VS is happening

jim_geo · Post by **jim_geo** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 11:56 pm

By posting this I'm breaking one of my own rules.

That is not to post anything of any part until it's done. It just looked so pretty sitting there I
had to share.

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 5:29 am

Nice, Jim!

Break those rules! I really like to see the work in process!

I think it lets junior builders know what to expect.

Keep on posting those pics!

CJ

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 9:02 am

that looks great jim! i have my vs skeleton cleco'd, but life is in the way this week.

i think i'll be able to get the skin fitted on friday.

jim_geo · Post by **jim_geo** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 10:16 pm

I finished the VS over the weekend and today have been working on the rudder. I have a few other things to post and will try to get them done tonight.

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 10:36 pm

looks great jim! i have fallen behind you a little bit due to being out of town over the weekend. i did work on the VS for about 3 hours tonight, and finished all the dimpling and c-sinking. i'll be preping for priming tomorrow!

Post by **Spike** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 6:14 am

Excellent. You guys rock!!

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 6:34 pm

i finished riveting the vs spar, front spar/ribs, cleco'd the skin on, and riveted the top and bottom of the vs! my dad and wife are busy today, so i can't finish it 'til tomorrow.

here's my work today:

i used my pneu squeezer for all but a few rivets today, and i'm getting the hang of this thing. i have to say, it's worth every penny to have one of these things!

jimrobinette · Post by **jimrobinette** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 7:31 pm

Chad,

Told you that the squeezer was awesome! What kind of primer are you doing and what kind of motorcycle do you have?

Take care,

Jim

cjensen wrote:i used my pneu squeezer for all but a few rivets today, and i'm getting the hang of this thing. i have to say, it's worth every penny to have one of these things!

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 7:55 pm

NEWS FLASH!

Save those lightening hole cut outs from the VS Spar Dubblah!

The 1.5" ones will serve quite nicely as reinforcement plates when you add the extra Vapor Return lines into your fuel tanks (if you elect to do so)!

I just found this out today while rummaging around for parts. I came across these cutouts and the idea just "struck" me!

CJ

P.S. Nice work, Chad!

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 8:54 pm

hey jim,

yeah, i'm really glad i bought one! and glad i bought it now to get used to it before i start on the wings. it definately would have made the HS easier!

for primer, i decided to use a rattle can self-etching primer-NAPA 7220. here in the midwest, corrosion is really not an issue, and i don't plan on moving out to one of the coasts, so this will work fine. i had a 1968 cherokee 180 with nothing but alclad inside, and it looked brand new!! it was a sight-seeing airplane early in it's life in florida, then went to ohio for the majority, then to me in illinois. that NAPA 7220 is really tough stuff!! sticks great, hard, doesn't scratch easily, and dries in about 4-5 minutes. a case of six cans cost me about $25.

that little motorcycle you see is actually my little fuel-efficient-drive-me-to-work-and-back-at-95mpg scooter! it's a 2005 yamaha zuma. i love it!! i used to ride a yamaha seca II 600 in college. that was a fun bike, but this little thing is a blast, and i can fill it up for about $3.50!! funny you ask that, cuz i was actually thinking about posting a pic of it today

i didn't think it was in that pic, but i guess that camera pics up a little extra on the sides. you ride?

CJ,

i was thinking the same thing about the lightening hole cut outs! not for a specific use, but they look cool, and i thought that they might be useful for something. if nothing else, i'll make something with them and put my college degree to use for once (art degree!). thanks for the heads up on that!

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 9:03 pm

I bet everyone here had (or still has) a bike!

Me? I had a Honda Nighthawk, Yamaha Virago and a Honda Sabre 1100 that was a SCREAMER!

I was just today thinking about a fuel efficieint mode of transportation, as the college class I am taking now is 150 miles round trip from my house!

It is funny how we all seem to save those funny litle cutouts! Thermos still has his! I guess we are all anal retentive!

CJ

tshort · Post by **tshort** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 9:12 pm

Yep, I saved all that stuff too. Never can have too many good scrap pieces.

As for me, after 4000$+ in bills related to my scooter incident

(still no bill from the hand surgeon yet) I'm done with 2 wheeled transportation for a while (except my mountain bike!).

Thomas
-8 wings

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 9:15 pm

CJ,

my dad has a honda reflex. it's a 250cc scooter that gets about 65mpg, and will do 65mph without a problem. i think he paid about $5k for it brand new. mine is 50cc and was only $1650 and will only get to about 40mph-downhill, but i only use it to go to work and run to the store for my wifey.

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 9:16 pm

what happened thomas??

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 9:27 pm

Bike accident. Thomas are you able to explain it again?

How are ya feelin'?

CJ

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 3:28 pm

finished up the VS today! thanks to my dad for taking some time to come over this morning to help finish up. he's been busy this weekend with his home projects, but he knows how important this is to me...thanks dad!

here's the day's results:

on to the rudder!!

tshort · Post by **tshort** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 4:06 pm

VS looks good!

On the creeping thread note, I hit a pothole on a friend's scooter around the end of June; big chin laceration, smashed a tooth, broken finger, lots of road rash. Just got the k-wire out of my finger last week. All the DDS bills, ER bills, etc have been over $4K (being young and healthy, I have cheap high deductible insurance - which I thought I'd never need!!). Think of all the toys I could have bought with that!

The thing is, the single most expensive part (aside from the DDS charges !!) was the fee from the outpatient surgery center. I spent <20 minutes in the room, literally walked in and out with a gown over my clothes and my sleeve pulled up, no IV, etc - the bill for the room was 3900$. It is no wonder that healthcare is out of the reach of so many people in the USA.

How's that for thread creep?!?!

Thomas
-8 wings

jimrobinette · Post by **jimrobinette** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 5:45 pm

Chad,

Congrats on finishing the VS.

I use the same primer. Agree with your take, and since I will be moving to the midwest (hopefully) next spring, I concur.

I do ride. Last summer I bought a Honda CBR 600RR. Nice and lite, but wicked fast. I ride very conservativly, almost like a cruiser, but no matter how safe you are, it is still a dangerous hobby.

I used to ride my buddy's Yamaha Seca Turbo in high school. Had a hell of a kick when the turbo kicked in!

Hey, in a later post, you show your VS on its side. The thing that concerns me is that you have a tray of a hundred rivets sitting open. It is a good idea to keep them in an enclosed container. Want to know what it is like with hundreds of rivets on your floor?!?

I bought some containers at HD that had a squeeze top to them. Kind of like the little change things banks used to give out. Somebody here posted a thread, but I can't find it. Makes things a whole lot less nervracking when you accidently hit a tray of rivets with your airhose.

Take care,

Jim

cjensen wrote:...for primer, i decided to use a rattle can self-etching primer-NAPA 7220.
....that little motorcycle you see is actually my little fuel-efficient-drive-me-to-work-and-back-at-95mpg scooter! it's a 2005 yamaha zuma. i love it!! i used to ride a yamaha seca II 600 in college. that was a fun bike, but this little thing is a blast, and i can fill it up for about $3.50!! funny you ask that, cuz i was actually thinking about posting a pic of it today i didn't think it was in that pic, but i guess that camera pics up a little extra on the sides. you ride?

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 8:19 pm

yeah, you think i'd learn. i've already dumped a drawer of rivets all over the floor.

i'm just positive it won't happen again :bsflag:

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 8:43 pm

Ahhhh, another use for the B.S. flag!

I love it!

Me, I will never dump a tray of rivets like that!

CJ

RivetBangers.com

VS is happening

VS is happening

VS Done