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Tools you modified/made

flion

Well Known Member
Drill a #40 hole at 1" mark on a tape measure and cleco it in place.

Never thought of that - but somehow it would bother me to drill into my tape measure.

From another thread, but it made me think. Pristine tools are a joy, no doubt about it. But I have a handful of specially made or modified tools and have seen more in the shops of other mechanics. The forums are also full of advice to "grind a flat" in a wrench or "weld a socket" to a special handle or the like. So I thought it might be useful to have a centralized place for RV-specific tools that have been created for those special occasions when a standard tool won't work.

Along with my drilled (it's not my only, or even new) tape measure, I also have a half dozen cheap aluminum yardsticks, which are somewhat flexible, can be bent, drilled, or sanded/filed without weeping because they are so cheap, and are handy because they can be clamped or clecoed. I started using them when building the RV-6A fuselage (before pre-punching) to be sure the distances from bulkhead to bulkhead were consistent from side to side, but they still have a ton of uses.

I expect to add more tools, and photos, to this thread and hope others will as well. Wait until you see the grinding I did on a squeezer yoke to get into some tight spaces...
 
Great idea, Patrick. I just posted in another location, but this will be a first installment for your thread.

Oil filter adapter. A socket was used, separating the hex portion from the the 1/2" square drive. The square drive was clocked so a beam torque wrench could be used at 90 deg or zero degrees. The scale is included but it is easy to just make with an old filter on the bench with a known offset.

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Offset Rivet Holder

I tried wrapping the set with tape but it always moved arrrrgh. A small piece of baffle works nicely, the set is tight and will not wander in use. It improved my offset rivets tremendously, but my removal skills deteriorated. :rolleyes:

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You have just made my offset useable again, thank you! I swore it off because of the wander. I never could hold consistent pressure to stop the wander because it never fails, the rivet is in a spot that requires some body contortion.

I tried wrapping the set with tape but it always moved arrrrgh. A small piece of baffle works nicely, the set is tight and will not wander in use. It improved my offset rivets tremendously, but my removal skills deteriorated. :rolleyes:

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Wrench I modified for get into the restricted area to tighten / loosen CHT probes. No doubt lots of better ways but working with what I had, this is what I came up with.
 

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I'd like to see a video of any offset set creating a decent rivet.

Probably impossible to get video of as it requires 3.2 hands, your tongue stuck out at exactly the right angle and the phase of the moon to be just right. I've done it a few times, but wouldn't tout any "skill".
 
Rear spar drill jig

Rear spar drill jig uses standard drill bushings and insures a straight and true hole.
 

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Neat stuff! I'm glad I thought to start this. It took me a couple days to find or make photos of the tools I wanted to show and I won't put them all in a single post. I'll start off with squeezer yokes.

The first photo is a yoke that would not quite sit square on some rivets where the ribs were close together, so I notched the back side to allow some more clearance with the rib flanges (seat ribs in the -10, as I recall).

The second photo is a yoke modified to give close clearance around the set, when using the narrow sets. Yes, I was horrified at first to grind down a yoke. And the notches in the first yoke still leave plenty of strength to squeeze AN6-x rivets.
 

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Thinking of modded tools, wrenches come easily to mind. I have two, shown in the first photo, that serve to handle fluid fittings in tight places. The short one, especially, I did not regret buying a cheap Husky wrench and cutting down so I could work with the vent line fittings in the narrow space between tank and fuselage on the RV-6A.

The next photo shows a bucking bar drilled for a squeezer set. This was so I could backset standard rivets when the normal gun set could not be positioned due to interference by some other part. There is also a hole near the edge, in case you missed it, for close quarters work. I didn't need to, but could have put one in a corner of the bar for really tight spaces. Those holes can also be used to help bring skins together by putting behind a rivet and lightly tapping the manufactured head.

The last photo shows a quick and dirty fix for when my last roll pin broke (they seem awfully brittle) in my back riveting set. I used a dull 1/8" bit in place of the roll pin, but went back to roll pins once a new batch arrived (there must be a reason they break and I don't want to transfer that reason to the set itself by using a too-strong pin).
 

