NEW SONEX B BUILDER INTRODUCTION

[daleandee]

Wings can be built using sawhorses which is a great way to do it.

A couple of Sonex builders have details on their websites. My builders site did but Expercraft is has gone the way of the dinosaurs ...

Dale
3.0 Corvair/Tailwheel

[Onex107]

I built the Onex and the wings are considerably shorter than the Sonex so the work bench doesn't have to be that long. I went to the local secondhand store and bought two office desks, like I worked on for 44, years for $35 apiece. They have adjustable legs and drawers. I set them up with my drill press in between and built the main spar by sliding it back and forth to drill. I also used the pallet material the kit came on to cover the desks and build a shelf to hold parts. When I finished the fuse and wings, I donated the desks back to the secondhand store.

[Tnhelm]

Regarding riveting device, I used the Harbor Freight air/hydraulic riveter. Worked fine until the last couple of rivets for the OneX. However, doing it again I would buy the Milwaukee 12V pull rivet gun. Quiet, no hoses, no compressor noise, and best of all it doesn’t jump off the rivet head when pull is completed which can cause occasional surface scratches. These units were used during the construction of the 2022 One Week Wonder at AirVenture.
I also used the Milwaukee 12V drill for all the hole drilling. I now have two. It is compact without the extra big battery hanging out the handle, plenty of power, good speed, and the battery is the same as used for the 12V Milwaukee rivet puller.
Tnhelm
OneX 0137

[AlFromNY]

Thank you for your reply; I see Milwaukee also has an M18 Fuel FRT-0X0 cordless rivet Tool. I'm thinking that might be a better choice simply because I could then use the same battery for other Milwaukee tools (right now I have 5 or 6 Ryobi 18V tools).
Do you have any thoughts on this?

Thanks,
Alan K.

[Bryan Cotton]

Alan,
That's as good of a rationale as any. In terms of your upcoming expenditures, this is not going to have a huge impact on the bottom line. I say go for it and move onto the next thing.

The purpose of the hobby is to collect tools. So you really can't go wrong.

[AlFromNY]

Thank you for your reply; the lighter weight (and lowerprice), seems like the better move, as the smaller size could be the better choice in some circumstances.

Alan K

[Bryan Cotton]

Back to:

The purpose of the hobby is to collect tools.

Most of us end up with an assortment of hand tools for pulling rivets. Harbor Freight has cheap ones which can be ground for clearance and otherwise modified. An antique PRG-410 is handy for some of the tight spots. I think whatever you choose will be fine.

[AlFromNY]

I received my SonexB tail kit on Thursday, 10/12/23, and started reviewing the plans, which are just blueprints. I was worried that that was not enough detail, and basically had no idea where / how to begin. So I re-read these intro's on this board and I think it was Dave Boshear (sp?) who suggested YouTube has good videos. I found the following video, which (being at the end of only the first video) seems to walk one through building the Sonex tail kit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9XClXqHS1Q

Thanks, to all you builders for your help!! I don't think I could do it without y'all!
Alan K
catchsky@earthlink.net
516 557-1200

[XenosN42]

The EAA website has many GREAT general and Sonex specific videos, many featuring Sonex employees. You need to be an EAA member. The videos are worth the cost alone.

[AlFromNY]

Good morning Michael,
I am a member and have watched many of the EAA videos; not sure if I've seen any Sonex-specific videos on EAA sight, but I'll look again. But this Sonex tail kit building video on the YouTube HomebuiltHelp channel is great.
If you have a specific link for Sonex in the EAA 'library,' please post it.

Thanks,
Alan K