Wing building table size

[allenmader]

Finally, finally I will be building wings. What is a good size for the table?

[NWade]

Finally, finally I will be building wings. What is a good size for the table?

I built my entire Sonex with an 8' x 4' table built from 2x4 boards and a 3/4" thick sheet of MDF. If you can build your table 10-12 feet long, then that's even better. But 8' will do fine! A good strong flat top is the most important thing.

Take care,

--Noel
Sonex #1334
Airframe structurally complete, working on Engine & Avionics

[allenmader]

Would the table be better if it was 3 feet wide for the wings? I have the fuselage finished and 95% complete.

[samiam]

I am building mine on the shipping crate table (4x12). It works well. I think the ideal table for one wing would be 3 x 10, but I wouldn't build a bigger or smaller one just for the wings. Anything from 3x8 to 4x12 would work fine.

[allenmader]

OK, so a 3x10 table would probably be the most efficient size for wing building. My plan is to get two sheets of MDF 3/4 inch thick. Then I would rip 6 inches of of each 8 ft side of the mdf and use them for stiffness under the table, making sure to use the factory edge for the table top. The mdf was a good suggestion since it is very stable.

This has been a long build and I am the 4th builder. Any encouragement is appreciated?
Sonex 471

[wlarson861]

You may want to build the wings vertically on saw horses, that's what I did. takes up much less floor space and allows work on both sides of the wing without needing to flip it over. There are threads on here and some of the builder's pages as to how it's done.

[allenmader]

Thanks Bill,
I will have to look for the vertical build some where here. I am not to familiar with the site yet.

[Bryan Cotton]

Allen,
I am a fan of the horizontal wing build. Others, like Bill, prefer the vertical build and have also been successful. You can see my left wing build on page 59 of my thread.
viewtopic.php?f=39&t=578&start=580

Ten pages later I start the right wing. My table is the width of a luann door. It started out the same length too but I added extensions. I also put casters on mine, which is awesome.

[n982sx]

I used a 4x12 and built the wings horizontally. 4x10 should work ok too. If you build vertically you probably just want sawhorses. You can set the wing lower for easier reach than on a table.

The drawback to a horizontal build is you have to turn it over to do each side. However, I feel it is much easier to square up the wing and lock it in place building horizontally. In a vertical build you can secure the main spar flat and square but you can't really secure the rear spar.

[wlarson861]

The drawback to a horizontal build is you have to turn it over to do each side. However, I feel it is much easier to square up the wing and lock it in place building horizontally. In a vertical build you can secure the main spar flat and square but you can't really secure the rear spar.

The main spar is leveled and secured to the saw horses in two planes. the rear spar is locked from moving left to right with the jig bar from the spar roots per the plans. I used brazing rods bent 90 degrees through the machine holes of the ribs at either end. The brazing rods act as plumb bobs to the the machine hole closest to the main spar. A visual check can be made that it is still plumb while both skins are aligned and clecoed. I even used a third "plumb bob" brazing rod through one of the middle ribs while attaching the first skin. Not saying this method is any better than horizontal, it does allow attaching both upper and lower skins without handling the wing to turn it over and eliminates the requirement to elevate the wing on the table to allow clearance of clecos. also meant I didn't have to build a precisely flat and level table just to build up 2 wings. The method was demonstrated by John M. at the builders workshop in 2006.
my $0.02 worth.