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Motivation

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brothapig(at)HOTMAIL.COM
Guest

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 10:04 am Post subject: Motivation

Ok guys and gals.  This email serves two purposes.  I need to know what others do to keep motivated during a project.  I've just gotten started in this whole scratch building process due to the money part of it, after completing the tail from a kit.  Slow going compared to the kit!  And I'm wondering if my parts are going to be alright, and if I'm making them to the right tolerances, if my bending radius is correct, if .5mm variance is ok, etc etc etc.  (I don't need answers to those questions, I'm just venting  )



So, onto the second part of this email.  Part of my diminishing motivation is the fact that I'm stuck with one part.  I'm working on my spar, and I can't seem to think of a way to secure the angle to the web while I'm drilling my rivet holes.  It's such a long piece, and I don't want to build in a warp.  What have others done during this phase?



Whew.  I feel a little better now.  Sorry for the vent.



(by the way, it's a 701)

p.mulwitz(at)worldnet.att
Guest

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 11:15 am Post subject: Motivation

Hi Ryan,



I am suffering from a slump myself right now.  In my case the excuses 

range from long lead time for the engine I ordered to a lost dog and 

cat who just got diagnosed with diabetes.  After nearly two years of 

building every day I guess I was due for a little slump.



One of the things folks around here tend to do is build in 

groups.  We have one group of 4 Sonex being scratch built here and 

another group of 4 Zodiac XLs.  I don't know how they are doing but I 

am sure the group helps keep all of them moving.



Another thing to try is join a local EAA chapter and subscribe to 

builder publications like Kitplanes.  The regular success stories and 

flight reports make me want to finish my plane and go flying soon.



I don't know where you are located, but wherever it is there are 

probably other home builders near by.



I didn't build my own spars since I am building from kit, but I 

suppose starting by drilling small holes and opening them up while 

mated with Clecos would work there -- just like it does when doing 

thinner parts.  I have never heard of folks doing it that way, but 

the old tried and true methods seem to work well.



Good luck,



Paul

XL fuselage

At 10:03 AM 3/1/2007, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  

Ok guys and gals.  This email serves two purposes.  I need to know 

what others do to keep motivated during a project.  I've just gotten 

started in this whole scratch building process due to the money part 

of it, after completing the tail from a kit.  Slow going compared to 

the kit!  And I'm wondering if my parts are going to be alright, and 

if I'm making them to the right tolerances, if my bending radius is 

correct, if .5mm variance is ok, etc etc etc.  (I don't need answers 

to those questions, I'm just venting  )



So, onto the second part of this email.  Part of my diminishing 

motivation is the fact that I'm stuck with one part.  I'm working on 

my spar, and I can't seem to think of a way to secure the angle to 

the web while I'm drilling my rivet holes.  It's such a long piece, 

and I don't want to build in a warp.  What have others done during this phase?



Whew.  I feel a little better now.  Sorry for the vent.



(by the way, it's a 701)


	


-

steerr(at)bellsouth.net
Guest

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 12:31 pm Post subject: Motivation

Me, too.  Seems like I've been wiring forever.  And this isn't the first 

time.  At one point, I discovered that the aft end of my fuselage was out of 

kilter and had to rebuild the whole thing.  It took a couple of days to get 

to it.  My 601 is my second homebuilt project.  I started on the first one 

building "an airplane."  Worked and worked, and no airplane in sight.  Then 

I changed philosophy and viewed each part as an end product in itself.  That 

helped a lot, and probably improved the quality of each part.



Hang in there.  Mistakes and a feeling of having tackled too big a job has 

happened to all of us.  The EAA chapter idea is a good one, as is just 

venting on this list.



Bill



---

Ron Lendon

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 685
Location: Clinton Twp., MI

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 3:33 pm Post subject: Re: Motivation

I made my spars and documented the process at mykitlog.com/rlendon.  Look back to about 10-13-2006 and see if it makes any sense to you.  I have the Spar Caps pilot drilled first then lined up the ends of the angles, started the measuring process in the middle and worked out board from there.



Let me know if you have any questions.



Heading out to the EAA meeting now, I'll check back when I get back in.

_________________
Ron Lendon
WW Corvair with Roy's Garage 5th bearing
CH 601 XLB
N601LT - Flying
http://www.mykitlog.com/rlendon
Corvair Engine Prints:
https://sites.google.com/site/corvairenginedata/

txpilot

Joined: 26 Feb 2007
Posts: 87
Location: Houston, TX

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 10:01 pm Post subject: Re: Motivation

I think you're in a position we've all been in.  I always get unmotivated when facing a challenging task, especially if I know the consequences of doing it wrong will be expensive.  Hopefully, venting here has helped you some.



My solution when I get stuck is simply to walk away.  Do something else.  Visit family and friends you've been neglecting while stuck in the garage with your project.  After giving yourself time away from the project, you can approach it with a fresh mind and attitude.



Second, I always keep the goal in mind.  This is my first airplane (701) I've ever built.  How cool will it be when it's a flying machine!  If you get yourself over the current hump, you're that much closer to that goal.



I just finished joining the cabin to the rear fuselage.  It's a challenge to make sure everything is level with no twist in the airframe.  The consequences of getting it wrong when you start drilling and clecoing could be harsh.  Right before I started drilling, I was reminded of a quote from the movie "The Matrix":   "There is no spoon".  



Keep in mind that by working on your project, you are actually contributing to aviation.  It requires motivation and patience, but it is certainly an attainable goal.



