The 5 Basics of a Scratch Built Airplane Shop

In any shop there are tools that are necessary no matter the project. However, with our Scorpion 1 Team MiniMax 1100R build, there are 5 things you should have to make your build much less hassle. 

1) A basic drill press.

Nothing fancy here. A basic 8" drill press picked up from Harbor Freight for about $80.00.

2) A basic band saw.

Again, nothing fancy here. This has a 5 inch height clearance and a 9 inch throat. This is set up with a wood/aluminum cutting blade since over 98% of the Scorpion 1 is wood or aluminum. Another Harbor Freight buy at about $160.00.

3) A table top belt sander

3 or 4 inch width works just fine. I would suggest whichever length/options you feel you need. This is a definite need for a build and will be used a lot, but used gently so there's no reason to break the bank. I cut my material slightly longer than needed and use the sander to make fine adjustments on fit until I get it just right. This is another Harbor Freight buy for about $75. (Sheez, I should probably get something for all this advertising! Lol)

5) Dedicated workspace and work benches

This is a MUST HAVE. Remember, you will be working with parts that end up on an airplane and can be damaged by too much handling or improper storage. It also helps to keep plans neat and have your build log easily accessible to document you activities. The Scorpion 1 will be an ultralight under FAR 103 requirements, but it is still a good idea to do a log. If you do ever sell the aircraft you created a log with plenty of pictures showing an orderly workspace will go a long way in giving your buyer confidence in the purchase. 

Of course there are hand tools that most shops will already have. And you can't forget about clamps. You can not have too many. I'll say that again, YOU CAN NOT HAVE TOO MANY CLAMPS! I use several of the very inexpensive ratchet style you can find most places for less than $2 each, and some larger that are still under $5 each. Just keep in mind the material and process you're working with to build. Sometimes more pressure is a bad thing as it can distort material or squeeze out adhesive leaving an inferior bond. That's something you definitely don't want. I've even seen lots of builders use wooden clothes pins!

So there you have it! 5 things that will make your build much more hassle free while providing a high quality product. In all reality our Scorpion 1 could be built with tools all combined totaling less than $400. Not too shabby for building an aircraft if you ask me. Of course you can spend much more and add items (CNC or Lazer) which would make your build even easier! Either way you go, enjoy the process as much as the thought of flying it. And don't forget to let us know YOUR must haves in your shop!