Obviously, we’ll only have just begun the third quarter when we return from spring break in a week or so. But, as we received several weeks ago the tools list for the fourth and fifth quarters, it’s something to start preparing for over the term… oh, and you have the summer quarter to prepare for it as well.

Here’s the list with a few links to specific recommendations and suitable alternatives.

Required Tools for Airframe II

ARCFT 235, 236, 237, 238

All of these tools are required by the second week of Airframe II Quarter! Students starting out of sequence must have all tools from General and Airframe I lists also! As always, consult your instructor for clarification if you are unclear about a tool description.

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• As we’ve done this a few times, I’m just going to provide some links to the search results for plausible vendors that we’d used before: Amazon, Harbor Freight, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and the recommended vendor if one was given.
  
  I’m not seeking out the various tool suppliers that may have been mentioned by the instructors because many may not (or don’t) have a search mechanism, a web presence, or both. You can certainly have a look at them and consider your own value of the time you spend on it.

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Snap Ring Plier set (ATS E100-022 or equal). 1 set

You’ll need snap ring pliers to both expand snap rings and compress.

Amazon | Harbor Freight | Home Depot | Lowe’s | Aircraft Tool

6″ Needle nose pliers. 1 ea.

You can often find pliers in sets including needle-nose, common slip-joint pliers, and water pump/water line pliers.

Amazon | Harbor Freight | Home Depot | Lowe’s

Cotter pin puller. 1 ea. 𝌗

Wait — you can often find O-ring removal tools and picks in combinations that are highly effective multi-taskers.

Amazon | Harbor Freight | Home Depot | Lowe’s

Magnetic parts retriever. 1 ea.

Amazon | Harbor Freight | Home Depot | Lowe’s

8″ Slip joint (water pump) pliers. 1 ea.

I’ll bet there’s a set on the various results pages that has both the water pump pliers and the needle nose.

Amazon | Harbor Freight | Home Depot | Lowe’s

O-ring removal tool set. 1 set

Oh, look — O-ring removal tools… didn’t I mention that there are combinations of multi-taskers to be had?

Amazon | Harbor Freight | Home Depot | Lowe’s

Tire valve core and stem remover. 1 ea.

Amazon | Harbor Freight | Home Depot | Lowe’s

3/8″ to 1/4″ Socket drive adapter. 1 ea.

Often, you’ll get directed toward tools that are adapters for power drills or (worse) impact drivers. Don’t! Just regular old 1/4″ to 3/8″ socket adapters.

Amazon | Harbor Freight | Home Depot | Lowe’s

1/4″ to 3/8″ Socket drive adapter. 1 ea.

Same position as above — but in this case, it’s a 1/4″-drive whereas it was a 3/8″ drive above.

Amazon | Harbor Freight | Home Depot | Lowe’s

1/4″ Drive Speed Handle (Yardstore #14208 or equivalent). 1 ea.

Amazon | Harbor Freight | Home Depot | Lowe’s | Yardstore

1/4″ #2 Phillips bits for bit holder. 2 ea.

Amazon | Harbor Freight | Home Depot | Lowe’s

3/8″ Drive 12 point socket set 3/8″ though 7/8″. 1 set

Amazon | Harbor Freight | Home Depot | Lowe’s

3/8″ Drive 6″ extension. 1 ea.

Amazon | Harbor Freight | Home Depot | Lowe’s

1/4″ 12 Point socket set 1/4″ through 9/16″. 1 ea.

Amazon | Harbor Freight | Home Depot | Lowe’s

1/4″ 6 Point socket set 1/4″ through 9/16″ 1 ea.

Amazon | Harbor Freight | Home Depot | Lowe’s

1/4″ Drive ratchet. 1 ea.

Amazon | Harbor Freight | Home Depot | Lowe’s

1/4″ Drive extension set, 2″, 4″ and 6″. 1 set

Amazon | Harbor Freight | Home Depot | Lowe’s

1/4″ 12 Point universal joint socket set 5/16″ through 9/16″ (Genius US-206S or equal). 1 set

These sockets are rather difficult to track down. You can find them in several places, but they’re quite expensive — $220-ish. I think it’s quite unreasonable. Genius Tools has them listed for about $40 for the specific recommended item number. But they’re back ordered. Honestly, I’d rather pick them up for $40 than nearly six times as much.

Amazon #1, Amazon #2 | Harbor Freight | Home Depot | Lowe’s | Genius Tools

1/4″ Bit Holder 1/4″ Drive (Yardstore #56110 or equivalent). 1 ea.

Amazon | Harbor Freight | Home Depot | Lowe’s | Yardstore

But wait… there’s more!

Required Tools for Powerplant

ARCFT 245, 246, 247, 248, 255, 256, 257, 258

All these tools are required by the second week Powerplant Quarter! Students starting out of sequence must have all tools from general and airframe list also! As always, consult your instructor for clarification if you are unclear about a tool description.

Slick mag timing lock tool (Aircraft Spruce PN # T118 or equal), 1 ea.

Amazon | Harbor Freight | Home Depot | Lowe’s | Aircraft Spruce

Slick mag E-Gap tool (Aircraft Spruce PN # T150 or equivalent) Students may make in Gen A as extra project, 1 ea.

While this tool and the timing lock tool above are rather inexpensive, there will be another $12 for ultra-basic shipping. What one might plan as a $30 purchase will actually be about $42.

Amazon | Harbor Freight | Home Depot | Lowe’s | Aircraft Spruce

Eng. Cable Sling **Note. All students will make this item in Gen A. 1 ea.

Amazon | Harbor Freight | Home Depot | Lowe’s | Just kidding, you should already have it. If you don’t or haven’t made one, check with your instructor and see about fabricating it.

Magneto Timing Light **Note (Aircraft Spruce #12-16901 or equivalent) Students should make this item in Gen B.

Amazon | Harbor Freight | Home Depot | Lowe’s | Aircraft Spruce

**Note: Some students may be starting the program out of typical sequence order, if they have not had a specific General Class that they would have made one of the required tools consult the Powerplant instructor prior to starting the Powerplant Quarter for guidance. For students who do complete these projects during General take care to assemble them to the highest quality, to prevent having to open purchase them due to inaccuracy.