter 25 – Plodding to Finish Leave a reply
  3. Chapter 19/25 – Finishing end near? Leave a reply
  4. Chapter 23/25 – Spring Cleaning Leave a reply
  5. Chapter 25 – Trifecta Leave a reply
  6. Chapter 25 – Nose Job: Part 3 Leave a reply
  7. Chapter 25 – First official Grazing! Leave a reply
  8. Chapter 25 – Pants & Nose Leave a reply
  9. Chapter 25 – Nose job: Part 2 Leave a reply