• Welcome aboard HomebuiltAirplanes.com, your destination for connecting with a thriving community of more than 10,000 active members, all passionate about home-built aviation. Dive into our comprehensive repository of knowledge, exchange technical insights, arrange get-togethers, and trade aircrafts/parts with like-minded enthusiasts. Unearth a wide-ranging collection of general and kit plane aviation subjects, enriched with engaging imagery, in-depth technical manuals, and rare archives.

    For a nominal fee of $99.99/year or $12.99/month, you can immerse yourself in this dynamic community and unparalleled treasure-trove of aviation knowledge.

    Embark on your journey now!

    Click Here to Become a Premium Member and Experience Homebuilt Airplanes to the Fullest!

The sounds and smells of building

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

wbpace

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
320
Location
Escondido, CA
There are certain sounds and smells that you grow fond of when building an airplane. The whirring sound and oily smell of a high speed air drill. Or the grinding sounds and burning iron smell when shaping the ends of tubing. Or the staccato of a rivet gun. Or the smell of burning acetylene.

And that special sizzling sound that occurs when, in a moment of inattention, you oh so briefly touch the still-hot end of your welding rod to the skin just next to your ear. :eek:

O'Bill
 
wbpace said:
And that special sizzling sound that occurs when, in a moment of inattention, you oh so briefly touch the still-hot end of your welding rod to the skin just next to your ear. :eek:

Yep, been there, did that… for some reason I have the bad habit of twirling the rod end for end when I pull heat away for a second, like it was a pen or a swizzle-stick, then either end up grabbing the hot end, or a couple weeks ago bonked myself dead-center in my forehead – had a nice little 2nd degree burn… looked like I was trying to enter some new religious order or something with the red-dot. Dumb but not lethal – thank goodness I routinely wear safety glasses (the necessary bifocals…) or who knows what I’d do to myself…
 
O'Bill, Is that the same smell you get when you touch your finger or other vital part to the Scotchbrite wheel on your grinder? A finger on the sanding disk also has that similar brunt flesh smell. I have yet to go to the Emergency Room for anything project related. The # 40 drill through the finger just required a good cleaning out and periodic soaks in Hydrogen Peroxide. My daughter got used to seeing me make urgent trips from the garage to the first aid kit under the sink in the bathroom. After a while she wouldn't even ask what happened, she'd just say, "Why don't you just leave it down there in the garage." There is still time to push the envelop....John
 
Back
Top