Newbie with Pneumatic Squeezer Woes

A place to discuss workshops and the use and desirability of tools.
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burrm
Class G
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Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2018 10:46 pm

Newbie with Pneumatic Squeezer Woes

Post by burrm »

Hi everyone,

I am new to the group, and also new to building. I have my heart set on an RV-10 but am just getting started. I don't have my kit yet, and I am in the process of accumulating tools and getting ready to do the practice projects first.

As part of my tool selections, I decided on a pneumatic squeezer, but was in sticker shock when i saw the prices. So I went and purchased a vintage CP-214 off of ebay for what seemed like a steal. Needless to say, I have run into some issues. You can read my full blog post https://n6807m.wordpress.com/2018/10/15/71/ for the gory details.

Bottom line, I' m looking for help from someone who has some knowledge with the inner workings of these tools, or someone who can point me in the direction of some good documentation, instructional videos, and/or source for replacement parts for what appears to be an original Chicago Pneumatics CP-214.

Thanks in advance, and looking forward to working with all of you in the coming years as I embark on my RV-10 build project.

-Mike

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bruceh
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Re: Newbie with Pneumatic Squeezer Woes

Post by bruceh »

Sticker shock over tools??? Just wait until you fill your panel, buy a prop and an engine!
The money you spend on tools is a pittance compared to almost everything else on the airplane. Good tools make it a breeze to build, so don't skimp on them.
For the RV-10, be prepared to lay down well north of $150K. If you don't have that, or can't get access to that size of a loan, then you might set your sights on a more affordable RV.

I'm not trying to bum you out here, but personally I did find that the hardest part of the build was getting off my wallet and spending the money to complete the project. IMHO, it was worth EVERY CENT! After you are flying and enjoying the airplane, you won't even think about the $$$ you saved on a cheap squeezer, or the $$$$ you spent on the quality one.

Now get started building!
Bruce Hill
RV-9A N5771H flying over 1100 hours!
Build Log at http://www.overthehills.com/RV-9A-Project
Blog at https://flyingoverthehills.wordpress.com/
EAA Tech Counselor, A&P

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bullojm1
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Re: Newbie with Pneumatic Squeezer Woes

Post by bullojm1 »

When I went to a builders class wayyyyy back in 2005, a fellow builder faced the same dilemma as you - sticker shock over the pneumatic squeezer. Our teacher echoed what Bruce said - don't try to save money on good tools. Specifically the pneumatic squeezer, as it is one of the more complicated tools for the build. I never take shortcuts when buying tools for my RV or any other home project. I used to, and learned the lesson that trying to save a few bucks ends up costing me more in the end, with frustration and lost time along the way. My advice is to buy all the right tools and ignore the price tag. At the end of the build, you can probably sell all your tools for what you paid for them when you take inflation into account! So don't think of it as "wasted money", think of it as a "free tool I'll sell later"!
Mike Bullock
http://www.rvplane.com
RV-7 | Superior IO-360 | Whirlwind 200RV
Garmin GTN650 | GRT Dual Sport SX EFIS
Status: FLYING!

catmandu
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Joined: Sun Jul 31, 2016 8:35 am

Re: Newbie with Pneumatic Squeezer Woes

Post by catmandu »

bullojm1 wrote:I never take shortcuts when buying tools for my RV or any other home project.
Says the man who posted a picture of Harbor Freight derived wing jacks. So, will Chinese pistons make metric or SAE size holes in your wing when your Rube Goldberg setup fails? :P

Just busting on you my friend. I have the same setup.

To the OP, this illustrates one must buy 'smart' not just 'cheap.' My everyday, used often cordless hand tools are Bosch, albeit certified factory refurbs. Same idea for air tools that see a lot of use (impact gun, framing nailer, etc.). But I have plenty of HF items for one off or mechanically simple usage (hydraulic jacks, pry bars, tire changer, etc.)
Mike @ W29 & KMEV
RV-6A SOLD
Super-8, say no more

burrm
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Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2018 10:46 pm

Re: Newbie with Pneumatic Squeezer Woes

Post by burrm »

Hi guys,

Thanks for the replies!
bruceh wrote:Sticker shock over tools??? Just wait until you fill your panel, buy a prop and an engine!
Oh yes, believe me I am well aware of what I am in for in terms of total cost. I have owned a C-172 for the last 12 years, and am well aware of the costs associated with airplane ownership, and have done the math on the full RV-10 end-to-end. The thing is, I have always for the most part left the maintenance of my plane to the "professional" A&P's, and frankly I am not 100% certain that I'll be able to pull off a full RV-10 build. My intention is to start off small with the practice projects, start slow and see how it goes. If after the practice projects for whatever reason I decide that it's not for me, I want to be able to cut bait and not be stuck with thousands of dollars in specialized tools that I'm likely to never need again (I'm starting to think that goal might not be possible though :/ ) . If I do however make it to the point where I'm worrying about engines and panels, presumably I will be "all in" by that point, and of course saving a few bucks on tools as you say will likely not be an issue by then.

As for the current pneumatic squeezer situation....of course you were right Bruce, I should have just bit the bullet and bought the new one right off the bat. But I didn't and ended up with this one, and it now has become a challenge of sorts to figure it out. My rationale being that if I can't figure out how this squeezer works and how to fix it, then perhaps I don't have any business thinking I can build and eventually maintain an entire airplane by myself! So challenge accepted, I searched around and eventually found a source for some replacement parts and off I went. By the time I'm done I will probably have the same amount of money or more in this thing than I probably would have spent on the new one, but se la vie. At least I will have learned a lot about the internals of the pneumatic squeezer :)

In case anyone else comes across this thread and has an interest, I put have put together a write-up with the details on my journey thus far, and appreciate any tips anyone might have.
https://n6807m.wordpress.com/2018/10/21 ... er-part-2/.

Thanks again!
-Mike

burrm
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Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2018 10:46 pm

Re: Newbie with Pneumatic Squeezer Woes

Post by burrm »

Mike,

Noticed your signature- you are based at W29?

I'm over at GAI. W29 is one of my favorite spots to take friends and family sight seeing over the bay and the bridge, with a quick occasional walk over to Hemmingways....

-Mike

catmandu
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Joined: Sun Jul 31, 2016 8:35 am

Re: Newbie with Pneumatic Squeezer Woes

Post by catmandu »

Yep, that's home. If you arrive during business hours, you can always get a ride in the county truck over to the north access gate to shorten the walk. If Hemmingway's gets old, there is Knoxie's (high end) and the Crab Shack (low end) a shorter distance away. But no Bay views at either of those.
Mike @ W29 & KMEV
RV-6A SOLD
Super-8, say no more

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