What tools required?

I'm about to start making a more serious cockpit for use with DCS A10, I was wondering what tools I'll be needing for this project. At the moment, all I have are some screw drivers, a power drill (battery), and some ideas. I would love to have all the fancy CNC and laser engravers, but I'll stick with the basics for now. I'm looking at something that can give me accurate cuts (measurement-wise) and fairly straight cuts... fancy curved edges aren't necessary for an A10 pit, I hope.

Thanks!

If you want to stick with basic then I think just a basic cnc will be fine, you don't need to get an expensive one :)

Seriously though :). You have the drilling sorted out so that's good, not you need some way to cut things. You will be cutting a lot of shapes from inside material so a jigsaw is very useful here. The problem is that the cuts are not always as straight or as clean as you would like.

You just have to be slow and careful. Cutting out circles it's best to get a set of hole saw cutters, they are good for the engine gauges ornany circular gauges.

I have always found a router to be indispensable for making things with perfect finishes. It could take longer to do but the results are great. And example is here, all cuts are excellent when done with a router compared to a jigsaw. http://www.mydiversions.com/Site/Arcade_Machine.html

The other tools I use frequently are a it big and can be dine by hand, I.e. Sanding etc.

It depends really what you want to do but a router can cover off what a lot of tools cannot as well as doing what a lot of them can.

I was thinking of a jigsaw but the router is an excellent suggestion. Making straight cuts are more the norm in a cockpit than curved cuts so a router it is!

I suspect it can round-out edges as well so that's very good...

Any suggestions for making perfectly measured cuts? Or so I just have to be exact with a ruler and pencil?

You can get alll sortf of router bits, a round over it is one that will take the sharpness off the edge.

When I used a router for cutting I would use a fence, like in the first pic from my link. I would have the fence paralel to my drawn line at the correct distance so that I was cutting on the line. This is where it takes a bit longer in the set up over a jigsaw.

Once again, it really depends what you want to do. A jigsaw is a lot quicker and very good if the edges are going to be hidden - even then, it depends on how perfect you want them. A lot of people use nothing but a jigsaw and are happy with the results.

If you could only get one, your patience might tell you the jigsaw is the one to have.

Hard choices I am afraid :)

I am not a patient man.

And the edges won't be hidden, they are going to be in plain view, ie front dash, side consoles...

Ice I've used the following in my panel build so far:

-Jigsaw

-Cordless Drill

-Screwdrivers

-Hole saw set

-Sandpaper

-Spray Paint

-Straight edge & T-Square for sheetrock

-Protractor

-Trusty mechanical pencil

-Tape measure

I'm pretty impatient too and I have pretty decent handyman skills which help a lot. I've built fences, installed tile/bathtubs/toilets, sheet rock etc....... I think that's helped more in my build so far than any fancy tool.

With a steady hand you can make very straight cuts with a jigsaw you just have to go slow. You can also clamp down a guide to ensure a nice cut if you don't have a steady hand. You absolutely don't need special tools to build a pit (though they certainly help). I can imagine having each part cut out in MDF on a CnC and only having to piece everything together in the end. Man that would nice!

A dremel tool is useful. Need a steady hand.

Thanks for the list there, but what is a hole saw?

I've not done much handyman tasks but I'm good at putting stuff together and following blueprints/instructions so :D

That and I blame DCS.

Here is a pic of a hole saw set

http://www.georgehenry.co.nz/product_pcid_1139.html

Yes that's it LOL! I forgot in my list that I have a Dremel too (Craftsman version), I haven't used it much though just to sand the inside edges of the holes I cut out. Still its a very useful tool to have in the garage.

I have other power tools of various types like:

Reciprocating Saw

Miter Saw

Skill Saw

Router (don't have any useful bits though)

SHOP VAC (I can't tell you how useful this is in cleaning up!)

I also have the general handymans assortment of hand tools including clamps (MUST HAVE CLAMPS). I don't want to give the impression that my earlier list is all I'm using, just the main tools I'm using so far.

EDIT: In the end you only have to satisfy yourself. My first pit was just an old Playseat setup with a bunch of wood shelves bolted on in various places. The bigger the project the more cost, time and effort it will take.

Ice I've used the following in my panel build so far:

 

-Jigsaw

-Cordless Drill

-Screwdrivers

-Hole saw set

-Sandpaper

-Spray Paint

-Straight edge & T-Square for sheetrock

-Protractor

-Trusty mechanical pencil

-Tape measure

 

I'm pretty impatient too and I have pretty decent handyman skills which help a lot. I've built fences, installed tile/bathtubs/toilets, sheet rock etc....... I think that's helped more in my build so far than any fancy tool.

