Tool box mould

1 Hour

Today's task was the create a mould for a glass fibre toolbox, using thin cardboard I have fabricated the basic shape of the box, It is fairly simple with dimensions of 248mm by 198mm and a sloping base of 98mm to 125mm. There is also a 16mm lip to allow the toolbox to be fixed to the fuselage/luggage bay.

It looks really cool, the next step is to tape it up to stop the epoxy resing sticking to it and then lay down two layers of BID (Bi-directional) fibreglass. As this is not a structural component the finish needs to be smooth so an excess of epoxy will be okay.

I plan of completing the tool box on Tuesda111y 2nd as I think the family will kill me if I try and spend all of the Bank Holiday in the garage.

Table Saw arrrived

Well, given that this thing is made from wood I thought I should invest in a table saw to help cut the wood. Most of it will come cut to order but some I will need to rip myself. The first problem I encountered is the blade is wide, I need to change it to one suited to fine cuts. Don't want to spend most of my time sanding smooth. - Should I invest in a planing machine? probably not.

Oh and I also got a whole bunch of clamps, about time they arrived. Makes work so much easier when you have the right tools. Finished of two more parts of the Elevator Tab Control (1 hour) , soon I will be able to put it into the pile marked 'Welding'.

The welding will need to be sent out as I am not a CAA (FAA equivalent for those in America) approved welder.

More tommorow

Metalwork 101

The last time I did any metal work was at school. I have to make a whole set of metal parts for the D150, from simple rectangular metal plates with holes in them to more complex metal systems like Flap accuating mechanisms, Mass Balance Arms and the like. If you are new to aviation and have no idea what these things are then keep reading as I intend to explain it all.

First Parts (5 hours)

Nut Plate: made from 0.125" 4130 mild steel. This is a rectangular piece of metal 60mm by 30mm with three holes. The are used to secure bolts and screws and ensure that the bolts do not damage the wood via direct contact. I have to make 4 of them. Its thick stuff and a metal cutting bandsaw is making slow work.

Photo to follow

once completed all the metal needs to be cleaned and them painted with a green chromate primer to protect it from corrosion. I'm keen on this bit as I don't want to fall out of the sky in 15 years time!!

So, lets catch up.

Firstly the Jodel D150 is a French designed wood and fabric (http://www.jodel.com for more information), two seater light aircraft. I am building it under supervision of the Popular Flying association (http://www.pfa.org.uk). This is a membership organisation on a par with the EAA in America.

The D150 should take 2,500 - 3,500 hours to build and I'm doing it from home and I reckon it will take me about 6 -7 years of spare time activity.

Steps completed so far; (4 hours )

1. Decided on the Jodel - not as easy as you might think, it took almost a year to settle on the aircraft I wanted to build.

2. Move house - yeah my old place did not have enough room so we moved to a house with space to build the 'hangar'

3. Build a 'hangar'/workshop - this has not yet happened but it is scheduled for May 2006 or possibly June. In the meantime I will be starting in the garage.

4. Get the tools together - Have been collecting a whole bunch of tools over the last 18 months and spent about £500-600.

5. Build a large work table. The main one needs to be 24 foot by 4ft!! but I can start smaller so I have built a 8 foot by 4 ft. This will allow me to start the smaller bits of woodwork.

6. Get some metal - the first task is to build a whole bunch of metal parts since this is a plans built model I have to source and manufacture everything. The next post will detail the start of that process.

What am I doing

Hi, My name is Andy and this blog will act as a build diary to track my progress in building a two-seat wood and fabric light aircraft. More information will follow shortly along with photos and a diary of my progress.

It should take me 6 or 7 years to build this thing so I hopeyou are in for the long haul.