Tools required for build ?

[tc3nitro]

I know this has been covered in various build threads but I did a search and couldn’t find a topic that covers all the tools required for a full build ?

i have a fairly comprehensive tool kit including sockets, spanner’s, pliers, hammers etc. 

What I would like to know is what everyone recommends ? 

Links to the tools you recommend would be great if this is allowed.

 

[1960dave]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sealey-Short-Arm-Threaded-Nut-Rivnut-Riveter-Riveting-Insert-Kit-M3-M8-AK3984/390743365727?epid=22017009965&hash=item5afa1e985f:g:B~4AAMXQVT9SzqyA    Is a must, as well as a cheap tap and die set.

 

[chriss1455]

Cant recommend an air compressor with atleast a drill and air riverter enough.

I done a mini re build of mine last year and without one it would have a nightmare

[tc3nitro]

11 minutes ago, chriss1455 said:

Cant recommend an air compressor with atleast a drill and air riverter enough.

I done a mini re build of mine last year and without one it would have a nightmare

Do you have a link to the air riveter you bought ?

[Kingster]

Absolutely agree about an air riveter. My favourite build tool! 

[Alan France]

Agree, air compressor and riveter is virtually essential. I also used a right angle air drill and air die grinder.

Stepped cone drill and 4mm cleco rivet clamps also really useful.

 

[chriss1455]

47 minutes ago, tc3nitro said:

Do you have a link to the air riveter you bought ?

I got mine from lidl or aldi (i cant quite remember which one) when they had them in. Its nothong special but as i say without one things can take 10x longer. And there so much easier

[Peter (Monty)]

Get a 16CFM compressor, I got an 8 which is fine for riveting but it can't sustain a die grinder for any useful length of time.

Tap and die set is pretty essential, earthing points on the chassis need tapping rather than rivnuts and you can also use them to clean threads on used parts.

Right angle drill attachment like this is a must for drilling in the tunnel and other crampt places.

Air riveter is great but won't reach everywhere so get a normal one too. The twister type are really good for reaching tight corners.

4mm drills are essentially a consumable item, you will snap some so get spares.

A low range torque wrench (up to 60Nm) will cover you for almost everything.

[Andrew O Byrne White - Ireland AO]

56 minutes ago, Monty said:

4mm drills are essentially a consumable item, you will snap some so get spares.

Invest in good ones. Makes the job easier and saves you hassle of dealing with snapped/blunt bits. I bought two DeWalt cobalt 4.1mm (the ones with a stepped tip) bits for all of the rivet holes and pilot holes too. I'm still on the first one now.

[Peter (Monty)]

@AndrewOBW I snapped one or two and didn't trust myself with nice ones after that 

[Andrew O Byrne White - Ireland AO]

Haha, fair point! It's definitely worth having at least one spare anyway so just keep topping up if you break one!

While I think of it too, don't attempt to do the build with only battery powered tools unless you've got plenty of spare batteries.  For the bits you're going to need most (drill and angry grinder) go with mains or pneumatic.  I foolishly stuck with my battery angle grinder. I'm now at the point where I (hopefully) haven't got that much cutting left to do so I don't want to fork out for a new one but it definitely added a lot of time waiting for it to charge when it ran out!

[BugMan]

Just on the drill for rivet work, I just bought about 5x 4.1mm HSS drills and have only broken 1 during my build - In my book it was not worth paying a lot for a single drill, of high quality, compared to cheap almost throw away items.

Would thoroughly recommend an air compressor and a rivet gun, "Mr Rivet" is my favourite tool, and the use of a air gun comes in handy as well.  I was lucky in that i already had a compressor, but I added a lube/pressure valve to keep air-tools trouble free.  I did buy an air drill, but TBH it was not worth it for me.

You will need a standard rivet tool as well as there are some places that Mr Rivet can't get to.

You need a general set of drills for odd-jobs ideally 1.0 to 10.0mm, in 0.5mm steps.  Also brad-point drill's are useful again for fibreglass work.

Step-Drill for all sorts of things, especially for holes in the fibreglass.

You may also need one of these rivet-nut tool's, don't bother with the ones that look like a standard river tool as they are crap.  This is probably the best tool I have bought from a recommendation for this forum - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rivnut-Rivetnut-Nutsert-Fitting-tool-M4-M5-M6-Kit-car-rivet-nut-special-insert/380904779400?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

Decent pistol drill either standard 230/240v AC or a decent battery drill, but with extra battery's.

Good set of spanners and a socket set - and I'd also go for a decent adjustable spanner, or 2.

Set of Alan keys - Metric.

Good caulking gun for silicon,  Silkaflex etc.

Hammer and a Centre punch - a copper-hide mallet is a good idea if you can afford one.

Set of screwdrivers flat and philips

Set Square (adjustable), tape measure - and I'd suggest a steel rule

You will need a torque wrench to go with the socket set, 1/2" worked for me.

Set of metric taps is useful, and there is a UNF (cant remember size) for some of the bosses on the chassis - mine were OK - don't need die's

Load of clamps (quick type are best over screw type)

Cleco Temporary Fastener are really useful but a bit of a luxury (get the right size for 4mm rivets)

Crimp tool for electrical - again not essential but very useful - there are different connections depending on car/engine - watch out for echoseel/super-seal/AMP specific.

Wire cutters, wire strippers for electrical

Dremel tool or similar - cant stress how much i use this with lots of sanding drums

Gunson Eezibleed Kit for brake beading - can normally borrow from a club m8

Magnetic tool trays - again useful

Hacksaw and Junior hacksaw

 

Consumables - often overlooked but essential

- Masking tape and permanent marker pen's

- Rivet nuts, not essential but again useful

- Paint - Dinitrol black paint (445 I think) and 4941 wax to spray in the chassis as you drill (Dave has a good post on this stuff.)

- Cable ties, you get some in the kit, but I'd get LOTS more.

- Plastic re-saleable bags

- Flexible Corrugated Conduit Pipe - various sizes - you get some in the kit, personnel choice but I've used loads to cover just about everything

- Depending on how you are planning to fit the front mud-guards and/or heater - Big-Head screws/Methacrylate Structural Adhesive glue - fibreglass repair kit for strength

 - Copper Ease 

 - Gaffer tape - Again useful but not essential

 - Insulation tape

 - String - believe it or not I find boot laces useful as well

I have bought quite a lot of tools from the likes of Lidl and Aldi, maybe not the highest quality but very good value IMHO.  Otherwise Amazon, eBay, CarBuilderSolutions (CBS) most are mentioned on here. 

Can't recommend a build diary enough with LOTS of pictures as this has saved my bacon many many times.  Have a look at "Dave's" build, this has saved me many times and there are lot of other I go back to time and time again - AdgeC, Steve Monty etc.

Also get along to a local meeting the people in this club are fantastic and can offer advice, best thing I did before I ordered my kit.

Sorry for ranting on, but I have kept a list in favourites on eBay and Amazon so I have a pretty good list

[Andrew O Byrne White - Ireland AO]

You can save a bit of money on the rivnut tool by just making one.  Essentially all you need is a piece of flat bar with the right hole sizes drilled in it and a corresponding nut and bolt.  Not as fast to use but it leaves you £30 odd extra in your pocket.

 

ETA link:

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/donstechnologyblog.wordpress.com/2016/02/25/diy-homemade-rivnut-tool/amp/

Edited April 9, 2018 by AndrewOBW
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[tc3nitro]

Thanks for the replies you’ve spent a little bit of my budget already.