 

With a steady hand you can make very straight cuts with a jigsaw you just have to go slow. You can also clamp down a guide to ensure a nice cut if you don't have a steady hand. You absolutely don't need special tools to build a pit (though they certainly help). I can imagine having each part cut out in MDF on a CnC and only having to piece everything together in the end. Man that would nice!

Yes that's it LOL! I forgot in my list that I have a Dremel too (Craftsman version), I haven't used it much though just to sand the inside edges of the holes I cut out. Still its a very useful tool to have in the garage.

 

I have other power tools of various types like:

 

Reciprocating Saw

Miter Saw

Skill Saw

Router (don't have any useful bits though)

SHOP VAC (I can't tell you how useful this is in cleaning up!)

 

I also have the general handymans assortment of hand tools including clamps (MUST HAVE CLAMPS). I don't want to give the impression that my earlier list is all I'm using, just the main tools I'm using so far.

 

EDIT: In the end you only have to satisfy yourself. My first pit was just an old Playseat setup with a bunch of wood shelves bolted on in various places. The bigger the project the more cost, time and effort it will take.

You forgot the duct tape...:D

I'm about to start making a more serious cockpit for use with DCS A10, I was wondering what tools I'll be needing for this project. At the moment, all I have are some screw drivers, a power drill (battery), and some ideas. I would love to have all the fancy CNC and laser engravers, but I'll stick with the basics for now. I'm looking at something that can give me accurate cuts (measurement-wise) and fairly straight cuts... fancy curved edges aren't necessary for an A10 pit, I hope.

 

Thanks!

A (not so) fast but dirty method... http://www.strandedduckling.com/html/panel_making_tutorial__1.html

Check pit/panels/quadref for downloadable pdf's. there's some mods but can be usable

Gus

to really give you an Idea of what tools you will need you need to make a decision on the material you will build out of first.

Thanks for the help guys.

I'm probably doing this out of MDF as that seems to be the common thing to do... unless others have a different suggestion? My current "poor man's pit" is made of recycled wood with laminate cover (I don't know the exact description), so I know I can work with MDF.

As for hole saw, I think I can do without it for now as I'm not doing any gauges... the front dash will only hold my MFCDs, keyboard, and probaby a UFC when I get around to it.

I used MDF (or am using).

Battery drill can get flat quickly in MDF especially if you end up drilling 40+ holes for switches etc.

I cant comment on a router as I dont have one but have considered it, especially for recesses for the wiring.

The Jigsaw is bloody essential, Ive just cut out the panels for the MFDs, Autopilot, Landing Gear and Gauges (although all are square or angular, not circular). I bought one for the pit build and cant beleive I tried to make some MDF stuff earlier without one!!

Dremmel depending on how you make your panels, I made mine from 5mm MDF and printed paper, not nearly as nice or how I initially wanted to out of acrylic and back light it but I can always do that later.

And pencil and ruler is all I have used, you can clamp guides easily using a couple of G clamps and some straight wood but jigsaws can get a bit jumpy even in MDF so you can spend forever getting it setup and it kicks, knocks out your guide and you have a chip in it.

Depends on your skills, patience and what you want to acheive, my old man who was an engineer and skilled woodworker and metal worker would be soo dissapointed in my it will do attitude. However, if he saw what I left school with, my office bound day job and the steady improvements to my home cockpit I think he would let me off a few bent straight edges!

Mr Burns, you say you used a jigsaw... how is it with making straight edges? Or are they straight-ish?

Use another piece of wood as a guide for the jigsaw. With this, the edge are pretty straight if you follow the guide correctly. Also a jigsaw is ideal to cut acrylic if used with a blade with small tooth (normally to cut metal)

You just have to be patient with a jigsaw and make sure you use the correct blade. Let it do the work and don't force it through the material. When you start to do that the blade will wander around and you will not get a straight line cut, even if using a straight edge for a guide.

If you could manage both a jigsaw and a router then you could cut quickly with the jigsaw, joust on the outside of the line and then clean it up with a router and a straight edge. The clean up is quick and then you have a perfect edge.

Plus you can go back with the jigsaw to straighten the edges a little, i follow the inside pencil line, its pretty straight just by hand and I am not the steady hands of a surgeon type. But its not perfect but pretty damn close.

Some Jigsaws (most I think actually) have a metal guide that clamps to the base of the saw that can help keep you straight. I do the same as Mr. Burns above just remember to go slow and take your time. When cutting tight curves you sometimes have to get creative or cut some relied cuts in the area that will be discarded.