Kit Building: Tool of the Month!

Pssssst ... About Tools

You don't need a lot of tools to build a Challenger (most of them get built with a portable electric drill and a hand riveter) but your spouse does not need to know this. Some of us just like tools, and since most airplanes require a ton of tools to build, there is this thing called " general expectations" that you may wish to use to your advantage! ie. any airplane project is a good excuse to buy tools, even if most Challengers get built with a few household tools!

About this Page

I have a lot of tools. I love tools, and I am always looking for great quality tools - I'm even happier when they're affordable! This page is not here to start any debates. From time to time, and it may not be every month, I'll post stuff here that I feel is helpful to Challenger builders. This page is pretty rough at present, but building new sections on this site appeases my computing habit on nights when I don't feel like building my airplane.

Princess Auto

I just haven't got enough good things to say about this outfit. They have good quality stuff at very reasonable prices - especially when they are on sale - and that is almost always.

As far as service goes, they are, in my experience, just awesome. I bought a large light industrial compressor there over two years ago. The other morning, I went to my shop to find a fair bit of smoke. Something was wrong with the compressor and it wasn't shutting off. I unplugged it and disassembled the compressor head. Something had let loose in a cylinder (a very rare thing I think) and put a hole in piston, effectively wrecking the air tightness of the compressor head.

I took the compressor head back to PA, hoping I might get a core rebate on a new head. I had no bill. "More than two years ago", I said when they asked when I bought it. No problem - they said and fetched me a new one off the shelf. Mine went off to their PowerFist Centre for diagnostic analysis. That is service, and I doubt I'd have gotten similar treatment anywhere else.

I know of quite a few Challengers that have received really nice, high quality paint jobs with a set of HVLP guns from Princess Auto that were less than $100.

Lee Valley Tools

Another favorite haunt of mine. Definitely the place to go for paint brushes for fabric, and they have some really neat new automatic centre punches in this months flyer.

Prices shown are what they were when we saw or bought the item - they may have changed since.

What Why Where

Safety Wire Pliers for $9.95! These just showed up last week. They make installing safety wire on critical places like prop and fuel lines a whole lot easier. As far as I can tell, they are identical to the ones I'm used to paying $40 for at airplane stores. Princess Auto

8177958
CROSS SOCKET WRENCH
$ 2.44 (Sale)
• Socket sizes: 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", 9/16"
• Carbon steel

Weight: 0.58 lbs

Coolest thing I ever saw. Fits most bolts on a Challenger! Look at the size and weight - you can carry one in your plane! Princess Auto

8083297
INFRARED COMPACT THERMOMETER
$ 24.99 (Sale)
• Measurement range: -33°C to 220°C
• Accuracy: +/- 2 degrees
• Automatic power off: 15 seconds
• Distance to spot ratio 1:1
• Batteries included
• Other functions: clock, stop watch, room thermometer

SORRY, NO RAINCHECKS
Weight: 0.14 lbs

A very handy thing for calibrating the temperature on your iron BEFORE you start shrinking fabric. Princess Auto

Spring-Loaded Punches - Woodworking

3 for $19.20. Knowing Lee Valley, they will be of high quality. Lee Valley

Disposable Natural-Bristle Brushes - Woodworking Disposable Natural-Bristle Brushes. Great for Poly Brush.
30 for $14.95. They're identical to the ones at the airplane parts store that are $5.00 EACH!
Lee Valley

The Fine Print - Caution

Ideas, illustrations and photos are the author's own work and are for information only.
Builders of Challengers should always follow the Quad City manual.