Building a 750 STOL as soon as I get the pole barn walls and doors closed in. I have the rudder completed and will start on the elevator/stab soon. Looks like you're doing a great job and taking your time. Was just curious how many parts have you messed up on and had to reorder from Zenith or remake on your own? Any high dollar stuff I need to be on the lookout for? Nice safety tip on gloves. I wear them all the time on the farm. Skin has gotten so thin I can walk by barb wire and get a scratch. LOL!
No high dollar stuff destroyed. Maybe 20.00 bucks worth total on windscreen side trim and couple feet of some angle aluminum. When your parts come make sure they are correct and for the aircraft your working on right away. Example part numbers for each model plane may only have slight difference C75-6744 vs 75-6744 in this example the C75 stands for Cruzer and the 75-6744 would be for like a different model Zenith. Several times we did not get needed parts in shipments but no big deal just inform Zenith and they are great about getting them to you. Work at a pace good for you not what others do. I take a long time because 1. I am an A&P aircraft tech and very detailed and will fab on parts till I am satisfied with them. 2. I only work maybe couple days a week on the Cruzer. Follow you plans and make sure nuts and bolts and rivets are the correct ones in the proper place. There you go brotherSTOL thats my main advice Have Fun BBD, Oh one more thing Seabee if you get the tool kit from Zenith it has worked out well for me but as for any Pneumatic tool such as the rivet pneumatic tool that you may be using make sure it is properly cleaned and oiled with proper oil before using. The last thing you want is to be riveting in a crazy position and have it freeze up on you when pulling a rivet then your stuck with a rivet tool hanging from your rivet which won't release. Food for thought --- BBD
Always test fit parts you fab on or the ones you don't because (If they don't fit properly there is something needed to be done so it will fit) Im done on this reply for now. Hahaha sorry for the lengthy replies I just can't stop......
Get plenty of clecos of each size more than you think you need. aaaand never rest your cleco'd parts on the cleco's it makes for a not too pretty dented rivet installation...
Where did you get your sawhorses? Did they come with casters? Or you made them? Vertically adjustable for leveling? Cool looking setup for finishing fuselage!
sawhorses we purchased at Home Depot. We put bolts thru the holes already on the sawhorse leg feet then thru a 2x4 then thru casters. Casters purchased also from Home Depot. Work top was built and 2x4s the length of the work table top under the top screwed into the length of each side of the tabke The 2x4s fit into slots on the horses. The sawhorses have adjustable slots that the 2x4 frame under the table fit into. saw horses also adjustable for height. All this makes the table portable and moveable anywhere you want it and when done with it it comes apart and stores easily. The casters and 2x4s on the sawhorse legs are can also be removed by just taking the bolts out and you can be left with the original saw horses to sell them or store them in a small space. The work table was very easy to level using shim here and there. We also built another one using one of the kit shipping crate tops saving the cost of wood for the work top on that one which was built the same way. The forward fuselage was built on a smaller work table and the aft fuselage built on the large portable table, then when it was time it was easy to mate the two together as required. We also built a wing on the large table and built the other wing on the other large table built from the crate top. We then built a portable wing sling to hold and store both wings until ready to fit the wings to the fuselage. Wing sling we built has larger pneumatic tires, wings are somewhat heavy and needed the larger tires to support that kind of weight and made the wings easy to roll out of the hanger when moving them around.
Building a 750 STOL as soon as I get the pole barn walls and doors closed in. I have the rudder completed and will start on the elevator/stab soon. Looks like you're doing a great job and taking your time. Was just curious how many parts have you messed up on and had to reorder from Zenith or remake on your own? Any high dollar stuff I need to be on the lookout for? Nice safety tip on gloves. I wear them all the time on the farm. Skin has gotten so thin I can walk by barb wire and get a scratch. LOL!
Awesome SeabeeSTOL good luck and stay in touch BBD (Build Boss Dude)
No high dollar stuff destroyed. Maybe 20.00 bucks worth total on windscreen side trim and couple feet of some angle aluminum. When your parts come make sure they are correct and for the aircraft your working on right away. Example part numbers for each model plane may only have slight difference C75-6744 vs 75-6744 in this example the C75 stands for Cruzer and the 75-6744 would be for like a different model Zenith. Several times we did not get needed parts in shipments but no big deal just inform Zenith and they are great about getting them to you. Work at a pace good for you not what others do. I take a long time because 1. I am an A&P aircraft tech and very detailed and will fab on parts till I am satisfied with them. 2. I only work maybe couple days a week on the Cruzer. Follow you plans and make sure nuts and bolts and rivets are the correct ones in the proper place. There you go brotherSTOL thats my main advice Have Fun BBD, Oh one more thing Seabee if you get the tool kit from Zenith it has worked out well for me but as for any Pneumatic tool such as the rivet pneumatic tool that you may be using make sure it is properly cleaned and oiled with proper oil before using. The last thing you want is to be riveting in a crazy position and have it freeze up on you when pulling a rivet then your stuck with a rivet tool hanging from your rivet which won't release. Food for thought --- BBD
Always test fit parts you fab on or the ones you don't because (If they don't fit properly there is something needed to be done so it will fit) Im done on this reply for now. Hahaha sorry for the lengthy replies I just can't stop......
Get plenty of clecos of each size more than you think you need. aaaand never rest your cleco'd parts on the cleco's it makes for a not too pretty dented rivet installation...
Where did you get your sawhorses? Did they come with casters? Or you made them? Vertically adjustable for leveling? Cool looking setup for finishing fuselage!
sawhorses we purchased at Home Depot. We put bolts thru the holes already on the sawhorse leg feet then thru a 2x4 then thru casters. Casters purchased also from Home Depot. Work top was built and 2x4s the length of the work table top under the top screwed into the length of each side of the tabke The 2x4s fit into slots on the horses. The sawhorses have adjustable slots that the 2x4 frame under the table fit into. saw horses also adjustable for height. All this makes the table portable and moveable anywhere you want it and when done with it it comes apart and stores easily. The casters and 2x4s on the sawhorse legs are can also be removed by just taking the bolts out and you can be left with the original saw horses to sell them or store them in a small space. The work table was very easy to level using shim here and there. We also built another one using one of the kit shipping crate tops saving the cost of wood for the work top on that one which was built the same way. The forward fuselage was built on a smaller work table and the aft fuselage built on the large portable table, then when it was time it was easy to mate the two together as required. We also built a wing on the large table and built the other wing on the other large table built from the crate top. We then built a portable wing sling to hold and store both wings until ready to fit the wings to the fuselage. Wing sling we built has larger pneumatic tires, wings are somewhat heavy and needed the larger tires to support that kind of weight and made the wings easy to roll out of the hanger when moving them around.