What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Stumped before I start

DonFromTX

Well Known Member
This is embarassing, I can't figure out how to put the assembly manual together! The instruction sheet was printed when the copy machine was about out of toner, nothing but a few dark spots. Something just HAS to be missing from this assembly, attached photo is all I got. I would guess there should be some sort of plastic "nails" to put thru the holes in the manual.
j674pc.jpg
 
Pre Punch kit???

Hey DonfromTX, at least the binder is a pre-punched kit! That should make it easier to figure out!:D

There should be two ~12" long plastic rods that get inserted in the binder. Self explanatory as soon as you find them.
 
Don't be embarrassed, Don. I believe EVERYBODY had this problem, especially as the assembly copy Van's provides is not legible.
If you still need help with it I can make some photos of it tonight of how I believe it is supposed to go together. Anyway, it does work the way I did it, which by no means would prove that I am correct :D
 
Don! Don't touch a thing! I will be right down to help.

How warm is it down there? Should I pack shorts? ;)
 
Definitely wear shorts, I got overheated unloading the truck today, had to come inside where it is airconditioned to cool off. Are you having that problem up there? Good thing is I can go out to the Orange tree and get a ripe fruit to provide energy.
Missing RODS!! That was about what I guessed. Maybe they are in the finish kit or someplace I have not looked yet. The covers were sealed in a plastic sack, no rods or nails there, none in the assembly sheets envelope either. Oh well, I got a week or more counting all this stuff to see what else is missing..

Don! Don't touch a thing! I will be right down to help.

How warm is it down there? Should I pack shorts? ;)
 
Yah, the whole kit will be like that Don. Plans make no sense, nothing fits together, parts missing, etc. I'll be down next week to take the whole friggin mess off your hands. :)
 
Don't even joke that way, with parts all over the garage and hangar, this is a bit overwhelming to an old guy. Shucks, I will be all week just doing inventory count on that stinking box of 10,000 pop rivets!

Yah, the whole kit will be like that Don. Plans make no sense, nothing fits together, parts missing, etc. I'll be down next week to take the whole friggin mess off your hands. :)
 
use wire ties

If you can not find the straps, try using wire ties with the heads cut off. Tuck the ends under the sliding plastic parts.
Buy some cabinets with little drawers to store all of the fasteners in. Label each drawer and enter the part numbers and location in a spreadsheet. I know that you are anxious to start building and do not want to take the time to organize everything. But a few days spent entering data on the computer now will save you weeks of hunting for parts. I found out the hard way.
Joe
 
Don't even joke that way, with parts all over the garage and hangar, this is a bit overwhelming to an old guy. Shucks, I will be all week just doing inventory count on that stinking box of 10,000 pop rivets!

Uhhhh....Okee Dokee Don, have at er.
 
Manual

Don, Take the cover of the manual down to Office Depot in Brownsville or wherever and they can get you the white plastic thingies to secure the pages. Eventually you'll have the entire manual in one volume with the updates clipped to the appropriate pages. While you are there, buy a big magnifying glass to read the updates if you don't have an oversize printer. Vans doesn't tell us where the changes are on update pages so you gotta go looking for 'em.

Jim
 
Toss the binder away. Take the plans down to your local "what used to be Kinko's" store and have them bind several sections together with the wire spiral binding. You'll be able to open the plans flat. It'll be a significant improvement.

For example, I had sections 6 through 12 bound together. When you look at the table of contents you'll get a feel for which sections you want to be together.

Dave
 
Well, I found the rods or nails, white plastic things with a taper on each end. Now if I can figure out how the heck they were supposed to hook in there.
 
I'm with David on this. Boot it baby!:rolleyes: I would try to find a 3 ring binder down at kinkos cause during your build process you are going to want to be able to grab out one sheet and carry it over to your work bench to compare it to parts you are working with. If the plans are in that stupid binder you will never be able to get it out very easily. at the end of the project you can then bind them if you want that way the plane will fly better.:rolleyes: What do they say,"every buddy's got one".....an opinion that is!:p
 
Another 2 cents worth - -

I did not put all the pages in the binder until I was done with the build. I found it nice to have about 5 pages on the work bench at once. Could look forward and back a little if needed. I felt it worked great. Much easier to move a few sheets around than an entire book. I wrote a note in pencil on each step when finished, with a date. Worked well. Also note, us early builder were getting lots of revisions pages, and it was easier to just stick them in the place they went, without un-doing the binder.

John Bender
 
Last edited:
Well, you guys have given me an idea. I have one of those binder thingeys that punch a row of rectangular holes, then put a curly plastic thing in the holes, and you can make a book that way. Nice thing is you can add to it, remove pages, it always lays flat, whatever you need. Think I will try that.
 
Mine went in the trash after 30 seconds...

now using simple three ring binder. Talk about wasting some good inventory/build time dealing with that. I hope Van's realizes how many are going into the landfills.
 
OTT

I laminated mine then put the laminated sheets in transparent pockets in ring binders, six of 'em. I need a truck to carry this lot around. It did mean I could use single pages on the bench with no risk of damage/tearing or whatever. And became redundant as Vans issued changes...

Oh, and what's a 3-ring binder? In the UK everything is 4-ring and A3 sheet size. Can't get those funny sheet sizes you guys use. I suppose they work with those old-fashioned inch spanners you also use. Oh, and a wrench is a spanner ;-)

Anon
 
We always wonder why you guys talk funny and use those wrenches that don't ever seem to fit anything. :)
 
So far I have got along with the Vans binder, I put the whole plane plans in there, right now I have to be looking at everything to get it all squared in my mind.
14m72w7.jpg
 
Back
Top