Construction Tools

As with any construction project, the tools you use really make a difference. This website would not be complete if information regarding the tools that should be considered.

Miscellaneous Tool Considerations

Electric vs Pneumatic Tools

There is a considerable amount of debate among Experimental Amateur Built Aircraft builders over which is better, electric tools or pneumatic tools. I have noticed a few things in discussions on this topic on the Lancair Mail List. Those that are used to using pneumatic tools are frequently unhappy with electric tools. Additionally, those that are used to electric tools frequently do not feel comfortable with pneumatic. I also know that new options have come available to those of us using electric tools in recent years.

I personally have very limited experience with pneumatic tools, so I cannot do an effective job of citing the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. I know I have used electric, and I would have to spend a fair amount of money to get into an adequate pneumatic setup. So... I am using electric until I see signs that electric is not doing the job I need. I am not pushing electric over pneumatic, I am just pointing out that I am not qualified to make a good comparison.

I can offer some advantages I know of in using pneumatic tools. When you compare a given tool type, a pneumatic tool frequently weighs less and is smaller than an electric equivalent. With drills, this can be a very handy benefit. I have found several cases where I had trouble getting an electric drill with a drill bit chucked up in the area I needed to drill a needed hole. This would be less of a problem with most pneumatic drills. One alternative solution is to get an angle attachment for the drill or get an angle drill.

In general, my recommendation is that if you are equipped for pneumatic, you should stick with pneumatic, and if you are equipped for electric you might want to stick with electric. As I proceed, I may very well change my mind on this issue.

As a result of my orientation toward electric, most of the information I provide here will be slanted toward electric power tools.

Essential Tools

There are several tools that have so much added value that I would say they fall in the “Must Have” category. As I proceed through the process, I will add those to this list. These tools are not listed in any planned order.

Builder Note:

Epoxy Pump

Previously I had listed an Epoxy 2 Part Ratio Pump as one of the Essential Tools. I have since moved it to the Helpful Tools list. I made this change for two reasons.

There are several multi-part resins that are used in a Lancair project. These different resins require different part ratio mixtures. Since it is important to get the ratios correct with all of the resins, an electronic scale would be essential to cover all of the resins. A pump would be difficult to use for all of the resins used in the project. Some of the resins (such as Hysol 9339) are also too viscous to use in a pump. Therefore, some other reliable means for accurately measuring the ratios is needed.
It is important to regularly and frequently verify that the ratios that the pump dispenses are accurate. An electronic scale can easily be used to verify that the pump is dispensing the correct ratios. An electronic scale can easily be recalibrated regularly with calibration reference weights.

Given these two points, it became clear that the epoxy pump is a very nice convenience tool that should be used with the epoxy that is used most throughout the project, but an electronic scale is essential to cover all of the resins, and as an accuracy validating tool for the epoxy pump. Electronic scales can be quickly and easily calibrated to insure they they are giving accurate readings.

As a result, I concluded that you can use an electronic scale without an epoxy pump, but you cannot use an epoxy pump without a scale.

Electronic Scale

With epoxy resins, it is very important that you use the resin manufacturer's recommended resin to hardener ratio. With some of the non-epoxy resins used in fiberglassing applications (such as the polyester resins commonly used in auto and marine fiberglassing), the resin to hardener ratio can be adjusted to control cure rate. This must not be done when mixing epoxy resins. Additionally, with aircraft construction, it is important the builder maintain tight controls on ratio accuracy. A top-loading portable electronic scale can be a good solution for this. There are several brands and models to choose from. The selection criteria that Gary Hunter gives composite aircraft builders includes:

Displays Weight in Grams (ounces optional)
1 Gram Resolution/Readability (1)
+/-1 Gram Accuracy
400 to 2000 Gram Capacity (2)
Has a Tare Feature
Has Auto-Shut-Off Feature
Can Be Operated on Battery (and can give a low battery warning)
Has a Removable Platform

Scales with less precise Resolution/Readability are not recommended because the possible percentage error for the size epoxy batches that will likely be mixed for this purpose can be unacceptably high. Scales with more precise Resolution/Readability are perfectly acceptable. In fact, those that have to deal with working in hotter areas will need to mix smaller epoxy batches. You can use a scale with 0.1 gram Resolution/Readability to maintain acceptable percentage error rates when mixing small batches. The advantage would be that you could have more confidence that you had ratios acceptably correct in smaller batches. From the calculations I have run in a spreadsheet for a scale with 1 gram Resolution/Readability, I cannot be confident that the ratio error is within acceptable ranges for batch sizes smaller than 50 grams. The disadvantage to scales with greater Resolution/Readability is that they typically are more expensive.

You can go with a scale that has a maximum capacity that is less than or greater than this range, but there are some things to consider.

The weight of the material being weighed + the weight of the container holding the material must be within the capacity rage. So for example, if you use a small Pyrex dish for mixing your resin, and the dish weighs 200 grams, a scale with a 200 gram limit would not have any additional capacity for weighing resin material. The Tare function does not effect the maximum capacity. The weight of the container you mix your resin in will set the practical limits for your minimum acceptable capacity. A scale with a maximum of 1000 grams and up will likely give enough range for most amateur built composite aircraft builders.
Those that only intend to use the scale for measuring epoxy multi-part ratios will likely never use most of a 2000 gram range. For example, the Technical Data Sheet for Hysol 9339 explicitly states "Do not mix quantities greater than 450 grams as dangerous heat buildup can occur causing uncontrolled decomposition of the mixed adhesive". In the interest of avoiding runaway exothermic reactions, the vast majority of epoxy batches will in the 50 to 100 gram range. The advantage of greater maximum capacity would be that the scale would be more useable for general purpose weight measurement beyond aircraft construction. However, given this consideration, there are limits to the "bigger is better" logic. As the maximum capacity increases, typically other characteristics of the scale begin to become unacceptably large as well, such as Resolution/Readability, Accuracy, Linearity, Repeatability, and price (assuming that the scale meets all of our needs). For example, most of the 1000 gram to 2000 gram scales have +/- 1 gram. When scale manufacturer publishes an accuracy of +/- 1 gram accuracy. This means that the reported weight could be off by as much as 1 gram for any weight amount through out the scale's range. Scales that that have a capacity of up to 4000 grams or 5000 grams frequently have an accuracy of +/- 2 to 4 grams. At a possible worst case 2 gram error, the smallest batch of Jeffco 1307LV that you could mix would be about 122 grams if you wanted to be confident of having no more than a 10% error rate. With +/- 1 gram accuracy you can mix a batch as small as small as about 61 grams. From the information I have been able to collect, the target should be between 5% to 10%.

Some of the brands I discovered that have candidates worth considering include:

The company (Michael Engineering) that manufactures the epoxy pump that Lancair sells carries two Ohaus scale models that are very good candidates. The Ohaus CS2000 has a 2000 gram limit, with a 1 gram readability. This makes a good all purpose epoxy ratio scale. The other scale is the Ohaus SC4010, which has a 400 gram limit, with a 0.1 gram readability. This would be a good choice for those that have reason to regularly make smaller epoxy batches. For example, those of us that live in hotter regions of the world. All of the above brands have close functionally equivalent models.

Also, one website that I found particularly helpful for evaluating possible solutions was Balances.com. Some of the pages within that website that are of particular interest include Portable Top-Loading Balances (sorted by price), and the online Glossary.

Along with an electronic scale, it is helpful to get squeeze bottles that have a small flip-top spout, are made of polyethylene plastic, and hold about a pint or half a liter of fluid. I use the Rubbermail Servin' Saver Squeeze Bottle #3933. I can fairly easily pour out controlled amounts of both Part A and Part B. The small spout that the flip-top lid has helps minimize the amount of CO2 that gets into the bottle and contributes to hardener discoloration. These containers are only a few dollars each, and can be found in local grocery stores. I dedicate one bottle for each Part A and Part B of the resins I work with that are not too viscous. Make sure you label each bottle so you do not get them confused.

"Pizza Cutters" for E-Glass Cloth

Although this tool is called a “Pizza Cutter”, it should not be confused with the similar kitchen tool that is actually used for cutting pizza. The blade for this cutter is a heavy duty circular razor blade. It is VERY sharp, which is what is needed to cut the cloth without disturbing the glass weave.

This tool may not seem important, but it really is essential for cutting fiberglass cloth quickly and cleanly. Few things will work as effectively as one of these cutters when cutting dry cloth ( before resin has been applied to the cloth ) or wet cloth ( after the resin has been applied, but before the resin has cured ). Anyone building a composite aircraft will be cutting cloth dry, and cutting it again after it has been wetted out. This is why it is actually a good idea to have one pizza cutter for dry cuts, and one for wet cuts.

OLFA RB-45 Rotary Blade

NOTE: OLFA rotary blades have 3 notches on the perimeter of the inner hole. Dritz blades have 2 notches. Most rotary cutter handles (such as the ones from Lancair, Dritz, OLFA & Excel)
have a round axle, so they can use either blades.

Lancair sells a cast aluminum cutter. Lancair sells the blades for the cutter too. This tool is very similar to a rotary cloth cutter sold in stores that carry supplies for sewing and quilting. As it turns out, the blades that Lancair sells are the same model and brand that is frequently found in stores that sell quilting supplies. The ones that I received from Lancair were 45 mm Dritz blades ( part number 1051 ). The two most common brands found in sewing and quilting stores are Dritz and OLFA. Most of the 45 mm blades can be used with the Lancair cutter. The price for these blades at most local quilting stores will typically be between $5 and $7 each. Lancair’s price for the same blade is $3.75. You will be hard pressed to find a price that will beat Lancair’s price for these blades. So while you are placing an order with Lancair for other items, throw in a few blades if you think you will need some replacements in the near future. If your spouse sews or is in to quilting, order some for her/him too. If you find that you are out of blades, and cannot wait to get replacements from Lancair, you know that you can get them from a local source. I never would have imagined that the markup for a product used for aircraft construction would be less than the quilting markup for the same product. For that matter, I never would have expected to find a quilting tool on the list of aircraft construction tools. Life is full of surprises.

You can also buy rotary cutter handles from local sewing or quilting sources. They typically are plastic, and are not as heavy duty as the Lancair handles. Some are cheaper than Lancair’s $20 cutter ( some as low as $9 ), and others are more expensive ( some as high as $35 ). The rotary cutter handles that they carry are typically capable of retracting the blade for safety reasons. This may be an appealing feature for some builders, especially those that have young children. The model number for the Dritz handle that uses 45 mm blades is RS-45. OLFA has two handles that use 45 mm blades. One of the handles typically costs as much as the Lancair handle, but is plastic. Assuming you are considering an alternate handle to save money, the only OLFA handle that you would consider would likely be RTY-2/G. ES builders Mike and Tammy Salzman introduced me to another possible handle. This is the Excel Rotary Cutter from Excel Hobby Blades Corp. The part number for this is 60011. This one comes with 2 blades, and you should be able to find it for about $9. At that price point, and considering the fact that the handle comes with two blades, the handle could be considered a disposable rotary cutter tool.

OLFA RTY-2/G

The plastic handles are fine for making dry glass cuts. I would not recommend using them for wet cuts. This is because epoxy resin will inevitably get on the handle. The epoxy wont harm the handle, but the chemicals that will likely be used to clean the resin off the handle will break down the plastic the handle is made of. For this reason, I would recommend using the Lancair cast aluminum cutter handle for at least the wet cuts.

Clamp Assortment

It is very important to have an assortment of clamps. Most of my clamps are c-clamps in various sizes. My favorite source for c-clamps is Harbor Freight. They are inexpensive, and they are better quality ( IMHO ) than what I have seen in Home Depot, Lowe’s, Sears, etc. Most of my c-clamps are 6” clamps. I have some 8”, and some 3” clamps. Each time I visit the local Harbor Freight, I buy between 4 and 8 more clamps ( depending on if they are on sale or not ). I am building this collection of clamps because I will need quite a few of them when I close my wings. Builders typically use clamps to hold the leading edge and trailing edge of the wings together while the Hysol resin cures.

I also have been using clamps more frequently in this project than I ever have before in my life. I am finding that I can make many tasks easier and more accurate by locking things in place with clamps.

Different tasks actually lend themselves to different types of clamps. I have also purchase several Quick Grip clamps like the one pictured here You can get them in different sizes. I don’t know that I can generate enough clamping force to make these worthwhile for wing closing, but I am using these extensively for many other purposes. Harbor Freight also carries Quick Grip product.

Another type of very useful clamping tools is the Vise-Grip line of locking pliers and clamps. Vise-Grip tools can be adjusted for pliers action, or to lock onto various sizes of materials with just the right amount of pressure. Simply turn the adjusting screw to fit the work, then squeeze the handles with one hand to lock. The tool stays adjusted for repetitive use. This is particularly helpful when you need "someone " to hold something, but no one is available to help. My particular favorite are the locking clamps with swivel pads. These are good for holding tapered work, awkward fabricating jobs, and delicate projects without damaging the project's surface. Soft pads are available, but sold separately. This comes in 6 different sizes. Harbor Freight carries these tools, and sometimes put them on sale.

Plastic Spreaders

Plastic spreaders are a must for anyone building a composite aircraft. I actually purchased three packages. Each package has 3 spreaders ( 1 Small, 1 Medium, 1 Large ) as pictured here. I purchased Bondo brand spreaders ( Part No. 357 ). Bondo brand is not necessary, that is just what Home Depot had in stock ( these were in the Paint section of the store ). Each package is only a few dollars. The important thing to look for with this type of spreader is they are made of polyethylene plastic. As with the Bondo spreaders, the package may not indicate what they are made of, but should state something to the effect of “Self-Cleaning - just flex and body filler pops off”. They can do that because they are made of polyethylene plastic. There are a few other items that you will want because they are made of polyethylene plastic.

Electric Rotary Motor Tools

Electric rotary motor tools can be incredibly useful in aircraft building. The most common brand of rotary motor tools is Dremel. The Dremel MultiPro pictured here is really good for doing small detailed work. Dremel sells a large selection of different 1/8” bits that you can use for various jobs. Other companies also sell bits that you can use with these tools. The potential problem with these small Dremel rotary motor tools is that, depending on how the tool is used, they can get burned out fairly quickly. Fortunately, there are some higher powered alternatives.

A few years ago, the RotoZip tool hit the market. You could think of this as an industrial strength Dremel. There are several RotoZip tool models available. The one pictured here is called the Revolution. The advantage of this over the other models is that it can operate at a few different speeds. Most of the models either are not variable speed or have a very limited number of speed variations. Another feature that RotoZip introduced to the market was a saw blade that looked like an 1/8” drill bit. This offered real advantages for those wanting to cut along curved lines, especially when a sharp radius was involved. These tools can also use 1/4” bits. One advantage with the RotoZip brand is that there are more accessories available for this tool. Unfortunately, most of the RotoZip brand accessories are not interchangeable with the other brand equivalent products on the market. Exceptions to this are the 1/8” and 1/4” bits for cutting and grinding. I do not own a RotoZip, so I cannot make a firsthand comparison on how it actually operates.

This year Dremel has come out with a direct competitor to the RotoZip. Dremel calls this model the Advantage. It looks very much like the RotoZip. This product is variable speed. Unlike most of the RotoZip models, the variable speed range is continuous. Most of the RotoZip models that allow you to vary the speed only let you do so at a limited number of specific speeds. Both the handle and the depth gauge attachment ( which are included with the tool ) can be quickly and easily removed as needed. Dremel does not have as many accessories available specifically for the Advantage yet, but I suspect that will change with a little time. My one complaint about this product is the fact that the depth gauge does not support the tool very rigidly. The gauge has far too much play in it to allow very precise cuts. It is very fast and easy to remove, but I would rather it hold the tool more rigidly.

Harbor Freight has a low cost solution on the market. Harbor Freight carries a low priced line of power tools called Chicago Electric Power Tools. Generally I believe that a “cheap” tool costs more in the long run because, my experience is that they do not last long. By the time you replace them once or twice, you have paid more than if you had bought a quality one in the first place. Typically I prefer brands such as DeWalt, Porter-Cable, Milwaukee, Ryobi, Makita, etc. I generally do not give Chicago Electric Power Tools much consideration. Harbor Freight has the Chicago Electric Cutout Tool pictured here. I decided to give this one a try because I consider it a large Dremel motor tool. Even if it might not be as heavy duty as a RotoZip or Dremel Advantage, it should be able to hold up through heavier duty jobs than the small Dremel MultiPro. It was on sale for $24.99, so if it only lasts through this project I will be happy. I also like certain aspects of the depth guide on the end of this tool. All of the other competing products I am aware of have a depth gauge that only supports one side of the bit. This one has supports on both sides which seems to provide sturdier support. Both sides had an independent finger tighten bolt which further helped to make the depth gauge sturdier. I considered this a nice complement to what I already had. When I am cutting using a rotary saw blade, and I need to carefully control depth, this is the rotary motor tool I use.

Rotary Motor Tool Accessories

Harbor Freight sells numerous diamond tipped bits that are rugged enough to hold up to the wear of grinding on fiberglass. I purchased a 50 piece kit from Harbor Freight that has a broad selection of different sized and shaped bits that come in handy for this project. Harbor Freight’s description for this kit is “50 PC. Diamond Mounted Point Set”, and the part number is 36252-2VGA. This kit is $27.99. Most of the bits that Dremel sells for their rotary motor tools are quickly dulled when used for grinding fiberglass. I have been exceptionally pleased with the performance, durability, and selection that this kit offers. The nice plastic box that they come in ( as pictured here ) helps me keep them together and organized.

The kit above is good for grinding and shaping. Sometimes you need to make fine controlled cuts. Most of the cutting wheels that Dremel sells wear away very quickly when cutting fiberglass. Harbor Freight sells a kit that has 5 cutting wheels that last without wearing down quickly at all. Harbor Freight’s description for this package is “5 Piece Diamond Mini-Cutting Discs”, and the part number is 31501-6VGA. This package is only $9.99.

Microstop Countersink & Stop Cutters

There are quite a few places on the ES where you have to countersink rivet and screw holes so that the head of the fastener is flush with the surrounding composite or aluminum surface. With the rivets, it really is important to have the rivet head flush to a fairly close tolerance. For example, it is very difficult to squeeze a rivet correctly if the countersink hole is cut too deep. A microstop countersink tool can help you cut accurate countersink recessed holes, while allowing you to cut them quickly and consistently. For once, the precise method is the fastest method (if you use this tool).

The tool has two parts. The main part is the microstop countersink cage (pictured below - left). This is the part that you chuck up in your drill (electric or pneumatic). This is also the part that controls the depth of the countersink cut. The second part is the stop countersink cutter. This is the bit that screws into the cage, and actually rotates to make the countersink cut. This cutter should have a very short round-tipped knob at the front which is the pilot. The pilot is a guide that fits in the pre-drilled hole, and keeps the cutter centered, and makes the cutter blades cut the material smoothly. Countersink cutters that do not have a pilot (like the ones you will find in your local Home Depot or Lowe's ) typically are very difficult to keep from jumping because they bite too much material on one side. The resulting hole from a cutter that has a pilot is perfectly round, and evenly spaced around the hole.

Microstop Countersink Cage

Stop Countersink Cutter

The stop countersink cutters come in different sizes. According to Carsten at Lancair, the sizes needed for a Lancair ES (all 100 degree cutters):

#40 (for Rivets)
#10 (for Screws)
1/4" (for Rivets)

This is not a tool you will find at your local Home Depot or Lowe's. In most cases, you will need to order this tool from a business that specializes in aircraft tools, or a mail order aircraft supply company. I ordered mine from the Avery Tools website. Within hours, I had an e-mail confirmation that it had shipped, and within a few days it arrived at my doorstep. They had the best price I could find, and I got good service.

Safety Goggles

Wearing eye protection is critical when you are working on several portions of any composite aircraft. I have tried several different types so far. Most of what I have tried have been more stylish goggles that look like sun glasses without tinting. The problem I kept running into was that dust from cutting and grinding would get airborne, drift around the goggles, and then get into my eyes. Most of the closed in goggles were vented such that dust would get behind them too. At Home Depot I found a solution from MSA Safety Works called “Splash Resistant Safety Goggles” (MSA SW Part Number 00817698) that addresses this problem nicely. I feared that these would have a lot of problems with fogging since they are closed. The package says “Anti-Fog”. So far it has not been a problem. I sure would hate to damage my vision, and loose my medical while I was building the airplane I had been dreaming of for two decades.

Ear Muffs

Some of the tools I am using make a lot of noise. The worst offender is the Shop Vac. After using them, my ears would ring for quite some time. I decided that this was not a good thing. I went to Home Depot and picked up some noise protection ear muffs from MSA Safety Works. They were pretty cheap, and will help me protect my hearing. I had been using rubber ear plugs. The ear plugs certainly were an improvement over no ear protection, but the MSA offer more protection. Also, if someone approaches me while I have a tool running, it is more obvious that I cannot hear them regardless of the tool noise.

Helpful Tools

There are some other tools that can be helpful, but you really can do without them if you are trying to control costs. As I proceed through the project, I will list them here.

Epoxy 2 Part Ratio Pump

Lancair sells an epoxy pump that makes mixing the two part epoxy with the correct ratio of Part A to Part B so much faster and easier. The Lancair catalog lists that pump as the “Jeffco Epoxy Pump”. The actual pump I received from Lancair was from Michael Engineering, and their product name for this tool is the “Sticky-Stuff Dispenser”. The pump has two reservoirs that look like Tupperware containers. The smaller reservoir is for the hardener, and the larger reservoir is for the epoxy resin. Both reservoirs have a sealed top that helps keep foreign particles ( such as dust ) out of the resin, and helps keep the fumes in. If you choose not to go with this tool, you would need to manually meter out the two parts, using a scale to get the ratios correct. With the epoxy ratio pump, you fill up the reservoirs with the the epoxy material, and each time you pump the pump lever, the appropriate amounts of Part A and Part B come out of the dispenser tubes on the upstroke. This pump is not cheap, but I have been very glad I went ahead and purchased it. It is also important to point out that it is a very good idea to regularly verify that the pump is dispensing the correct ratios. This verification can be done with an electronic scale.

Metal parts in this pump will cause hardener discoloration problems unless special stainless steel alternative parts are installed. The kit that contains those items (part # SS3-SSA) is available through Michael Engineering, Inc.. The kit contains a stainless steel check valve replacement (which replaces the valve at the bottom of the hardener reservoir), a rubber gasket (that goes between hardener reservoir and the hardener pump body), and a stainless steel exhaust ball (which is installed inside the hardener pump body).

Drill Press

I had been told, that a drill press was a very desirable tool to have while building an airplane. Lancair also suggests that this is a desirable tool to have. It had seemed to me that so many of the holes I would be drilling would be in-place somewhere on the airframe, and putting a wing or the fuselage on a drill press would not be possible. I decided to proceed without a drill press, and just make a point to ask myself “Would a drill press help me here?” every time I picked up my handheld drill. I did find that there were many times were the answer was “YES!”. Additionally, I could see some situations coming down the road where being able to use a drill press would be important. So... I now have a drill press, and would recommend one to other builders. I purchased a bench-top drill press. We will see if I ever encounter situations where I wish I had gotten a larger floor unit.

So that the drill press would not take up what little bench-top space I had, I built a small platform into the garage wall just for the drill press. I also used a 24” segment of 3/4” MDF shelf material to bolt onto the drill press table. This helps make the table much larger which makes it easier to hold larger objects flat while drilling. It also makes it easier to clamp objects, or alignment stops in place. I use the drill press far more than I anticipated, and find it helpful enough, I am very tempted to move this tool to the Essential Tools list above.

Bench-Top Belt/Disc Sender

Using the logic “If a 1” belt sander would be good, a 4” belt sander would be better.”, I had intended to get a 4” belt with 6” disc sender. One case in which the 1” belt is better is when you want to use it on an edge that is on the inside of a concave curve. In this case, the 4” belt will be too wide. In most other cases, there is not a lot of difference other than a 4” inch belt would help finish sanding a straight edge faster.

There is a Sears Craftsman Belt/Disc Sander that has a 2" belt (Mfr. Model #21528) that also has an 8" disc. This seems like an ideal size. The only drawback to the sander is that the 2" belts are not common. You may only be able to get them from Sears.

Lancair Acetone Dispenser

When epoxy resin is applied to an existing surface, it is important that the epoxy bond to the surface will not delaminate at some later date. This is especially important in aircraft construction. There are two main things that are done to make sure delamination does not occur. One is that the surface is roughened with some sort of abrasive material such as sand paper. The second is that the surface is cleaned with something that will chemically clean the surface and then completely evaporate without leaving any form of residue. The chemical of choice used to be Methylene Chloride ( MC ). Due to numerous health hazards associated with using MC, some have questioned the overall merit of using MC. Lancair now recommends that builders use acetone instead. This chemical has substantially fewer health risks, but acetone is very flammable. As a result, it is good to have a dispenser that helps you minimize the fumes. I believe that this dispenser helps reduce this risk, and makes it much easier to work with the acetone. This dispenser is not cheap, but I chose to purchase mine for safety reasons.

A small amount of acetone is dispensed from the top of the container when the bottle is turned upside down and the top is pushed. The top is spring loaded so it automatically closed when you release pressure on the top.

Nite Ize Fiber Optic Flashlight Adapters

The Nite Ize Fiber Optic Adapters are handy when you want to visually inspect small or enclosed places. Nit Ize sells different lengths of Fiber Optic Adapters. For AA flashlights, the length choices are 7” and 20”. In most cases, the 7” length is sufficient. From time to time, the 20” length is nice to have. They are inexpensive, so I have gotten both. I found the 7” adapter at Home Depot. I found the 20” adapter in a local sporting goods store.

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