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Last ones, for now. These are made tools. The first is a simple rest for round stock, made quickly with scrap angle and a few rivets. The second takes a bit of explanation, for those of you building all-pre-punched kits. In the RV-6A (and probably the other early models), you built the wing tanks by first positioning the rear baffle on the main spar. Getting the right distance from spar web to baffle could be complicated by spar rivets, etc., so I made a set of adjustable spacers (8 in all). Each one had "feet" which were just screws that could be used to adjust the height and level of the spacers. Once the spacers were right, then clamp the baffle over them, add the ribs, and then use straps to clamp the skin over the tank structure for locating and drilling the ribs and baffle. Oh, those were the days! Pre-punching takes all the fun out of it... :rolleyes:

I have a machinist friend, Phil Cobbin (RV-7A), who handled the drilling of the gear legs and other tasks for my RV-10. Unfortunately, we couldn't get the fuselage structure into his mill so, instead, he made up a drilling jig for the steps for me out of a chunk of nylon. Slip the jig over the fuselage weldment (the back side is relieved for flange clearance and there are two reliefs so the one jig works for both sides) and position it, slip the step into place and position it (I leveled the step with the main longeron), and drill through the jig (the hole for the drill can just be seen inside the hole for the step weldment and runs the length of the jig). Now that I think of it, having a machinist friend, if you aren't one yourself, may be the best tool of all to acquire.:) That really long run helps insure the bit doesn't wander; my steps came out with no play at all and dead through the center. It helps that he also machined plugs for the step tubes which were pressed in and drilled at the same time, to keep them from distorting when the bolt was torqued.
 

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Home brew tools

It's a good practice to buy cheapo wrenches and sockets from the thrift store. Super cheap. If you need a special tool, just grab the cheapp and modify it. Most of them cost pennies.
 
Little Rubber Grommets

I can’t take credit for this. Someone on here taught me this trick. It has been flawless and is now a must do always. Use rubber grommets on shop head of both 3/32 and 1/8” rivets. Buy two sizes of small grommets from Lowes. And I say Lowes, NOT home depot, because those arsehats dont support veterans. Lowes does. Anyways, I had a chronic issue when both squeezing and even worse when bucking rivets, the skins would separate or bubble. Now I use small rubber grommets, ESPECIALLY when squeezing rivets. Doing so puts just enough pressure on the two parts or skins or whatever. Since doing this I’ve not had one effed up rivet, not one.
 
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Home Depot does support vets

Not sure what Home Depot you shop at but all Home depots in CA give vets 10% off. They sometimes ask for proof of veteran status. In CA we can apply to the Dept of Motor Vehicles and get a drivers license that says VETERAN on it.

The other day at Home Depot I was buying a few foam paint brushes for under ten bucks. When I checked out the cashier asked if I was a vet. I replied I was but didn't bring my wallet to prove it. She said "I trust you, thanks for your service." So I don't think Home Depot is run by arseholes.
 
Don’t have a third hand?

You take an old pair or snips and cut a “V” in the end of a hacksaw blade. You can then squeeze the adel ears together with a pair of pliers with one hand, slip the hacksaw blade onto the threads of the bolt with your second hand, then you don’t need your third hand to thread on the nut.

The hacksaw blade will hold everything in place and you can get the nut started then pull off the blade.
 

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You take an old pair or snips and cut a “V” in the end of a hacksaw blade. You can then squeeze the adel ears together with a pair of pliers with one hand, slip the hacksaw blade onto the threads of the bolt with your second hand, then you don’t need your third hand to thread on the nut.

The hacksaw blade will hold everything in place and you can get the nut started then pull off the blade.

THAT is genius. I hate Adel clamps, but they’re so damned good once they’re installed..
 
Holding Fixture

Not so much making a tool as putting together common items to fulfill a specific need. In this case, I needed to be able to hold the hat switch out of an Infinity stick grip to unsolder / solder wires. Take some items laying around the shop, add a smattering of clamps and c'est voila, a holding fixture, in the airplane, no removal required.
 

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Lacing Tape Holder

When wiring and needing more hands, I quickly made this lacing tape holder. The flat board at the bottom is clamped to a nearby location and the little split stainless tab at the top will cut the tape. A strip can be liberated and cut with one hand in tight quarters.

I found lacing the wiring much easier to make neat, tight bundles than with zip ties. It is lighter, just as tight, and has a higher temperature rating. High temp even for FWF.

Lacing Tape Holder IMG_2716.jpg
 
Clamps get no love

I've found that clamps are a huge aid to the build process, especially when solo ( read: all the time ). I'm surprised they are not talked about more - maybe they are just so ubiquitous / obvious.

I copied this idea from a woodworking bench I saw - turn the entire front of your standard EAA bench into a clamp with some wide 2x's and a couple of 1" diameter long threaded rods (12" ?). LOCTITE 2 nuts externally, and mount a second set under the bench so that the "clamp" screws in / out. A socket/adapter on a drill makes adjustment quick and easy.

