Souix palm drill, 3600 rpm. Purchased from Brown tool. On sale for $200 and free shipping for orders over $85. This drill is light and has great trigger action.
Mike Crow, one of the my instructors at Alexander Technical Center posted this on the Matronics RV List. If you are considering purchasing your tools in "Kit" form, IMHO this is great advice. Below is what Mike wrote.
To introduce myself first I am an A&P mechanic with an IA. I work as a Lead Mechanic for a major air line. For the past two years I have worked part time at the Alexander Technical Center at Griffin GA. as an instructor on their quick start tail assembly program. http://www.buildtofly.com/
I have been involved in over 100 tail kits. I have worked on the 6,7,8,9 and 10 kits; I am also building a RV8A myself.
As each class begins I ask if the student have already purchased their tools. My hopes are that they have not as we have a good selection of tools to try from the different manufacturers. The ones that have gotten their tools before coming often say I wish I had gotten this tool or that tool instead. In the following I will try to give you a list and suggestions of tools that I have learned over the past two years. Please keep in mind that this information is my opinion and mine alone. Others may agree or disagree.
There are two major suppliers of tools for the RV tail kits that I recommend Avery and Cleaveland both are RV builders and are good and honest people to do business with.
I would buy a tool kit from Avery or Cleaveland to begin with. Both will allow you to add or subtract the tools you want to the kit. I will use both their 2004 catalogs as a guide. (The information is updated for Cleaveland's 2005 catalog)
First if you buy Cleaveland's kit I would buy their complete airframe tool package p/n Comp-Kit 05.
I would subtract from the kit:
BBRP-48 Back Riveting Plate-It is a nice plate but too small in my opinion. (Cleaveland must be listening they now have an optional 4"x16" back riveting plate. Get the bigger plate)
CF-80 C-Frame Riveting Tool-More about C-Frames later but if you get this one also order their C-From Table Kit CTF-48
ASRD-14 Air Swivel Regulator- has been changed it now has a click type knob. This is the type requlator you will want.
I would add to the kit:
I would suggest the 3X Rivet gun- The 2x works good on the 3/32 rivet but
not well on the 1/8 rivet. Get a 3x to work well on the 1/8 and turn down
the pressure a little to do the 3/32 or better yet buy one of each. The 3X is standard in the kit.
DP-8 Drive Pin Punches- This is a nice punch set you could get by with only the 3/32 and 1/8 which come in the kit. (you will be removing a few bad rivets)
LBL-13 BOELUBE Do not drill lead without it.
3MW-77S6 Light deburring wheel- You get a rougher one in the kit you need both. Go to Home Depot or Lowe's and get a grinder and install these wheels.
3MP-47 Scotch-Brite pads-you will need plenty. The kit now has 5 pads.
DIE509-10 #10 SCREW DIMPLE DIES-You will need these to dimple for the screws for the lead weights
SNYT-405 4in THIN NOSE YOKE- You are going to need a thin nose and a 4in nose get them both in one.
SNYF-251 2.5in FLANGE NOSE YOKE- There is places where nothing else is going to reach.
RSMS-75 SWIVEL FLUSH SET WITH RUBBER GUARD-You must cut some of the rubber down or you rivets will set too high
CLP-20 CLEKO PLIERS-One is not enough.
CLC-50 1/2in CLEKO CLAMP-You get 4. You need at least 10.
CLC-100 1in CLEKO CLAMP-You get 4. You need at least 10.
CC120-30 120 DEGREE DIES FOR 1/8 POP RIVETS-You use a lot of CS4-4 on the floor boards of the fuselage they are 120 degrees.
For our RV10 friends RSB-12 12in back rivet set-You will need this to back rivet the stiffeners on the elevators.
The RV10 will also need BBRV10 SPECIAL BUCKING BAR-You will need this for the elevators.
I would buy from Avery to complete the kit from Cleaveland:
575 hand seamer 3-1/2 jaw-I use this to squeezing the trailing edge of the
trim tabs.
550 3/32 vise grip dimplers- several places on ribs this is needed.
1046 SPEED DEBURRING AND COUNTERSINKING TOOL 23904 4 PC.
HOOK AND PICK SET-You will need a pick many times for aligning skins
If you buy an Avery tool kit, I would buy the RV-3,-4-6-7-8-9and -10 builders tool kit.
I would subtract from the kit
1001 22in hand rivet and dimpling tool-it is there c-frame tool a good tool but see below about a c-frame tool
10765 POLYETHYLENE DIMPLING MALLET-Goes with the c-frame tool. If you get the c-frame tool get the mallet.
500 FLUTING PLIERS- You need a pair of fluting pliers I like Cleaveland's a lot better.
1042 EDGE ROLLING TOOL- I can not get this tool to work for me. It could just be me.
3507 3M RIVETING TAPE-Works well. If you use it take it off after use it is real hard to get off later. Use Scotch Removable Magic Tape works as well and much cheaper.
9885 ANGLE DRILL KIT- Nice kit not needed for the tail kit could be used later.
1054 NBR 8 SCREW COUNTERSINK CUTTER-Not needed for the tail kit.
25500 SWIVEL HEAD POP RIVET TOOL-If you must use a hand pop tool use Cleaveland's PRS-20 it is much easier to squeeze.
I would add to the kit:
7760 4in NO HOLE YOKE
7755 LONGERON YOKE
811 RIVETING TAPE-Scotch removable magic tape.
1003 BOELUBE Do not drill lead without it.
200 CLECO PLIERS-One is not enough.
1661 Light deburring wheel- You get a rougher one in the kit you need both. Go to Home Depot or Lowe's and get a grinder and install these wheels.
23904 4 PC. HOOK AND PICK SET-You will need a pick many times for aligning skins.
For the RV9 42120 SPECIAL 120 DEGREE COUNTERSINK-Used where you use CS4-4 rivets on the elevators.
For the RV10 630 RV10 ELEVATOR BUCKING BAR
I would by from Cleaveland to complete the Avery kit:.
3MP-47 Scotch-Brite pads-you will need plenty
DIE509-10 #10 SCREW DIMPLE DIES-You will need these to dimple for the screws for the lead weights
EF-60 EDGE FORMER-Needed at seams
HS-30 OFFSET HAND SEAMER-Used many places
FP-200 FLUTING PLIERS-Used to straighten ribs
For the RV9 DIECS4-4 120 DEGREE DIES FOR 1/8 POP RIVETS-You use a lot of CS4-4 on the skin of your elevators they are 120 degrees.
For our RV10 friends RSB-12 12in back rivet set-You will need this to back rivet the stiffeners on the elevators.
Tools that would be nice to have:
PNEUMATIC SQUEEZER- In my opinion a must have. Get a 214 style. Make sure to
get an adjustable set holder for it.
PNEUMATIC POP RIVET GUN-Go to harbor freight or such and get one for around $40.00
LIGHTWEIGHT HOSE KITS-Makes it a lot easier to handle drills and rivet guns
TATCO HAND SQUEEZER WITH 2in YOKE-Makes it a lot easier to dimple all those ribs
EXPERIMENTAL AERO http://www.experimentalaero.com/
I brought a DRDT-1 dimplier and installed it at Alexander Technical Center to try it out in January this year. Boy was that a mistake. There is no way I am getting it back. It is the best I have used for dimpling. It gives best dimples; it is consistent, quiet and a one man operation. There is no way I am going back to the old c-frame hammer method. Now if I need to dimple I pack up what I have and drive 32 miles even though I have a hammer c- Frame dimplier at home. It is that much better. They now sell the DRDT-2 which has some improvement over the -1.
Mike Crowe
