First, Build a Shed

[Cherrybark]

Thank you for the kind comment Ross.

Before ordering a Kitfox I spent a few weeks reading through the Discussion section of the forum and bookmarking helpful sections. The build threads offered real insight into just what it takes to complete this project. Documenting my build is a simple way to make a contribution.

[efwd]

Hey Carl
sounds like your enjoying the build as I have been. Ive slowed down considerably though. Im only a few months ahead of you but you may be passing me up soon it sounds like. I started March 15th. A Dremel tool is a must in my opinion. I didn't get one until late May. The little sanding drums make short work of extending the notched area of those ribs. With a plastic cutting disk you can make short work of the seat pan also and radius the corners of your cutouts with the sanding drums. I bought an inexpensive band saw for the bench top. That thing is really weak though. I had to buy a metal cutting band but dulled on the first use when cutting the metal pipe for the rudder pedals. It does OK when cutting small wood ribs and plexi glass but it seems I have difficulty following the line as the blade wants to twist and then track some other direction. I am getting better at it as I started just letting the blade do the work and quit feeding the material too fast. Keep up the posts since youll be passing me up soon and I can learn from you. Whish I had found the builders tip section here before I started work.
Eddie

[TahoeTim]

I also used a dremel with a sanding drum om the ribs. I bought a dremel viba tool for the door plexi. It worked great. I took the door hinge material to a machine shop and had them cut out professionally. I think it cost $50 but it was cheaper than a band saw. I blocked up the tail and installed all the tail ribs on the plane. It was a breeze.

I rigged my wings with the fuselage on the ground and then mounted it on the landing gear, no wheels, to do the rest. I also finished the wings while mounted to the plane. No rotisserie. I'm at the covering stage so I think I will have to use a rotisserie for the wings now.

After a few winter months off, I am jumping back in to finish my plane this summer.

[Cherrybark]

A Dremel has been my "machine shop" for years. Very handy devices and one quickly gets over the expense of sanding disc and other bits when considering alternatives.

I've been dreading reaming the horizontal stabilizer bushings after reading comments of slowly twisting reamers with vice grips or grinding the end square and using a small wrench. That brought visions of spreading the task over two or three days in order to not go craze with the drudgery. Looking at the 7/16" reamer I decided to try and grind a hex shape that might fit the ratcheting box end of a 5/16" Gearwrench combination wrench. I introduced the reamer to Mr. Bench Grinder and soon had a rough hex that was good enough for the box end to get a secure grip. The pictures show how rough the hex shape can be. The small box end clears the aluminum tubing but blue tape protects against an awkward slip. Reaming all of the bearing tubes took a little over 10 minutes, including stopping to take a couple of pictures. It was such a pleasant surprise that I went ahead and installed the bearings using the drill press / sandpaper "lathe" and frequent test fits. It all went without a hitch.

[TahoeTim]

you discovered half the secret

i posted how I ground a hex in mine, added a knuckle, extension, and a socket wrench and cranked them out in a few minutes. i pressed my bushings in with a bolt and big washers super fast before the glue set up. no hammer


good job!

put your fuse on the gear and you'll see how nice the height is and how stable it is. i stuck my gear legs on furniture dollies (filled in with plywood) and built the whole thing that way. I had the tail on another dolly and an egg crate so I could roll it around. I sat in it a thousand times and wired it up that way.

[Cherrybark]

Tim,

Almost certainly I read your post while studying the forum and the idea, if not the source, came to mind when looking at the problem.

This is a great resource for builders but organizing the suggestions or successfully searching for just the right phrase is difficult.

[Esser]

I agree about putting it on landing gear. It's a nice height and the only thing you have to do on the bottom is that aluminum stringer. You could do that while it's still on a rotisserie.