May 02, 2023     Jacks       Category: Tools

I made some Jacks for the airplane today. I used an idea I saw at the EAA 302 Tool Crib. I got three, 3 Ton Heavy Duty Long Ram Hydraulic Flat Bottom Jacks from Harbor Freight and cut a triangle base from some plywood. I used some electrical conduit, crushed and bent the ends, then used a rubber plumbing connector and some hose clamps to attach it. I was advised to use a triangle base rather than a square, as a triangle has better stability on uneven ground surfaces.

  May 27, 2021     Terminal Tool       Category: Tools

Got to practice with a new tool today. A colleague developed and manufactured a unique battery terminal crimping tool made especially for the heavy gauge battery cables. This is an interesting tool as it claims to actually shrink the terminal around the cable. He doesn't produce this tool any longer but had some extra components that he keeps on hand for any warranty issues. He put together a kit for me as we had the same interests in aircraft building. So, today was practice. I used some 2 gauge welding cable and terminals I purchased at the local welding supply store. It's required to be mounted in a vice, which is the only drawback. The cables need to be planned well in advance. The tool is very well constructed and seems to make excellent crimps / swage. I obtained a "fake" empty “E” case for fitment of the battery from EarthX which is the same case as the ETX900-VNT that I am planning on using.

  Jul 30, 2020     Trailing Edge Squeezer Pins       Category: Tools

Found this cool tool by accident at Cleveland Aircraft Tool. I knew that they had one for the R-14 trailing edge but not for the regular RV trailing edges. Since I had started out wanting to build an RV-14 I had purchased that one. I had loaned it to a friend and it worked out very well. Then I loaned the regular RV tool to another friend and it also worked out well. Hope I get a chance to use it myself someday.

  Sep 02, 2019     Tools       Category: Tools

Here's some random tools I've acquired for the shop.