Workpieces are held at a comfortable level, without having to bend over.

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Other ideas:

Spar holder

Supported dimpling table
 
Lightspeed Crank Trigger tool

If you want to change ignition timing on a Lightspeed crank trigger, you normally remove prop/flywheel to get to the screws. I made a socket to fit a Blue-Point YA480A which allows you to do it while assembled. The sprag clutch has zero drag, so you're not fighting a ratchet. Made the socket by epoxying 1/4" round stock into the square drive.

2s0omC0tDk-uUF7DkN-_Nwlb2gn6I3o-RaddidhpT1LIZ9q_tK23BzbFHvIg3puHZgVSDM_7GU1NqL0eEQu9uB0mSgnRXNde8ZID7p_tWz5a8_IdY745Ud9C-IReSiAzxqIGMR0MWJSy9vCZufkJJkZ1r2baAF86AEohbOm-XSnl5XAKL6qdqFb2A67Cc3XhCwmr1m3qu0oJoxDUdcxXyAECAleTAbBG6tm1WkQSn1XeuAH9IlloOmgr2BUfjDCOwX2HLmAsDll7lwyDp94WMnnIJH59i0x315HNtDir8t6mDr_VRA1QE-C3skUkqEKsAq_Ll9D5XsE2vVLayDLhiGTZbDxAwwcESGRFd0aQCEq4MSWl_X2Bqh4IOshk2_ggj0i1FK6yADNlg1zqDEvoDHfpjR_UjZ1NoD2fghY0DzleyJeDJLQvDtK2M5qx6EcBxPkqVKI-FftCVDhPooDcke_F1r6SpkVnkE-ikt6w3pRz0QLoV2bdV6N2mEWuafBXhyvzfs8WkP8TwKeTjhRA1ZwX1eVN17b6IVjPcT4ZLprTfxGQGMxDe2VZPM6lEad4syEpOU-zGHmPF2HPmcyHfV6G9bCfOuNT-AU-za_E_z_u2BvZLMNLVAwHumgNr7uBu8Ri2VxKK9IaVmnXNCX1UC3bacbLztaVzG1fNXhCw78PBe5ILWHh90XvjjKm=w750


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I'm into the "trash tools" buckets very often. Usually straight to the mill, lathe, welding table, bandsaw...

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Am I allowed to count some of the creative ways I taped random objects to bucking bars? I've got a few good examples of that.

At one point I wanted a sort of miniature footed bucking bar; this was for the bulkhead-skin rivets alongside the v-stab attach bars. I ended up duct-taping my tungsten bucking bar to a gasket scraper. Worked really well.

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Another fun one came from riveting the forward bottom skin. The tight angle created where this meets the forward floor at the center section makes for fun bucking access. I cut some scrap wood to make a wedge that matched the angle between the two pieces, then carpet-taped a thin tungsten bar to the wedge. A bit of pressure on the wide side of the wedge moves the whole assembly as the shop head is formed, thus keeping the bucking bar in contact.

IMG_7051.jpg
 
I stole this idea from someone else.
These clamps were made to hold the plexiglass canopy in place on the side rails while using the Sikaflex adhesive.

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Ready for use here:
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In use here:
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I ended up passing them on to another builder, who I met briefly at the Reno Air Race RV gathering. Not sure who has them now!
 
In addition to the obligatory bent wrenches and ground down sockets I have these gems in my toolbox;

1&2- Screwdrivers made by stuffing the appropriate end up into a tube of leftover B2/proseal before it cures. Typically use them with an apex bit dipped in valve grinding compound or some other abrasive grit to get a bite on damaged screw heads on inspection panels where the nut plates are galled or whatever. If you can get a good bite, then either the screw is coming out or the head is breaking off. Either way, problem solved.

3- built for one of the starter generator studs on a Citation (think it was a CJ2 but can't remember for sure now) space is so limited in there that you can basically get 1 click at a time with most ratchets, so once you get it broken loose, you can swap out for this boxed end screwdriver thing and get more like a 1/3 of a turn on the nut with each push/pull
 

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Screw driver for D sub connectors

Removing or installing D sub connector with those two little slotted screw can sometimes be an exercise in frustration, especially when they are hidden behind the panel with limited access. I made this little screwdriver to make it a little easier to loosen or tighten these annoying little screws. Consists of a piece of Al tubing whose ID just fits over the screw, and a small screw driver blade epoxied to the inside the tube. The screw driver blade is recessed a bit in the tube. Works well.

Warren
KMIC
N671CW
 

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