23 MAR 14: Finished priming last piece – HS spar. Page 6-3 steps 6 & 7, page 6-4 steps 2 & 6: 1.75 hours

Went flying today, so not much time in the shop.  Finished priming the last little bit left (ran out of primer last night and was too late to mix another batch) – one of the HS spars.  Then started on dimpling and putting the VS together – finally!  First rivets since beginning the tail kit:

24 MAR 14: Page 6-4 step 7: 2.5 hours

Reassembled rear spar assembly and riveted together.  Took a while to get the touch for using the squeezer on the flanges and get the shop heads straight.  Took my time, checked every rivet, and it came out pretty well.  I’m really liking the nice finish the Akzo primer gives – tough as nails!:

25 MAR 14: Page 6-5 steps 1-3: 3.7 hours

Riveted the VS-1012 to rudder hinge brackets and the VS-1017 hinge doubler to the VS-1003 rear spar.  Attached the VS-1015 front spar doubler to the VS-1002 front spar.  Finished riveting the VS skeleton.  I was dreading the VS-1013 middle nose rib rivets as they are in an awkward position.  I had to use an offset rivet set and the angled edge of the tungsten bucking bar.  For my first 470 rivets of the build (-4s at that) and my first time bucking rivets on actual airplane parts, I think they turned out ok:

26 MAR 14: Page 7-6 step 11, page 7-7 steps 1-4: 3.5 hours

Drilled out and replaced 2 rivets in the VS.  Interestingly enough most comments I read say to leave well enough alone – i.e. the chance for buggering up the hole and fudging the second rivet is hi, and replacing is not worth the risk.  Even though these were cleated, they were TOUGH to get out once the head was removed.  I think this may back up the aforementioned comment:

Dimpled all holes in the flanges of the stiffeners, spar, and ribs of the rudder.  Riveted the R-1004 A&B rib halves, riveted the nutplate to R-1005 horn, and riveted the horn to the R-1004 A&B bottom rib:

Riveted the R-607/8PP reinforcement plates to the R-1002 spar and riveted the nutplates to the plates and spar:

27 MAR 14: Page 7-7 step 4: .5 hour

Finished riveting the R-1002 rear spar.  No pic.

28 MAR 14: Page 7-6 step 11, page 7-7 steps 5: 3 hours

Dimpled R-1001 rudder skins.  Back riveted R-1015 stiffeners to R-1001 skins:

29 MAR 14: Page 6-6 steps 2-9 – Finished VS: 10 hours

Finished up the VS today.  Front spar rivets:

Same from inside.  Marks on the spar web are only rub marks from the tape covering the bucking bar.  The spar would have been a wreck without the tape over the bucking bar:

I’m pretty happy with my work as a beginner.  I see why people talk about the first piece you build.  I definitely learned a lot in this structure.  I definitely gained confidence in riveting – especially bucking which, to me, really is the more difficult and critical part of riveting.  By the end of the piece I was able to feel how I was effecting the shop head with the bar, stop early if I wasn’t remaining square, and make the necessary correction.  Initially I was almost solely focused on the gun end – was worried about it walking all over -  but quickly realized I have to focus more on the bucking end.  As a testament to that, I have a few spots where I slipped with the bar and made some slight outward dents in the skin.  I initially had some second thoughts as a new builder bucking all of these alone (some very awkward angles/reaches), but I read an old post on VAF by Rick Gray about help vs. going it alone.  He made some excellent points about the solo route.  I’m very glad I did it all solo – I learned a ton.  I’ve bucked a bunch of practice rivets, but it is difficult to duplicate some of the angles/blind bucking that you do when  riveting the airplane.  Actually, I thought the dings would bother me more than it did.  Do I want them, no, but I was glad to get them out of the way – like the first ding in a new vehicle.  I’ve had other builders tell me how they miss the metal work when they’re at the 90% done, 90% to go phase, so a few years from now, I may redo the entire VS.  This one could serve as a nice conversation piece on the wall of my man cave – we’ll see.

