Spending a couple days with a table saw, thickness planer, and caliper, turning boards into RS stock sure feels good. Not every inch of the boards meet specs; but I am finding that with a little bit of effort, it is feasible to dimension decent pieces that appear comparable to the typical RS stock I have found in kits and on built Max planes. These pics just represent the process. I'll post some examples of my RS stock eventually. Sure, it is not quick, but I enjoy being able to create the stock pieces I want, and knowing that if I screw up a part I can just re-create what I need, and get a do-over.

Looks like some nice douglas fir in there

Quoted from cdlwingnut

Looks like some nice douglas fir in there

Yes, thanks. I have been collecting boards for a decade. Ironically, the one time I special ordered some "vertical grain" DF from home depot, I was the most disappointed. The growth rings just were not tight at all. I have a mix of douglas fir, clear pine, and even some hemlock. Probably will end up mostly using clear pine for this build; but may use some DF for a couple spar caps. We'll see.

met my self-imposed timeline by building rib #24 last night... vertical stab also built... hopefully rest of empennage by mid-month...

Looking good RB!  It gets to be a bit of a PITA by about rib #10 or so, doesn't it?  But great when they're done, and even better when you put them all into a wing.

I admire your sourcing & machining your own materials. Were i to build again I would go this route, partly for cost but mainly for quality control.

Good luck with your build - I'll be interested to follow your progress. Which engine are you planning on?

Bruce

Looks like you are on you way,

I'm sourcing and ripping my own stock as well, while it is PITA initially (and you throw out a lot of wood) I found that I have gradually build up the skills and the jigs I needed to get a 'good enough' result.

Also it's heaps of savings (and shavings) and spending in relatively small amounts, and if you goof up you can always cut it down to a usable piece that's a little smaller,

I'm using locally sourced hoop pine.

Looks like your wife will have plenty of mulch for her shrubs and flower beds.............

Quoted from beragoobruce

Looking good RB!  It gets to be a bit of a PITA by about rib #10 or so, doesn't it?...  

I admire your sourcing & machining your own materials. ...Which engine are you planning on?

Bruce

Thanks! haha, Yes, there is a PITA factor in the rib building process! however, as Korale suggested, I also found my skills gradually improving, which is big part of enjoyment. My last ribs are "better" (cleaner, built faster) than those first few. I did build a practice rib first, so that helped; but nothing like repetition to refine things .  

Everything Korale said rings true - LOTS of shavings, especially machining hundreds of feet of 1/4" X 1/4"; but arriving at RS stock from a variety of boards really is satisfying (albeit slow!).  Given that I bought a new bench-top thickness planer (actually two - but that is another story) explicitly for the project, I probably cannot claim to be "saving" on costs initially...  But, I can always justify buying new tools .

And yes, lets just say cutting down mistakes to smaller usable pieces hypothetically "sounds" like a good idea ...

I have accumulated a small collection of (low time) Rotax 503 engines over past decade, so that is my planned FWF setup. I am not yet confident in my own ability to tear down/rebuild so will most likely bring engine to one of the guys that advertise on Barnstormers. None of the 503's have flown for a few years, so at minimum will need seals.

I will likely be moving project across the USA this fall, so for now I am focused on building sub-assemblies. Empennage is next, then probably landing gear, bulkhead, floor board & pedals, engine mount, and maybe spars. When I get back out west, once I sell my Mooney I will have plenty of hangar space for wing & fuselage building and assembly.

At least that is the current plan. Will see how life cooperates . In meantime, I am enjoying opportunity to finally put time in on the project.

MIA update:

Hello Buzzards. I hope this finds you all healthy and well.

Just finishing up another six month stint in Death Valley, volunteering for the Park Service, so was hoping to re-re-boot my Eros project this month. Plan was to drive back to NH in a couple weeks. Work on it while visiting folks, then pack it with me to hangar in Idaho and make some progress this summer... Well... COVID-19 has scratched that plan ... I will be remaining hunkered down in my RV in remote Nevada for next six weeks or so.  So, progress will likely have to wait a while longer (although I admit, the thought crossed my mind of ordering some 1/4" stock from AS and building another set of ribs just to feel like I was building again. I could probably make space in my RV for that...).

