Newb here :)

[rv7garage]

Hey gang, I'm new to the rivetbangers forums... thought I'd introduce myself. My workshop is complete, and I'm working on Van's practice kit (the partial control surface). I'm glad I started with the practice kit, as it has really taught me a lot! Better to get my learning on this than the empennage, I figure. Here's a few links to workshop pics- enjoy

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h40/f ... 0_1086.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h40/f ... 0_1087.jpg

One question for everyone here: Has anyone used the Cleaveland Edge Forming Tool, and would it be recommended? I see Wally on the EAA site uses it in one of his videos, and it looks like a quality tool. Any recommendations regarding whether it would be "money well spent" or not would be appreciated. Thanks!

Paul Nelson
North Chicagoland, IL USA
-7A slider / 180hp / fixed pitch / empennage on deck

[Spike]

Nice shop. I *LUV* the chair.



I use the Cleveland tool and find it to generally be a good one. It requires patience and practice, but it is less lethal than the Avery version The biggest advice I can give relative to it is to not crank down on the adjustment much. It only takes a light touch to form a good edge and only slightly more to bugger up a nice piece of aluminum.

Welcome to the group, glad to have you!!

Spike

[captain_john]

Paul,

Welcome to the site!

In answer to your question, I think the Cleaveland EF tool is the best one on the market!

Buy it! Also, when you get it and forever... DO NOT compress the jaws together in order to lock it. You will bend one of the wheel rollers and it will never be right again!

Once you get it set, forget it. You will always have nice crisp edges!

CJ

[rv7garage]

Great- thanks for kind words and the input, guys.

I'm gathering a list of *additional* tools that weren't included in my Isham package, and now the Edge Former is definitely on it.

Spike- you're close to my old neck of the woods- ever hear of a town by the name of Damascus? Grew up there.

[Spike]

Yup, I am close to it and drive by it just about every week.

Spike



Submitted via email

[TomNativeNewYorker]

Is the edge forming tool for joggling/making joggles?

[cjensen]

Welcome to the show Paul! Great to see a new start! Great looking shop ya got there...

I agree with the others about the Cleveland EF tool...it's WORTH it! I see you have the DRDT-2 as well...nuther $$$, but worth it tool!

Post lotsa pics of your build!

[cjensen]

Is the edge forming tool for joggling/making joggles?

It puts a very (and I mean VERY) slight bend on the edge of a surface that overlaps another...about 1/4" or so wide. Makes the edge lay perfectly flat when finished riveting.

[dons]

Welcome to the world of RV building Paul. Nice shop! I also agree with the comments on the edge rolling tool.

Here is a couple of pictures of my airfoil practice kit:
During Construction
Completed

Here's a link to something on the DRDT2 you might find helpful when starting out.

[Mike Balzer]

I recently purchased the Cleveland edge forming tool and Love it. I practiced on scrap I recomend useing the edge forming tool BEFORE dimpling your part the tool instructions do not mention this. You do have to maintain a little forward pressure to keep the tool riding on the guide.

Mike Balzer[/b]

[rv7garage]

I recomend useing the edge forming tool BEFORE dimpling your part the tool instructions do not mention this.
Mike Balzer[/b]

Good information, Mike- makes sense to me! I actually had to 'un-dimple' the leading edge holes (where the sheet gets rolled). I dunno if I missed something, but I coulda swore that the instructions said to dimple all the holes in the sheets at one point. I ended up using my squeezer with 1/8 flat sets on the dimples and they flattened right out again.

Don- your airfoil project looks like it turned out really nice! I just finished mine today, here are a few pics. Didn't bother priming this project- I already know how to spray paint

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h40/f ... 0_1120.jpg
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h40/f ... 0_1123.jpg
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h40/f ... 0_1124.jpg
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h40/f ... 0_1117.jpg

I had my share of learning experiences with this little project; it was definitely time well spent. I can say this: I'm definitely comfortable with drilling out rivets at this point...

Also, you can see in the one pic where I got a little too agressive with the rivet gun and made a dent. I think I must've had the gun at a bad angle when shooting to the spar. On the leading edge, I used 4 ea AN470AD4-4 solid rivets instead of the 'pop' style. I wonder if anyone has ever been able to use solid rivets all the way through?

Anywho, I really appreciate everyone's encouragement and advice, as well as all the good information. Thanks!!

[aparchment]

Welcome aboard Paul. Let the journey begin! FWIW I found the RV building course I took to be invaluable. We basically did the practice kit under supervision of a pro.

Ditto the others on the Cleveland edge tool. It's great.

Antony

[bullojm1]

Hey Paul,

Welcome to the great, frustrating, rewarding, economically stimulating world of RV building.

I have never used the Cleveland edge tool, but I have heard great things about it. I have used the Avery tool just fine for my whole build. It took some getting used to, because it will slip out if you're not careful, but its a great alternative at 1/2 the price. You don't use the edge forming tool that much in the build (way less than other tools), so if you're on a tool budget, I would spend my money elsewhere (like on a pneumatic rivet squeezer).

[BSwayze]

Paul,

Nice shop! I noticed you insulated your walls. Good choice! Mine started out with bare stud framing, and I made the good decision to insulate and sheetrock it and finish it up. Boy, am I glad I did. It stays much warmer in here in winter and much cooler in summer.

I, too, have the Cleveland edge rolling tool and I love it. I haven't used it all that much, but where I did I really like the results. I agree with Mike. If money is an issue, I would save it and get a pneumatic squeezer. It's the coolest tool, and one that you'll never regret having.

[rv7garage]

Sounds like the consensus is that it's worth purchasing.

One thing you should know about me- I love good tools. When I ordered my toolkit from planetools.com, I purchased every upgrade available! Longeron and 4" thin nose yokes for my pneumatic squeezer, pneumatic right-angle drill with bits, real Sioux palm drill, etc. The tool package that they sell comes standard with the pneumatic squeezer and DRDT-2, and is very complete and high-quality... that's what sold me on Isham in the first place! So, you can see I'm not afraid to spend the needful on a tool, as long as it's quality.

I feel like I did manage to do a pretty good job on the leading edge of my practice kit, using just a hand seamer. But, if the Cleaveland tool is well-made and useful, then I'm going for it!


Also thinking about tank dies and Boelube. Has anyone here found Boelube useful for a matched-hole kit, or is it really not necessary?

[airguy]

Oh yes - the Boelube is a necessary item - it will save you LOTS of drill bits. The tank dies you can take or leave, in my experience. I built 4 tanks, 2 with the tank dies and 2 without, and honestly could not tell the difference either in the building process or during the leak checks.