SONEX CONSTRUCTION TOOLS

I need to do a big overhaul on this page sometime, as it really isn't very useful at the moment!

AIR TOOLS
Air Compressor: 3HP, 100psi or better (Scorpion XR16)
Air Drill: Sioux 1/ 4" 3600rpm 1/3hp 1.5lbs 6" long (Avery #1412)
Air Blind Rivet Gun
Air Die Grinder

POWER TOOLS
Cordless Battery Drill (for countersinking)
Drill Press: Slow speed model: <250 rpm.
Bench Grinder (with 6"x1" CP-7AM Scotchbrite wheel)
Bench Belt-Sander
Metal Cutting Bandsaw
Compound Slide Saw (Makita LS1013) with 80T+ Aluminium cutting blade

HAND TOOLS
Seaming pliers
Cleco Pliers
Deburring Tool: for straight edges
Deburring Tool: for drilled holes
Metal Files: 12" flat mill, round, half round, Vixen body file
Scotch Brite Pads, fine red maroon colour

MEASUREMENT TOOLS
Electronic Level
Tape measure (get a good, accurate one!)
Straight-edge (Aluminium, 36")

DRILLING TOOLS
Automatic Center punch
Unibits: #1, #20, and maybe #4
Cobalt Drill Bits (all 135 degree split point type)
   24 x #40, #30
   24 x 3/16", 1/8"

CLAMPING TOOLS
Cleco Fasteners: 150 x 3/32", 150 x 1/8"
Cleco Side-Grip Clamps
Handi-Clamps (can't have too many!?)

RIVETING ATTACHMENTS
Pop Rivet Dimplers: 3/32", 1/8"

BENCH EQUIPMENT
Bench Vise with rubber/felt soft-jaw attachements

SAFETY EQUIPMENT
Leather Gloves
Respirator Mask
Ear-Muffs
Safety Glasses

 

MUSTANG-II CONSTRUCTION TOOLS

These are the tools I have from my Mustang-II project. I'm sure they will be enough for building the Sonex, apart from having to buy an Air Blind Rivet Gun.

AIR TOOLS
Air Compressor: 3HP, 100psi or better (Scorpion XR16)
Air Tool Regulator / Swivel Joint: for Rivet Gun
Air Rivet Gun: Aircraft 2X (Avery Tools)
Air Rivet Squeezer #214 style incl. standard yoke & flange yoke, shims etc.
Air Drill: Sioux 1/ 4" 3600rpm 1/3hp 1.5lbs 6" long (Avery #1412)
Air Spraygun (touch-up / airbrush)
Air Blind Rivet Gun
Air Spraygun (HVLP)
Air Die Grinder (I'm using a Dremel tool instead, for now)

POWER TOOLS
Cordless Battery Drill (for countersinking)
Dremel Multipro tool (for grinding, shaping etc.)
Drill Press: Slow speed model: <250 rpm.
Bench Grinder (with 6"x1" CP-7AM Scotchbrite wheel & buffing wheel)
Bench Belt-Sander
Metal Cutting Bandsaw
Scotch Brite Surface Conditioning Disc/kit: attaches to drill motor

HAND TOOLS
Offset Metal-Cutting Snips (3): straight + left + right
Hand Rivet Squeezer (or pneumatic squeezer, above)
Vise Grip Dimpler: 3/32" dimple die welded to tip
Fluting pliers
Seaming pliers
Edge Breaking / Flanging tool
Cleco Pliers
Rivet Cutter
Deburring Tool: for straight edges
Deburring Tool: for drilled holes
Metal Files: 12" flat mill, round, half round, Vixen body file
Scotch Brite Pads, fine red color
Tube Flaring tool (100 degree aircraft type)
Tube Cutter

MEASUREMENT TOOLS
Plumb Bob
Electronic Level
Rivet Spacing Fan
Rivet Length / Shop Head gauge
Tape measure and rules (6" & 12")

