Aircraft structures tools

[nikh]

I am a recent graduate of an A & P program and am about to start in the structures department of a MRO. I have a fairly substantial background in metal work, but not much of it dealing with sheet metal. so the question is, what should my tool buying list look like? I already have the standard tools; wrenches, sockets, screw drivers, and so on. I', just not sure what direction to go for filling those last few drawers o the tool boxes.
Thanks in advance for the tips. N

 

[CWP1616L]

You're going to need to be set up for replacing rivets, both solid rivets and pop rivets.

- You'll need a good air powered rivet gun for pop rivets.

- You'll need an air hammer gun for driving solid rivets.They come in different stroke travels such as 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x and so on. For driving solid rivets, you'll want a short stroke air hammer gun like a 1x or a 2x. Those long stroke guns are primarily for automotive suspension work. The short stroke guns are a lot easier to control.

- You'll need a set of bucking bars.

- You'll need a whole set of Clecos to match the hole diameters of the rivets.

- You'll need a whole set of punches for removing pop rivets.

- You'll need a whole set of drill bits.

- You'll need a die grinder for unlocking the pins in the pop rivets.

- You'll need a good air drill.

- You'll need a speed handle with a Phillips bit socket for removing access panels. I recommend the Snap-On F4LBK

- You'll need piloted counter sink tools for countersinking holes for sold rivets.

- You'll need Multi-Spline screw extractors for stripped out screws in access panels. I recommend the Snap-On set REX25B.



Start surfing all the aircraft tool vendor sites.

 

[ZRX61]

Chip chaser

Hole finders (also called strap duplicators)

Slappers (usually Maple, I made my own from Teak)

Files

Rivet squeezer kit

Rivet fan

Right angle pneumatic drill

Wooden mallets (Maple)

Crowsfoot wrenches

Lead filled shot bag (mine is 18in dia & weighs about 220lb)

Snips. Get them from www.tinmantech.com They also have a bunch of the other tools you need.

 

[CWP1616L]

I forget to mention an automatic center punch. I recommend Starrett. You'll need that for marking the center holes before drilling out solid rivets. You don't want your drill bit walking off onto the wing!!

And make sure your air drill goes in reverse because you'll need reverse for the screw extractors.

 

[ZRX61]

Rivet shaver

Microstops

Dollies & Spoons

Nibbler (hand & pneumatic)

Hand seamer

Joggling tool

Duburring tools, including a dogleg for holes

Mouse Ears for Zeus fasteners

Nutplate jigs

Drill stops

Drill guide & bushing kit

 

[airbatica]

Other things to add:

- Microstop/Countersink and cutters

- Plastic sealant scrappers

- Pneumatic and hand nibblers

- Rivet Shaver

- Nutplate Jigs

- "Old Man" Screw knocker

- Paint cutters

 

[Haveblue]

get a Streamlight Stylus pro..you will use it all the time..small enough to carry in your shirt pocket, but works very well. Im not an A&P tech, im an auto tech, and it is probably my most used tool..You cant do **** if you cant see!!

 

[TAMPAGT07]

Safety wire pliers...

 

[nikh]

That was quick. Looks like quite the list, might actually need to start getting paid before much of the big stuff appears.

 

[Steinmetz]

A good combination square for layout;
dividers;
scriber (if allowed);
a good steel rule.

 

[ZRX61]

A good combination square for layout;
dividers;
scriber (if allowed);
a good steel rule.

Yup, can't overemphasize this, measuring & layout tools... lots of em. Mine fill an an entire Gerstner top chest.

Also: Fine sharpies & green 3M masking tape for doing layout without drawing all over the part.

 

[nikh]

Again, thanks for all the input, here are some photos of what I will be starting with.
measuring and marking

files, picks, and punches

common use wrenches

sockets, crows feet, extensions...

pliers

a few bits of light reading

fixed screw drivers

and the rest in the next post...

