|
Chop (or Miter) Saw |
DeWalt |
Stable, easy to set up, good safety features |
|
Table Saw |
Ryobi |
Cutting of Fixtures, Jigs, and Work Surfaces |
|
Plunge Router |
DeWalt |
Shaping of fixtures, jigs, and holders |
|
Router Table |
Woodhaven |
$558.00 and worth every penny |
|
Radial Saw |
Sears |
Rough
cuts in wood |
|
Oscillating Spindle Sander |
Ryobi |
Sanding shaped wood pieces |
3. Air Tools, Compressor,
and Painting Tools
Air tools, powered off an air compressor with hose, find special use in aircraft projects. Two tools in particular, the air drill and the rivet gun, do the job that electric tools cannot. Once you have these two tools, the others just find a way into the shop. I bought the largest air compressor I thought I could afford, but it is often not big enough. Many of the tools require air at 90 psi and the pressure in the tank drops in a hurry when the trigger is pulled. I would be tempted, if I had to do it over, to get a larger unit. The oilless units are better and take less maintenance. You will need inline filters and good hoses to do a proper job.
For painting, I have a high-volume, low-pressure paint spraying system. It is a single-stage turbine unit by Graco. I bought it as a show special at the EAA AirVenture fly-In over 20 years ago. It is still going. You cannot do a good job without an HVLP. But the price will set back your budget. Units start at $900 and go up steeply from there. And you must have a clean air breathing system to do painting. One good breath of MEK or acrylic auto paint and you have aged your lungs by 30 years or you will die. This is serious business. My unit is a Hobby Air Respirator with mask. It will set you back $400 at Aircraft Spruce.
|
AIR TOOLS, COMPRESSOR,
AND PAINTING TOOLS | ||
|
Name of Tool |
Favorite Brand or Type |
Special Features |
|
Air Compressor |
Coleman PowerMate |
Could be higher capacity. 95-125 psi. 5 HP. 27 gallon. 8.2 CFM @ 40 psi. 5.6 CFM @90 psi. Oil Free. Direct Drive. |
|
HVLP Spray
Paint System |
Graco |
Single stage turbine, self contained with 40 foot hose (added 20 feet to cool air) |