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Welcome to Mickey's RV8 Site
Mon, Sep 06 2010 @ 14:49 in Switzerland

air compressor

Thu, Dec 29 2005 @ 15:15 in Switzerland
Contributed by: Mick
Views: 1,759

I've had a few people ask me about my air compressor, so here are a couple of pictures and some comments.

I bought the compressor from a guy in Germany via E-bay. The manufacturer of the compressor is a company called Güde. I can't recall what I paid for it, but it was about 500 Euros. It's a 400volt 3-phase, which is about the equivalent of the 240volt 3-phase you find in the US. One big advantage of 3-phase power in Switzerland is that you are billed at about 1/3 the rate of single phase 220v. Amazing, but true.

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Useful tools

Sat, Feb 28 2004 @ 05:41 in Switzerland
Contributed by: Mick
Views: 1,550

Probably not news to anyone, but just in case, I'd like to point out three very useful tools. There are dozens of required tools needed to build the RV, and most are purchased from a "toolkit" supplier, like Avery, Brown, or Cleaveland (note funny spelling). Get a toolkit - you won't regret it.

The toolkits do not include all tools you will need, however. You'll need screwdrivers, wrenches, sockets (USA type, not metric), rulers, pliers, and other stuff that you can usually purchase locally, just about anywhere in the world.

Some stuff that I have found to be very handy are the little mirror, the electric screwdriver with sockets on the end, and the air grinder with abrasive wheels.

These grinders are cheap, so I bought 5 and bolted on one of each type of abrasive wheel or disk I would possibly need. Much faster than changing wheels. These are between 10 USD and 40 USD depending on where you get them. I bought mine mail order from Harbor Freight in the USA. The scotchbrite wheel pictured came with the Avery toolkit.

I purchased the mirror from Sears in the US. It really helps see things from strange angles, and believe me, it gets a lot of use in the fuselage.

The electric screwdriver is useful for nuts and bolts since you have to put these things on and take them off *very* frequently. It's really slow with regular tools, but quick and easy with the electric screwdriver and socket attachment. Very useful.

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Compressed Air filter/oiler

Thu, Feb 26 2004 @ 01:00 in Switzerland
Contributed by: Mick
Views: 1,283

I bought a combination air filter, oiler, and pressure regulator on my last trip to the US, but I had not yet installed it. I thought I was going to need to drive some rivets with the rivet gun, so I needed a good way to regulate the pressure. I had also purchased some crappy little regulators that can be installed right on the gun, but these just didn't seem like they would work. The only pressure regulator I had besides the in-line one was on the air compressor, and that's outside the heated part of the shop. Therefore, I needed to install the in-line regulator.

Originally, I planned to mount this baby on the wall, once I figured out how I like my shop layout. Since I needed this thing ASAP, I decided to put it on a piece of wood just to protect it while I drag it around the shop. Did that, and didn't like the fact that it is laying down. Added some legs, and this is what we have. Quick and dirty, and of course I've been tripping over it ever since I finished it. I guess I'll get used to it, or finally mount it on a wall or on the ceiling.

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Workshop Photos

Sun, Oct 05 2003 @ 07:08 in Switzerland
Contributed by: Mick
Views: 1,546

You can find lots of photos of the workshop here: http://www.rv8.ch/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=workshop

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