 

[nikh]

hex bits and drivers

saws and shears

lighting and inspection

lesser used wrenches,(s, moon, flare nut..) a three sided scraper and burnisher

hammers

power tools and body dollies

 

[ZRX61]

I don't see any Vixen files?

Also: Draughtsmen use lots of those green plastic templates... extremely handy things to have.

 

[theknurl]

ZRX61;
tinmantech doesn't really have a selection of tin snips....just an average pair of duckbills

nikh;
the Wiss snips you have are for making straight cuts......only

 

[ZRX61]

ZRX61;
tinmantech doesn't really have a selection of tin snips....just an average pair of duckbills

I have their catalog, there must be at least 15 different ones in there.

 

[ZRX61]

Here ya go:

http://www.tinmantech.com/html/snips_aviation.php

 

[theknurl]

ZRX61;
check your PMs

the only thing they have, that is worth having, is a 12" pair of "circular duckbills"

 

[nikh]

the larger set of tin snips are curved blade, I am not entirely sold on taking them to work, they have already made it 100 years, and are really nice for what I do around the house.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

GOOD palm drill, or two or three. Dotco has about the smoothest trigger going.

For aircraft maintenance, you need a set of "angle wrenches" double open end, same size on both ends, one end is 15° other end is 60°. SnapOn calls them 4-way angle wrenches.

Charles

 

[theknurl]

nikh;
skip the curved jaw Wiss snips that was ~the 1st attempt to make tin snips that turn

get a pair of Wiss Aircraft Snips.....leave them in plain sight people will be cutting wire with them get, a pair of the "off set" ones too

the only thing i use Wiss Aircraft Snips for is fish mouthing tubing while making tube frames......they last 8-10 weeks

go on ebay and get a pair of "duckbills" 12"-13"
Blue Birds
Crescents
Pextos
Wiss'
etc

clean them up, touch the edges up.....sharpen them perpendicular to the edge you need some 'tooth' to the cutting edge

then hide them

i have my Father's Pete Peterman modified duckbills from the '30s....when i worked in Switzerland building racing bikes i had them in my tool box.....with a padlock through the handles

what looked like a pair came up on ebay ~8 months ago $649 BIN

mine will cut perfectly straight diagonally through a 4' x 8' sheet then stop in the middle and do a 1/8" radius left turn!!!!
try that with any other tin snips made

i have my Father's French tin snips from '28 with tool steel blades that will cut LEFT or RIGHT 1/4" radius.....they're way better than my Uncles '27 Lembkes from Berlin

my Father and Uncle were the tin Wizards......in the '20s and '30s

a sample, in the Smithsonian;
http://airandspace.si.edu/webimages/highres/80-2100h.jpg

the wing root and empennage are made of 1 piece of metal it wraps all the way around
NO, filing, grinding or sanding allowed by Jack Northrup....you roll it to fit....try that on an English wheel

this is not the original configuration of the plane, i have the flight test picture of the plane and know who is flying it, the Smithsonian doesn't know
i have pictures of every iteration of the plane
it i also missing its ID tang and the fuel tanks that my Father built

i have a blank ID tag and a request for the tag from TWA......they wouldn't give my Father a pass to go back and make new tanks for them for free.....
he hands me the letter and the ID tag "you decide what to do"

"screw them, I'll keep it"
"OK, I like that"

when I croak.....my Sister's instructions are "send this to the EAA, with the restriction it will never go to the Smithsonian"

 

[nikh]

That is a damn **** airplane, almost as nice as the gamma. Right up there with the Hughes H1

 

[gagreen]

Cleco pliers
Deburring tool
Gloves
Palm drill the Sioux 1410 is a beast. I've never needed reverse.with aviation metals.
Cleco's unless they are provided...lots of them.
Unibit out step drill bits.
The list can go on and on but it depends on what your shop provides. I'm in GA doing a lot if restoration work as an a&p in a small shop. I dig out of my bosses box while i buy more tools. Sheet metal is an art and you have to find your brush. I swear by a3x rivet gun others like the 1 and 2 sosee if you try before you buy.
You can make your own strap duplicators.
Along with some of the other tools