DRILLING TOOLS
Microstop Machine Countersink cage: with #6, #8, #30, #40 piloted cutters
Drill Stops: 3/32" & 1/8"
Automatic Center punch
Adjustable Reamer to 1/4", 9/16"
Unibits: #1 and #4
Cobalt Drill Bits (all 135 degree split point type)
   12 x #30, #40
   04 x #20
   02 x #13
   03 x 1/8"
   01 x #D, 5/16", 3/8"
   Jobber: #30, #40, #50, 3/16",1/8", #41, #12, D
   Long (12"): #30, #40, #50, 3/16",1/8"
   Right Angle: #30, #40

CLAMPING TOOLS
Cleco Fasteners: 150 x 3/32", 150 x 1/8"
Cleco Side-Grip Clamps
Handi-Clamps (can't have too many!?)
C-clamps: 12 x 1", 12 x 2", a few of each size in the deep throat type.

RIVETING ATTACHMENTS
Gun Riveting Sets: Universal straight & offset 3/32" & 1/8"
Gun Riveting Sets: Flush, Flush Swivel, Backriveting Set
Squeezer Riveting sets: Flush, Universal 1/8" and 3/32"
Dimple dies: 3/32", 1/8", AN509 screws #6, #8, #10
Pop Rivet Dimplers: 3/32", 1/8"
Back Riveting Plate (steel plate approx 1/2" x 15" x 6" smooth faces)
Bucking Bars (ATS kit #10PC) + one drilled for dimple die shank .187"

BENCH EQUIPMENT
Bench Vise: 4" or larger
Hand Riveting and Dimpling Arbor
Bending Brake 18"

SAFETY EQUIPMENT
Leather Gloves (for sheet aluminium handling)
Respirator Mask (for spraying primer etc.)
Ear-Muffs (for riveting)
Safety Glasses (for grinding etc.)

I compiled the above list after reading through many RV builder's recommended tools lists, Mustang Aeronautics & Van's Aircraft recommended tools and tool suppliers kit contents.  Currently, I still don't fully understand when, where or how to use many of these items, or whether they fall into the must have, should have, would be nice to have, or is totally useless categories.  As I progress thought the construction process I hope to categorise them according to their usefulness.  For now, the green items are ones that I have.

images/misc/tools1.jpg  images/misc/tools2.jpg  images/misc/tools3.jpg

I have heard that a pneumatic rivet squeezer is a very useful tool to have when building the M-II.  They are pretty expensive though, and at first I didn't think I could justify the cost.  But of course I wanted one anyway!  Then I came across this picture on an RV builder's website.  It shows a pneumatic squeezer being used on a custom made " mega-yoke", dimpling RV wing skins.  The RV builder had borrowed it from a friend and was very impressed with it; precise, fast, consistent dimples with no operator effort!  So seeing as the pneumatic-riveter can do the job of both the hand-squeezers and the C-frame dimpling arbor, I'm having one!  The cost is significantly offset by not having to buy hand-squeezers and c-frame.  That's what I'm telling myself anyway, even though I have already borrowed both those tools!  And of course, I haven't priced that great big piece of steel plate yet... :)

My Tool Recommendations (to be completed once I've actually started working on the Sonex)

For starters, please be aware that I'm a tool freak. I'm just starting on the centre-section and so far I've spent nearly as much money on tools as I have on everything else. Maybe even more, in fact. Partly this is because I had so few tools to begin with (I still don't have a decent bench-vice!) but also because I believe in buying good tools that I will enjoy using, if I can afford it. I will try to be objective, but nonetheless please bear my perspective in mind!

I bought almost all of my aircraft-specific tools from Avery Tools. They were exceptionally pleasant to deal with and I thoroughly recommend them. I didn't buy one of their standard toolkits because I had already been loaned or given many items (clecos, c-frame tool, 2X rivet gun etc.). However because my order was still fairly large they gave me a significant discount anyway, at least as good as the toolkit prices. And they had that fantastic pneumatic-squeezer sale on...! One thing worth mentioning that I didn't buy from Avery was the bucking bar set, which I purchased instead from Aircraft Tool Supply (ATS). The ATS 10-piece set seemed better and cheaper than the Avery offerings.