Good luck,



Dan



P.S. - If I could keep my tolerances down to .5mm, I would be 'dancing in the streets' happy.

TxDave

Joined: 22 Jul 2006
Posts: 168
Location: Temple, TX

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 11:06 pm Post subject: Re: Motivation

Hey Ryan,



I think all of us scratch builders suffer from a lack of motivation at times. Watching the progress of other builders via their websites and emailed photos is a real motivator for me. I have a core group of internet buddies. We share our triumphs and mistakes with each other. Being part of this group of people all striving for a common goal keeps me going during those slow times.



I think jumping from building the tail section from a kit straight into building spars from scratch would be a real test for most people. Building the spars is one of the most challenging tasks in the whole project. You might find it more rewarding to focus on something a little easier that would yield quicker rewards. The ailerons are fairly easy, and you have those nice big parts finished in a relatively short period of time.



You might also consider having an EAA technical counselor come look at your work. Like you, I was wondering if i was doing a good job. Having a tech counselor validate your workmanship will increase your confidence level dramatically. I'm a psychiatric nurse by trade. If I can build an airplane from scratch, anyone can!



do not archive



Dave Clay

Temple, TX

almost done with my first wing

http://www.daves601xl.com

agustafson(at)chartermi.n
Guest

Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 6:11 am Post subject: Motivation

This may or may not help with motivation but I started my scratch built HD 

in February of 1996. I hope to fly it this spring. Took a 3 year vacation 

from it about in the middle. I had another plane to fly in the meantime 

though, on which I put 440 hours.



Just keep picking away at it and if you get tired or discouraged with one 

part, build something else and come back to the other.



And as Chris Heinz says "don't sacrifice your family for an airplane".



Aaron  do not archive

ashontz

Joined: 27 Dec 2006
Posts: 723

Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 1:31 pm Post subject: Re: Motivation

 	  brothapig(at)HOTMAIL.COM wrote: 	
		  Ok guys and gals.  This email serves two purposes.  I need to know what others do to keep motivated during a project.  I've just gotten started in this whole scratch building process due to the money part of it, after completing the tail from a kit.  Slow going compared to the kit!  And I'm wondering if my parts are going to be alright, and if I'm making them to the right tolerances, if my bending radius is correct, if .5mm variance is ok, etc etc etc.  (I don't need answers to those questions, I'm just venting  )



So, onto the second part of this email.  Part of my diminishing motivation is the fact that I'm stuck with one part.  I'm working on my spar, and I can't seem to think of a way to secure the angle to the web while I'm drilling my rivet holes.  It's such a long piece, and I don't want to build in a warp.  What have others done during this phase?



Whew.  I feel a little better now.  Sorry for the vent.



(by the way, it's a 701) 	




Spar drilling. Lot's of clamps. Then clecos obviously.



Motivation, break it down into smaller projects. Right now you're not building a plane, you're building an assembly of a plane, and to break it down further you're building an assembly of an assembly. Enjoy watching each piece come together correctly. Later you'll put it all together into a plane. Don't put a tme limit on yourself. Just look at the time in the garage as YOUR time. That's it. That and you're doing something constructive with that time.

ashontz

Joined: 27 Dec 2006
Posts: 723

Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 1:43 pm Post subject: Re: Motivation

 	  brothapig(at)HOTMAIL.COM wrote: 	
		  Ok guys and gals.  This email serves two purposes.  I need to know what others do to keep motivated during a project.  I've just gotten started in this whole scratch building process due to the money part of it, after completing the tail from a kit.  Slow going compared to the kit!  And I'm wondering if my parts are going to be alright, and if I'm making them to the right tolerances, if my bending radius is correct, if .5mm variance is ok, etc etc etc.  (I don't need answers to those questions, I'm just venting  )



So, onto the second part of this email.  Part of my diminishing motivation is the fact that I'm stuck with one part.  I'm working on my spar, and I can't seem to think of a way to secure the angle to the web while I'm drilling my rivet holes.  It's such a long piece, and I don't want to build in a warp.  What have others done during this phase?



Whew.  I feel a little better now.  Sorry for the vent.



(by the way, it's a 701) 	




Spar drilling. Lot's of clamps. Then clecos obviously.



Motivation, break it down into smaller projects. Right now you're not building a plane, you're building an assembly of a plane, and to break it down further you're building an assembly of an assembly. Enjoy watching each piece come together correctly. Later you'll put it all together into a plane. Don't put a tme limit on yourself. Just look at the time in the garage as YOUR time. That's it.

taffy0687(at)yahoo.com
Guest

Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 9:26 am Post subject: Motivation

spar caps first on the 701



 ---

brianbowen_(at)HOTMAIL.CO
Guest

Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 10:45 am Post subject: Motivation

Hello,

I am a 701 scratch builder.  I laid out my spar caps first and drilled 

undersize.  Used a 4x12 sheet of aluminum factory edge clamped to workbench 

as a reference then screwed a 1x2 square edge (wood) to the bench then 

removed aluminum sheet.  You now have a striaght line fence to work to.

Brian B

Ch701 Scratch Builder



[quote]From: Big Gee <taffy0687(at)yahoo.com>

Reply-To: zenith-list(at)matronics.com

To: zenith-list(at)matronics.com

Subject: Re: Re: Motivation

Date: Sat, 3 Mar 2007 09:25:38 -0800 (PST)



spar caps first on the 701

---

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