20 APR 14: Page 9-13 step 3, page 9-14 steps 1-3, page 8-13 steps 6-7: 9.75 hours

Riveted the E-1001 skins to the E-1002 front spars.  Riveted the flange of the E-905 root ribs to the E-1007 rear spars.  Riveted the E-921 elevator gussets to the root rib webs.  Riveted the E-1001 skins to the flanges of the E-905 root ribs and E-1002 front spars.  Riveted the HS inspar ribs to the HS rear spar assembly.  Began to rivet the HS skins to the rear spar assembly. – No pics.

22 APR 14: Page 8-13 step 7: 1.6 hours

Continued to rivet the HS skins to the rear spar assembly. I had some doubts if I countersunk the spar flanges enough.  There is a very fine line between counter sinking enough and countersinking too much and making the holes too big for the rivet.– No pics.

23 APR 14: Page 8-13 step 7: 1.25 hours

Finished riveting the HS skins to the rear spar assembly. Horizontal stabilizer complete!

24-25 APR 14: Page 9-14 steps 4-6: 6.7 hours

Riveted the tip rib assemblies to the E-1022 shear clips.  Riveted the tip rib assemblies to the front spars.  Riveted the E-1001A top skins to the E-1002 front spars.  Riveted the skins to the E-913 counterbalance skins and the flanges of the E-903 outboard tip ribs.  Repeated these steps for the E-1001B bottom skins.  These steps took me quite a while due to the small spaces and initially thinking I had to buck all the -4 rivets.  Lesson learned: check out other builder’s logs to see how they tackled a section (showed squeezing the rivets), and always at least try to fit the squeezer before discounting its use.  I first elevator probably took 4 hours; the second half that time.  My wife was visiting her family this week.  I’m thinking I’m going to have to rearrange some things before she comes home:

18 APR 14: Page 9-10 steps 4-7, page 9-11 steps 1-6: 8.25 hours

Riveted the two E-910 hinge reinforcement plates and nutplates to both E-1002 spars:

Riveted the E-905 root ribs to the E-1002 front spars, installed snap bushings into spars, riveted the WD-605-L/R-1 elevator horns to the front spars and root ribs:

Riveted the nutplates to the E-615 and E-1015 reinforcement plates, then back riveted the reinforcement plates to the E-1001B skins:

Back riveted all the E-1008 rib halves to the E-1001 skins:

4 skins and 256 back rivets later…:

Riveted the E-1007 rear spars to the aft flanges of the E-1008B rib halves:

Finished the night by riveting the remaining E-1022 shear clips and E-921 elevator gussets to the E-1007 rear spars:

19 APR 14: Page 9-12 steps 4-7, page 9-11 steps 1-6: 8.25 hours

Riveted the E-1007 rear spar to the E-1001B bottom skin and the E-1001A top skin.  Riveted the second flange of the E-1007 rear spar to the second skin using a special bucking bar:

Finished riveting the rest of the E-1007 flanges with the squeezer:

Skins riveted to the spars:

 Riveted the E-1008 rib halves together with blind rivets:

Clecoed the front spar assemblies to the E-1008 ribs and E-1001 skins.  Riveted the E-1002 front spar to the forward E-1008 rib flanges using blind rivets:

Riveted the skins to the front spar flanges:

At the end of the night, the elevators are all riveted up:

It's been a couple of weeks since I posted.  Uncle Sam had me doing a field exercise from about 0600-1900 for the past 10 days straight, so I didn't have much energy at the end of the night.  