In mean time, I think I have decided to go with the high-wing version of the Eros. It is the reason I ordered the high wing supplement from Jon over a decade ago, and has always been "the max" I wanted to build.  Plus hec, it'll good practice for building that Epic Sport kit I am going to win in the drawing .

Redbird:

Hope your summer has gone well given all your proposed movement.  Any progress to report?

Quoted from LSaupe

Redbird:

Hope your summer has gone well given all your proposed movement.  Any progress to report?

Well... I am not sure replying two+ years late qualifies as progress... but I am hoping to re-boot the project yet again... I think life has settled down sufficiently to do so.  Probably won't be home for another week or so; but hope to begin shortly thereafter... that is the plan anyway...

I'm still around. Probably going to have to get myself another bird. Divorced about time Covid hit and sold it all.

Quoted from PUFF

I'm still around. Probably going to have to get myself another bird. Divorced about time Covid hit and sold it all.

yea, life can toss in some pretty big bumps, that is for sure... For me I am hoping getting back into a build can help facilitate constructive next chapter. I think it will... I really enjoyed this group for several years... seems quiet now; but perhaps if a few of us get some active builds going again it will pick up...

Looks like a high wing Eros doesn't it??  

My two fuse sides are 1000miles from here, and unlikely to be retrieved soon, so this is starting point for Eros project re-boot.

Need to get back to milling RS stock. Lumber prices have gotten even more crazy in past few years. Its a little tedious; but I enjoyed the process last time.  I think I might have enough on hand for the horizontal stabilizer and elevator, so intend to build and mill in parallel. At least that is the plan...

The forum seems super slow.

Who else has an active build?

I'm building a MiniMax 1600R in Victoria, Australia.  I am especially keen to get in touch with other Australian active builders.
This forum has certainly slowed down, but it is still an invaluable source of info and I much prefer this to FB.  Pity that the info is so scattered and not very easy to search.

Quoted from gangeli

I'm building a MiniMax 1600R in Victoria, Australia.  I am especially keen to get in touch with other Australian active builders.
This forum has certainly slowed down, but it is still an invaluable source of info and I much prefer this to FB.  Pity that the info is so scattered and not very easy to search.

Cool! Looks like you will be covering soon!
Agree about the search challenges here. Its always been that way. Still, I always enjoyed the various discussions when it was active with regulars. It felt like more of a community than most of the FB groups I am part of. But I think the key ingredient was having a quorum of sorts of active builders and flyers all making regular visits. I'm hoping it might pick back up a little with some regular project updates and maybe flying stories. We'll see. I have always thought having max builders from around the globe was one of the neat things about the community.

Quoted from RedBird

I always enjoyed the various discussions when it was active with regulars. It felt like more of a community than most of the FB groups I am part of.

^^^^That is so true. I don't understand why FB is where things have gone. There is little organization of the posts or information, no search feature that I know of, and since there aren't really "threads" or topics how do you follow a question or thought process through on a given topic. I waste way too much time on the internet, but I could see wasting more and getting less through FB compared to forums.

Guess I'm just old and grumpy this morning.

Lynn

No, what you said is true. Too much time wasted on facebook.
Bob

FB was designed to mine for data and send you ads. Click-Bait. Thats about what it's good for.

Hey Puff
It is amazing how great new technology can be turned against us. I have so many passwords, I am fed up with it! It is great that our planes don't have all the technology crammed into a car engine. The carb on my C85 in my Chief isn't as complicated as my riding mower, LOL. 80 and still flying. Not many of us old timers left here. How you doing?
Bob

not too bad. I don't have an aircraft anymore. got divorced.  

I'm teaching about a dozen kids how to build a plane. I selected the 1650 EROS. The tail is all done and ribs are mostly done. We can't afford the hardware kit, so some ribs don't have the parts for the bracket/hinge. About to start building the spars. I'm a bit nervous as I've never had to build a spar before.