Very happy with the way the C-frame dimples turned out.  Now that I think about it, I mentioned reading a post by Rick Gray – my C-frame was purchased second hand from Rick:

It’s been exactly 2 months since beginning my build.  I’ve spent all that time building, prepping, and priming all the pieces for the VS, rudder, HS, and elevators.  It was very nice to finally start putting pieces together and see a result of all that effort:

17 MAR 14: Page 9-14 step 7, page 9-16 steps 1-2.  Primed VS, rudder parts: 6.5 hours

Finished the trim tab foam ribs and wood clamping blocks:

Spent the rest of the session setting up the downdraft table and getting ready to prime.  I’m not sure why, but I’ve been apprehensive about priming.  Maybe it was not knowing how well the table would work – didn’t want to get overspray all over the place – never using a HVLP gun, etc.  It took me quite a while to get everything in order – just like everything else, the first time takes forever due to the learning curve.  I am very happy to say that priming went very well!  Now that I know what I’m doing, the next batch will go much quicker:

18 MAR 14: Page 10-12 steps 1 & 4: .5 hours

Not much time tonight, but still wanted to do something - measured tie down bar and rudder cable angle. No pics.

19 MAR 14: Priming: 3 hours

Downdraft table set up:

The exhaust end:

Ready to shoot:

One batch done:

 

VS skin:

Tonight – second time priming – went much quicker than the first time.  I’m getting my system down.  Tonight’s progress:

20 MAR 14: Priming: 4 hours

Another batch of priming – almost done!

22 MAR 14: Redid VS and elevator rear spars, finished priming: 10 hours

Decided to redo the VS rear spar and the elevator rear spars.  While countersinking the flanges, the 3/32” holes were enlarged a bit beyond tolerances.  A call to Van’s said that I could continue on, but I decided to replace the pieces – not too expensive, and didn’t take much extra time.  This time I backed up the work with a piece of angle; also used the wedges to level the work:

 Finally finished all the priming for the VS, rudder, HS, and elevators – a lot of work, but living in Savannah, Ga.  I definitely wanted to prime.  Nothing left but to put all of this together!

09 MAR 14: Page 9-7 step 8: 5.5 hours

No pics today.  My grand plan of finishing up the deburring AND priming didn’t happen.  Heck, I didn’t even get the deburring done.  I spent the second half of today’s session second guessing some of my countersinking.  The countersinking on the .032 spar flanges – namely the VS and elevator rear spars – enlarged the 3/32 rivet hole.  I’ve read this dilemma on many web posts – backing the material, using a drill press etc.  The good news is that everywhere that you CS the .032 flanges, it is sandwiched between two pieces.  In the case of the VS, the skin and spar caps; in the case of the elevators, the skin and the trim tab hinge.  Because of this, the consensus is it is ok according to Van’s tech support – if not ideal.  This really seems like a common conundrum – counter sinking thin pieces (less than .040) to accept dimples, how to measure what is deep enough, etc.  Section 5 of the plans calls for 7 clicks of the countersink cage past flush – or .007.  Ken at tech support said the dimple should be barely past flush – just a couple or 3 clicks.  Well…this is all part of the experience, right…?

10 MAR 14: Page 9-7 step 8: 2.5 hours

Duburred skin holes/edges – rivet practice.  No pics.

11 MAR 14: Page 9-7 step 8: 3.5 hours

Continued deburring elevator skin holes and edges.  Fairly slow going.  Almost have 2 down, 2 to go:

12 MAR 14: Page 9-7 step 8: 3.5 hours

Not much done tonight – more riveting practice and plugging away at deburring the skins.  Debur, debur, debur:

13 MAR 14: Page 9-7 step 8: 3.5 hours

More skin deburring.  Also started the trim tab foam ribs and wood clamping blocks.  No pics.

14-15 MAR 14: Prekoted VS, rudder, HS, and elevator parts: 5.75 hours

Doesn’t look like much, and doesn’t feel like you’re accomplishing much.  It’s a ton of work and not very rewarding, but it’s all part of the process!