30 MAR 14: Page 7-8 steps 1-3, page 7-9 step 1, page 8-2 steps 5-6, page 8-3 steps 1-2: 10 hours

Back riveted the R-1003A top rib half on the R-1001L skin.  Riveted the R-1003B top rib half to the R-1001R skin.  Riveted the R-1004 bottom rib to the R-1001R skin.   Very tough to rivet the last hole in the rib.  Used a small piece of steel plate to indirectly back rivet it:

Riveted the R-1010 shear clips to the R-1001R skin – first pop rivets used:

Riveted the HS-906 rear spar doubler to the HS-1003 rear spar:

Riveted the HS-912 hinge brackets to the HS-1003 rear spar.  Remember to put manufactured heads on the bracket:

Opposite side:

Riveted the VA-146 between the two HS-911 inboard hinge brackets:

Bolted the inboard hinge bracket assembly to the rear spar assembly and marked with torque seal:

31 MAR 14: Page 8-2 steps 1-2: 3.5 hours

Riveted the HS-1002 front spar, HS-1007 front spar doubler, HS-1013 front spar caps, and the HS-1008L/R front spar attachment brackets.  Had to buck the -9 and -10 rivets as the squeezer will only handle up to -7s.  Ooops…let’s try this one again:

Finished the spar by riveting the nine holes in both flanges of the HS-1002 front spar and the HS-1013 front spar caps:

1 APR 14: Page 8-9 steps 5, 7 page 8-10 steps 1-2: 3.75 hours

Marked the empennage fairing screw holes on the skins and inboard nose/inspar ribs.  Dimpled all the rib flanges for exterior rivets.  Began to dimple the skins.  Riveted the two inboard HS-1004 inspar ribs to the flanges of the HS-1016 stringer web.  Riveted the two sets of HS-1014 and -1015 stringers together:

2 APR 14: Page 8-10 step 2: 3.25 hours

Finished dimpling the HS skins – took quite a while.  Riveted the two sets of HS-1014 and -1015 together and to the HS-1016 stringer web:

Could squeeze most, but had to buck these -4s:

Other side:

3 APR 14: Page 8-11 steps 1-3 page 8-12 step 1: 6 hours

Pressed the two SB625-8 snap bushings into 5/8” holes in front spar assembly.  Riveted the inspar ribs to the front spar assembly:

I spent the rest of the evening riveting the HS-905 nose ribs in the HS-1001 skins.  This took a while to develop a system of controlling the bucking bar and the gun since I’m riveting solo.  Once I developed a system it was still very slow going due to angles and curvature of the leading edge.  I’m increasing my confidence in riveting immensely.  It was a very slow process, but I only had to drill out one rivet and I didn’t ding the skin at all.  At the end of the evening all the nose ribs are riveted:

4 APR 14: Page 8-12 step 2, page 8-13 steps 1-3: 4 hours

Riveted the front spar/inspar rib assembly to the nose ribs.  Riveted the two end HS-904 inspar ribs to the HS-1002 front spar web.  Riveted the HS-1001 skins to the flanges of the front spar assembly.  Riveted the skins to the flanges of the HS-1004 inspar ribs up to the HS-1014/1015 stringers:

5 APR 14: Page 8-13 steps 2-3: 3 hours

Continued riveting the HS:

6 APR 14: Page 8-13 steps 3-5: 3.5 hours

Continued riveting the HS:

7-9, 13 APR 14: Page 8-13 steps 4-5: 5.5 hours

Drilled out 10 rivets and finished riveting the skins of the HS:

14 APR 14: Page 9-7 steps 5-6, step 9: 2.25 hours

Dimpled the E-616 cover plates, E-615 reinforcement plates, and nutplates.  Began dimpling E-1001A/B skins:

16 APR 14: Page 9-7 step 9, page 9-8 steps 1-4, page 9-9 step 1: 2.75 hours

Continued dimpling E-1001A/B skins, dimpled the E-1002 front spars and E-1007 rear spars, dimpled the E-905 root ribs:

17 APR 14: Page 9-9 steps 2-5, page 9-10 steps 2-3: 5 hours

Dimpled the E-1022 shear clips, the flanges of the E-1008A/B ribs, and the E-903 and E-904 ribs.  Riveted the common 1/8” holes of the E-903 and E-904 ribs:

Riveted the E-913 counterbalance skin to the E-903 and E-904 ribs: