Shop Talk

In this episode Paul Dye explains how to lay out lines of rivets on a workpiece—a simple task you'll be doing many times throughout...

How many of us have seen an unusual engine temp/parameter indication and wondered if it was really the engine or a faulty reading? The...

A faster way to add rivet holes to piano hinge.

Nearly every aircraft utilizes metal cables to operate control surfaces like elevators, rudders and ailerons. As a builder, you may be required to fabricate...

Just about every pilot I know uses an iPad or Android tablet with ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot or WingX software. In most cases it’s their...

Screwdrivers come in many shapes and sizes. Wikipedia lists some 42 different types of screwdriver tips—from the common to the almost unheard-of. Here we...

In another segment of KITPLANES' Metal Magic series, editor at large Paul Dye shows you how to accurately cut and artfully shape even large...

Exhaust cracks can be insidious, although sometimes they leave a gray-looking residue. Use a bright flashlight and inspect them every time the cowling is...

OK, so we’ve got that 100-watt solar panel firmly bolted to the hangar roof. Let’s take the other pieces that we have to have...

Master aircraft builder Paul Dye demonstrates how to "back rivet" metal for a clean, consistent look, and offers suggestions to avoid common mistakes. This series...