First Tool List

Since I am well into fabricating wing ribs, I think it is time to outline the first tool list.  When I get inquiries about homebuilding, what tools will be needed is always in the list of questions somewhere.  As I get near the completion of each stage of construction, I will generate a list of tools I used. 

This list is what I have used in the construction of the wing ribs.  It includes tools needed to build not only the ribs, but also the jigs.  The list isn't in any particular order.  It's just as the tools come to mind.

1.   Table Saw:  This is indispensible tool for ripping plywood to size and mass producing gussets.  I have two, but the one I use the most for this project is my Ryobi.  Pretty much a standard homeowner saw.  It makes very accurate cuts, but a lot of the bits and pieces are plastic and the saw requires a bit of careful handling.  Fortunately, Ryobi has been very helpful in providing replacement parts.  If I were shopping now, I would probably look for something less fancy (the Ryobi has lots of neat features) and more robust.  I would look at Grizzley Industrial.

The second saw I have is an ancient Rockwell.  They also made the Craftsman table saw of the same era (1940-50's).  Though a small saw, it is very hefty cast iron and steel.  It takes two people to lift it.  Because it doesn't have a rip fence I use it when I need to set up cutting jigs to make multiple parts.  I haven't used it for the airplane. 

2.   Band Saw:  You gotta have a good one.  You will use it to cut some pretty heavy stock for jigs, as well as some very small parts. So it needs to be both sturdy and precise.  Mine is an ancient Craftsman that is no longer offered.  One of the lightweight, made in China benchtop models is not going to do the job.  If I were shopping for one today, I would look closely at Grizzley Industrial, especially the new one they just introduced.

3.   Belt/Disk Sander:  You will use this tool a lot.  Most of my ribs were fabricated using a very old Craftsman.  In the 1940's and 1950's Sears offered a line of less expensive tools that were very bare bones, but were extremely sturdy.  For a very a reasonable price you get a hefty tool with no frills.  On most of them, you had to figure out how to mount it, and provide a motor.  I wonder how many of these tools were powered by used washing machine motors.  Mine (the sander, not the motor)  finally wore out.  "Reasonably priced" tools are now mostly Chinese junk.  I replaced my sander with a Porter-Cable unit that so far is working fine.  If you can afford it, get a sander from one of the companies that advertise in the high end woodworking magazines, and made in the USA.  You will pay a lot of money for it.  I will keep everyone informed on how my Porter-Cable holds up.  But I don't expect it to be working 60 years from now.

4.   Router:  This is a handy tool for making jigs and one-off parts.  Mine is a 3/4 HP Ryobi.  You don't need one that hefty, but it pays to get a good one.  I know some folks use laminate trimmers.

5.   Drill:   You can certainly drill holes using a hand drill, but a battery powered electric drill speeds things up a lot.  I have a had several of these and either the batteries reach the end of their cycle life, or the charger smokes.  It seems it is cheaper to replace the whole drill than buy new batteries and/or charger.  My current one is a Ryobi, but its batteries are about dead. The last expensive one I had (DeWalt) didn't last any longer than the cheap ones.  You will also need a collection of drill bits.  A small set will do.  In assembling plywood jigs you may need to fasten into the end grain.  You don't want to use sheetrock screws for that.  When you buy standard wood screws, get the counter sink bit to match.

6.   File:  I use just one.  It is a double cut bastard file.  I find it more useful for cleaning up fuzzies and doing minor trimming than sand paper.  Be sure and get a handle for it.

7.   Steel rulers:  I have two.  One is a foot-rule, the other is 36".  Get good, solid steel rulers.  They are expensive, but worth every penny of it.  DON'T USE THEM FOR STRAIGHT EDGES.  Use them only for measuring.  The EAA site has a good article on accurate measuring. 

8.    Mechanical Pencil:  I keep two or  three floating around the shop.  Building this airplane is not like rough framing a house.  The carpenter's pencils are not fine enough. I use Pentel P207, the blue ones.

9.   Staple Gun:  I have a small collection of these.  I don't know where they all came from.  I just seem to have collected them over the years.  All are sturdy Bostich guns.

10.  Scissors:  I use a sturdy pair of scissors to cut up old business cards (glue spreaders, shims, etc.) and to make final trims on gussets.  They also open up packaging, clip the ends on glue bottles, and cut the full size rib patterns from the plans.

11.  Side Cutters:  I use mine to pull staples.

12.  Some kind of small saw:  There are occasions when you need to trim capstrip and both ends are longer than the throat of your band saw.  You can use a razor saw, marketed by X-Acto.  Get the finest teeth available.  I have a small, cheap, made in China table saw (the table is about 4" square) from Harbor Freight.  It works great, though the power switch is starting to fail.

13.  Clamps:  I am a clamp junky.  You simply cannot have enough clamps.  I have a substantial collection I have personally collected, and I "inherited" a bunch from my dad and from a friend's dad.  If I encounter a garage sale, I always drop in and poke around.  If they have clamps, I buy all they have.  Big ones, little ones, C-clamps, spring clamps, pipe clamps, it doesn't matter.  You can't have enough.  I also have a bag full of spring type clothes pins.  Try and find the old wood ones.  The plastic ones aren't much use.  Poke around in your grandmother's laundry room.

14.  Six-way Screw Driver:  I love these things.  They are the ones with the interchangeable shafts and bits. They used to be expensive.  Now you can find pretty decent ones in displays next to the checkout counter at the hardware store for just a few bucks.  I have quite a number of these squirreled away in handy places.

15:  Chisel:  A 1/2" is a good size.  Keep it sharp.  You don't think you might, on occasion, glue a rib to the jig?  Riiight!

16:  Sanding Block:  I keep a sanding block around with fairly course sand paper in it.  It is useful if a bit of capstrip is slightly out of spec and you need to sand it down a bit.

17.  Measuring Tape:  For rough measurements.  Like doing the initial ripping of a large piece of plywood.

18.  Razor Blades:  You want to scrape accumulated oxidation and grime off of surfaces to be glued.  I buy these by the 100-count box at Harbor Freight.  Let me clarify.  I bought a 100-count box from Harbor Freight several years ago.  Maybe I have used 10 over the years... You sure wouldn't want to shave with them, but they work great for what we need.

19.  Carpenter's Square:  To make sure things that are supposed to be square are.  I also use the straight edge as a straight edge. 

20.  Hammer:  Just a plain carpenter's hammer will do.  Mine is a high quality one I have had since Adam was a pup.

21.  Whatever supplies are appropriate for whatever adhesive you are using.  I have a bunch of graduated mixing cups and tongue depressors ordered from SystemThree along with the T-88.  The quart size (1 pint resin, 1 pint hardener) is plenty to do the ribs on Wag-a-Bond Traveler.

I also have a radial arm saw, which I have used for some things in airplane construction.  But you don't need one.  The table saw will do what needs to be done almost as conveniently.   

I think that covers it.  I will add items if I think of something else.