16 MAR 14: Finished Prekoting VS, rudder, HS, and elevator parts and : 8 hours

Again, doesn’t look like much, but it’s A LOT of work:

Taped off the rib and trailing edge area of the elevators in prep for priming.  Just have to break the trailing edges of the rudder and elevators and then I’m finally ready to prime everything:

03 MAR 14: Page 8-9 step 6: 2.75 hours

Finished deburring HS skins and spent the rest of the session practicing riveting – no pics.

04-05 MAR 14: Page 8-9 step 8: 5 hours

Machine countersunk all the holes in the flanges of the front are rear spars and 3/32” holes of the stringers.  As other builders have cautioned, it is easy to get too deep on the end holes – be careful.  And, wow, are there a lot of holes to countersink!

Van’s recommends 7 clicks – which I believe is .007” – past flush. 

06 MAR 14: Page 8-9 step 8, page 9-2 steps 1-7: 6.25 hours

Spent the beginning of this work session finishing the countersinking of the HS spars and stringers.  With all HS complete and ready for priming, I moved on to the elevators.  Began with the 16 E-1008 elevator ribs:

On the advice of a fellow, local RV-10 builder, I will include more pics of me doing the work.  Take all of the ribs and cut them in half:

Deburring each half of the ribs – now 32 pieces:

Once cut and deburred, mark as E-1008 A/B, cleco together and final dril #30 the two common holes on each end of the rib half.  Label each half, so they remain paired throughout construction.  I then ensured the flanges of the E-903/904 outboard/inboard tip ribs were bent 90’ and straightened the ribs by fluting.  Checked for straightness using the holes in the E-913 skins.  Clecoed assemblies and final drilled 1/8” holes in the rib web, the 3/32” holes in the flanges and skin, and the 3/16” holes in the front of each rib.  Finally, separated the four E-1022 shear clips, final drilled #30 the holes in the short flange, and deburred the edges and holes.  This was a good work session as I feel like I accomplished a lot and finished a whole page of the plans – unlike the past several days of just deburring and countersinking a few parts.  At the end of the session, I was left with:

07 MAR 14: Page 9-3 steps 1-3, page 9-4 steps 1-3, page 9-5 steps 1-2: 2.75 hours

Bent close out tabs on E-1001A/B elevator skins:

Clecoed the E-1002 front spars to the E-1001B bottom skins:

Clecoed the E-1008 ribs and the E-905 root rib to the E-1002 front spar and to the E-1001 B bottom skin.  Clecoed the E-1007 rear spar to the E-1008 and E-905 ribs and E-1001B bottom skin:

08 MAR 14: Page 9-5 steps 3-4, page 9-6 steps 1-8, page 9-7 steps 1-4, 7, 8: 11.5 hours

Final drilled holes common to the E-1008/E-905 ribs, E-1002/1007 spars, and root rib:

Clecoed the E-615 trim access reinforcement plate to the E-1001B bottom skin.  Final drill the holes common to the reinforcement plates and skins using a #40:

Clecoed the E-921 elevator gusset to the E-905 root rib and the E-1007 rear spar.  Final drilled #30 the gusset to the rib and spar:

Final drilled all holes common to the tip rib assembly:

Marked edges of VA-140 trailing edge wedge between E-1001A top skin and E-1001B bottom skin:

Removed the trailing edge wedge and trimmed at marks on the band saw:

Match-drilled the #30 holes in the close out tab of the E-1001A/B skins and the E-1022 shear clip.  The angle drill helped with the hole closest to the rear spar:

I think the tabs ended up looking pretty good:

Clecoed the WD-605-L-1 elevator horn to the root rib and front spar.  Final drilled the holes common to the horn, spar, and rib with a #30 drill:

Final drill the skins with a #40 drill:

Positioned the WD-415 trim cable brackets on the E-616 cover plates and drilled #30 holes:

It’s all part of the process, but still a bit demoralizing to take everything apart again:

Spent the rest of the session deburring everything.  Also countersunk the spars and trailing edge wedges.  Weather is supposed to be very nice again tomorrow.  Hopefully I will be able to finish up and begin priming everything – VS, rudder, HS, and elevator parts.  I still haven’t put anything together – just prepping all the parts.